Drácula

Starring: Carlos Villarias, Lupita Tovar, Barry Norton, Pablo Alvarez Rubio, Eduardo Arozamena, Jose Soriano Viosca, Carmen Guerrero
Directed by: George Melford
Rating: Unated
Genre: Horror
1931

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Dracula (Carlos Villarias) travels to London and wrecks havoc on the people there.

Review:

Tim: Drácula is a fascinating film because of its relation to its more famous counterpart. Apparently, in the 1930s, it was common practice to film both English and Spanish films on the same sets. So, in 1931, we got the famous Hollywood version of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi and a Spanish language film- Drácula that was filmed on the exact same sets, but with a Spanish cast. That's really, really interesting. Many people claim Drácula is better, because the English crew shot during the day, the Spanish crew was able to see what they did, and then they went out and tried to up the English crew by creating better shots. I personally think this film isn't quite as good as the more famous Dracula, but it's not that far apart, either.

The film tells the same story using the same sets, but with a Spanish cast. The story is pretty familiar and it unrolls as you would expect. I liked the basic storyline and the adaptation from Bram Stoker's famous novel. The story is intense and exciting, and it makes for a fun viewing experience.

I will say that I was less impressed overall with the Spanish cast. They were pretty decent, but they weren't as good as the English speaking cast. I thought Carlos Villarias horribly overacted his role as Conde Drála. His eyes were laughably wide open and some of his facial expressions just seemed so absurd and larger-than-life. Maybe a lack of subtlety was common in Spanish films in the 1930s, but man, it was hard to take seriously. The rest of the cast is decent, but no one really emerges with a standout performance. I suppose the closest thing is Pablo Alvarez Rubio, who had several terrific moments as the unhinged Renfield. While he overacted in many scenes, there were a few chilling moments.

The film is quite nice to look at- the Spanish crew did a good job of improving several shots in the film. The sets are the same as in Dracula, but they just seem a little more put together and memorable here. The cinematography was quite good.

Honestly, this isn't a film that many people will seek out, unless you're fascinated by movies (like I am) and want to see how this film compares to its more famous counterpart. Again, I think Dracula is the superior film, but George Melford and the Spanish crew managed to create a solid, entertaining film in Drácula. If you're a fan of Dracula movies, I'd encourage you to seek this movie out.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Dracula, Frankenstein