Dracula (Spanish-language version)
Encyclopedia
Drácula is a 1931 American Spanish-language horror film
directed by George Melford
. It is an adaptation of the 1897 novel of the same name
by Bram Stoker
and was filmed during the night on the same sets that were being used for the 1931 English-language film of the same name
. In the early days of sound, it was common for Hollywood studios to produce foreign-language versions of their films (usually in French, Spanish
and German) using the same sets and costumes. Most of these versions no longer survive, however the Spanish version of Dracula
is an exception. Of the cast, only Carlos Villarías was permitted to see rushes of the English-language film
starring Bela Lugosi
and was encouraged to imitate the other man's performance.
In recent years this version has become more highly praised by some than the English-language version. The Spanish crew had the advantage of watching the dailies
from the English crew's version when they came in for the evening and they would figure out better camera angles and more effective use of lighting in an attempt to "top" it. As a result, this version's supporters consider it to be much more artistically effective.
The Spanish semiologist Roman Gubern considers that the longer duration allows better development of the plot in spite of the shortened shooting time and smaller budget.
The Spanish version was included as a bonus feature on the Classic Monster Collection DVD in 1999, the Legacy Collection DVD in 2004 and the 75th Anniversary Edition DVD set in 2006. Included was an interview with Lupita Tovar, who had married producer Paul Kohner two years after filming. The film had earlier been reissued in its own right on VHS.
via stagecoach. He mentions his destination, Castle Dracula, to the locals who react with alarm. They tell him Count Dracula
is a vampire
and when he doesn't believe them, one insists he wear a cross. When he arrives at the Castle, the Count bids him welcome. After drinking drugged wine, Renfield drops the cross and is bitten.
Aboard ship
, a now-enslaved Renfield laughs maniacally below as Dracula picks off the crew one by one. When the ship reaches England
, he is the only living person found.
Dracula meets Dr. Seward and his family at the Opera
. Lucia is completely fascinated by him and that night becomes his victim. Professor Van Helsing is called in, and he recognizes the danger for what it is. He also realizes that Dr. Seward's patient Renfield is somehow tied up in events. But soon after meeting the Doctor's new neighbor, Dracula, he figures out who is a vampire—based on the fact Dracula casts no reflection in the mirror. Not a moment too soon, because by now Seward's daughter Eva is falling under his spell. To her horror, she feels increasingly weak and also increasingly wild—at one point attacking her fiancee Juan.
With Seward's and Harker's help, Van Helsing seeks to trap Dracula but he outwits them and escapes with Eva by seizing control of a nurse's mind. They follow Renfield into Carfax Abbey—an act which ends with Dracula killing his slave by strangulation then tossing him from a tall staircase. Deep in the catacombs under Carfax, they find Dracula asleep and Eva, still alive. Van Helsing drives a stake through the vampire's heart.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by George Melford
George Melford
George H. Melford was an American stage and film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.-Career:...
. It is an adaptation of the 1897 novel of the same name
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
and was filmed during the night on the same sets that were being used for the 1931 English-language film of the same name
Dracula (1931 film)
Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as the title character. The film was produced by Universal and is based on the stage play of the same name by Hamilton Deane and John L...
. In the early days of sound, it was common for Hollywood studios to produce foreign-language versions of their films (usually in French, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and German) using the same sets and costumes. Most of these versions no longer survive, however the Spanish version of Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
is an exception. Of the cast, only Carlos Villarías was permitted to see rushes of the English-language film
Dracula (1931 film)
Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as the title character. The film was produced by Universal and is based on the stage play of the same name by Hamilton Deane and John L...
starring Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
and was encouraged to imitate the other man's performance.
In recent years this version has become more highly praised by some than the English-language version. The Spanish crew had the advantage of watching the dailies
Dailies
Dailies, in filmmaking, are the raw, unedited footage shot during the making of a motion picture. They are so called because usually at the end of each day, that day's footage is developed, synched to sound, and printed on film in a batch for viewing the next day by the director and some members...
from the English crew's version when they came in for the evening and they would figure out better camera angles and more effective use of lighting in an attempt to "top" it. As a result, this version's supporters consider it to be much more artistically effective.
The Spanish semiologist Roman Gubern considers that the longer duration allows better development of the plot in spite of the shortened shooting time and smaller budget.
The Spanish version was included as a bonus feature on the Classic Monster Collection DVD in 1999, the Legacy Collection DVD in 2004 and the 75th Anniversary Edition DVD set in 2006. Included was an interview with Lupita Tovar, who had married producer Paul Kohner two years after filming. The film had earlier been reissued in its own right on VHS.
Cast (in credits order)
- Carlos VillariasCarlos VillaríasCarlos Villarías , was a Spanish actor who was born in Córdoba, Spain and died in California, USA. His best remembered role is in a Spanish language version of Dracula made at night on the same sets as the version starring Bela Lugosi.-External links:...
as Conde Dracula - Lupita TovarLupita TovarLupita Tovar is a Mexican actress, best known for her starring role in the 1931 Spanish language version of Dracula, filmed in Los Angeles by Universal Pictures at night using the same sets as the Bela Lugosi version, but with a different cast and director.Born as Guadalupe Tovar , in Matías...
as Eva Seward - Barry NortonBarry NortonBarry Norton was an Argentine-born actor in American films. He appeared in over ninety films from 1925 until the time of his death. He is perhaps best known for his role as Juan Harker in the Spanish-language version of Dracula , produced by Universal Pictures.-Career:Norton was born to an...
as Juan Harker - Pablo Alvarez Rubio as Renfield
- Eduardo Arozamena as Professor Van Helsing
- Jose Soriano Viosca as Dr Seward
- Carmen Guerrero as Lucia Weston
- Amelia Senisterra as Marta
- Manuel ArboManuel ArbóManuel Arbó was a Spanish film actor. He appeared in over 200 films between 1915 and 1970.-Selected filmography:* Dracula * The Man Who Wanted to Kill Himself * Rumbo...
as Martin
Plot summary
Renfield, a solicitor, makes a journey into TransylvaniaTransylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
via stagecoach. He mentions his destination, Castle Dracula, to the locals who react with alarm. They tell him Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
is a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
and when he doesn't believe them, one insists he wear a cross. When he arrives at the Castle, the Count bids him welcome. After drinking drugged wine, Renfield drops the cross and is bitten.
Aboard ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
, a now-enslaved Renfield laughs maniacally below as Dracula picks off the crew one by one. When the ship reaches England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he is the only living person found.
Dracula meets Dr. Seward and his family at the Opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. Lucia is completely fascinated by him and that night becomes his victim. Professor Van Helsing is called in, and he recognizes the danger for what it is. He also realizes that Dr. Seward's patient Renfield is somehow tied up in events. But soon after meeting the Doctor's new neighbor, Dracula, he figures out who is a vampire—based on the fact Dracula casts no reflection in the mirror. Not a moment too soon, because by now Seward's daughter Eva is falling under his spell. To her horror, she feels increasingly weak and also increasingly wild—at one point attacking her fiancee Juan.
With Seward's and Harker's help, Van Helsing seeks to trap Dracula but he outwits them and escapes with Eva by seizing control of a nurse's mind. They follow Renfield into Carfax Abbey—an act which ends with Dracula killing his slave by strangulation then tossing him from a tall staircase. Deep in the catacombs under Carfax, they find Dracula asleep and Eva, still alive. Van Helsing drives a stake through the vampire's heart.
See also
- List of American films of 1931
- Dracula (1979 film) which is based on the same Deane/Balderston play
- Universal MonstersUniversal MonstersUniversal Monsters or Universal Horror is the name given to a series of distinctive horror, suspense and science fiction films made by Universal Studios from 1923 to 1960...