| House of Dracula | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Erle C. Kenton |
| Screenplay by | Edward T. Lowe |
| Story by |
|
| Produced by | Paul Malvern |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | George Robinson |
| Edited by | Russell F. Schoengarth |
| Music by | William Lava[1] |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures[2] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 67 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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House of Dracula is a 1945 American monster crossover horror film released by Universal Pictures. It was a direct sequel to House of Frankenstein, and continued the theme of combining Universal's three most popular monsters: Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange), Count Dracula (John Carradine), and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.). The film, which was the seventh Universal film to feature Frankenstein's monster, as well as the fourth with Count Dracula and the Wolf Man,[3] was a commercial success,[citation needed] but was one of the last Universal movies featuring Frankenstein's monster, vampires, and werewolves, with the exception of the comedy Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), in which all three appear.
Plot[]
Count Dracula (Carradine) arrives at the castle home of Dr. Franz Edelmann (Onslow Stevens). The Count, who introduces himself as "Baron Latos", explains that he has come to Visaria to find a cure for his vampirism. Dr. Edelmann agrees to help. Together with his assistants, Milizia (Martha O'Driscoll) and the hunchbacked Nina (Jane Adams), he has been working on a mysterious plant, the clavaria formosa, whose spores have the ability to reshape bone. Edelmann explains that he thinks vampirism can be cured by a series of blood transfusions. Latos agrees to this, and Edelmann uses his own blood for the transfusions. Latos has his coffin placed in the castle basement.
That night, Lawrence Talbot (Chaney Jr.) arrives at the castle. He demands to see Dr. Edelmann about a cure for his lycanthropy. Talbot is asked to wait. Knowing that the moon is rising, Talbot has himself incarcerated by the police. A crowd of curious villagers gathers outside the police station, led by the suspicious Steinmuhl (Skelton Knaggs). Inspector Holtz (Lionel Atwill) asks Edelmann to see Talbot, and as the full moon rises, they both witness his transformation into the Wolf Man. Edelmann and Milizia have him transferred to the castle the next morning. Edelmann tells him that he believes that Talbot's transformations are not triggered by the moonlight, but by pressure on the brain. He believes he can relieve the pressure, but Talbot must wait for him to gather more mold from his spores. Despondent by the thought of becoming the Wolf Man again, Talbot says he wants to kill himself and jumps into the ocean. He ends up in a cave below the castle.
Edelmann searches for Talbot and finds that he survived the fall, but has turned into the Wolf Man. The Wolf Man attacks, but suddenly returns to his human form as the moon goes behind the clouds. In the cave, they find the catatonic Frankenstein's monster (Strange), still clutching the skeleton of Dr. Niemann. Humidity in the cave is perfect for propagating the clavaria formosa, and a natural tunnel in the cave connects to a basement of the castle. Dr. Edelmann takes the monster back to his lab, but considers it too dangerous to revive him.
Latos tries to seduce Milizia and make her a vampire, but Milizia wards him off with a cross. Edelmann interrupts to explain that he has found strange antibodies in the Count's blood, requiring another transfusion. Nina begins shadowing Milizia, who is weakened by Dracula's presence; Nina notices that the Count casts no reflection in a mirror. She warns Edelmann of the vampire's danger to Milizia. Edelmann prepares a transfusion that will destroy the vampire. During the procedure, Latos uses his hypnotic powers to put Edelmann and Nina to sleep; he then reverses the flow of the transfusion, sending his own blood into the doctor's veins. When they awake, Latos is carrying Milizia away. They revive Talbot and force Latos away with a cross. Latos returns to his coffin as the sun is beginning to rise. Edelmann follows him and drags the open coffin into the sunlight, destroying Dracula.
Edelmann begins to react to Dracula's blood, and becomes evil. He no longer casts a reflection in a mirror. Falling unconscious, he sees strange visions of himself performing unspeakable acts. When he awakens, his face has changed to reflect his evil nature just like in his vision, then he returns to his normal self.
Edelmann performs the operation on Talbot. Afterwards, he transforms again into his evil self and brutally murders his gardener. When the townspeople discover the body, they chase Edelmann, believing him to be Talbot. They follow him to the castle, where Holtz and Steinmuhl interrogate Talbot and Edelmann. Steinmuhl is convinced that Edelmann is the murderer, and assembles a mob to execute him.
Talbot is cured by the operation, but Edelmann again turns into his evil self. He revives Frankenstein's monster, but the monster is very weak. Nina is horrified by Edelmann's transformation, and Edelmann breaks her neck and tosses her body into the cave. Holtz and Steinmuhl lead the townspeople to the castle. The police attack the monster, but the monster subdues them. Edelmann kills Holtz by accidental electrocution. Talbot shoots Edelmann dead. Talbot traps the monster under fallen shelving. A fire breaks out, and the townspeople flee the burning castle. The burning roof collapses on the monster.
Cast[]
- Lon Chaney Jr. as Lawrence "Larry" Talbot / The Wolf Man
- Onslow Stevens as Dr. Franz Edelmann
- John Carradine as Count Dracula / Baron Latos
- Martha O'Driscoll as Milizia Morelle
- Jane "Poni" Adams as Nina, the hunchback
- Lionel Atwill as Police Inspector Holtz
- Ludwig Stössel as Ziegfried
- Glenn Strange as Frankenstein's monster
- Skelton Knaggs as Steinmuhl
- Harry Lamont as Villager (uncredited)
Source:[2]
Cast notes:
- Lon Chaney Jr. had played the Wolf Man in all three of Universal's previous films about the character, and Glenn Strange had played the Monster once before, in House of Frankenstein. John Carradine had also played Count Dracula once before, also in House of Frankenstein, and went on to play the part three more times, in Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966), Las vampiras (1969), and Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula (1979).[3][4]
- House of Dracula was Lon Chaney's last film under contract to Universal, which released him from his contract afterwards, although he returned to play the Wolf Man again in the 1948 comedy sequel Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.[1]
- Jane Adams's character, Nina, is a hunchback and was billed as one of the monsters in the film, but in fact, her character is portrayed sympathetically, and the use of an attractive actress to play an otherwise misshapen individual is notable for the time.
- Lionel Atwill, familiar to horror movie fans from his performances in 1932's Doctor X, The Vampire Bat, and Mystery of the Wax Museum (both 1933) and many others, was ill during filming of House of Dracula, and died of cancer less than five months after the release of the film.[1]
Production[]
The working titles for the film were Dracula vs. the Wolf Man or The Wolf Man vs. Dracula.[3]
Although Glenn Strange appears as the Monster in most of the film, footage of Chaney as the Monster from The Ghost of Frankenstein and Boris Karloff from Bride of Frankenstein was recycled; Karloff appears in a dream sequence, while Chaney, as well as his double Eddie Parker, are seen in footage in a fire scene.[1]
Strange recounts that a scene with the Monster stuck in quicksand was particularly arduous for him. On top of three hours of getting into makeup, Strange spent the rest of the day buried in cold sand, including during the lunch break, and was so cold by midafternoon that he could barely feel his legs. Lon Chaney Jr. attempted to help Strange keep warm by passing him a bottle of scotch, with the result that Strange was so drunk that after getting out of costume and makeup, he had difficulty dressing himself in his street clothes. Chaney's drinking contributed to his reputation as being difficult to work with, and probably was the reason Universal let him go after the film was completed.[1]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Nixon, Rob "House of Dracula (1945)" (article) TCM.com
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 House of Dracula at the American Film Institute Catalog
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Notes" TCM.com
- ↑ "Filmography by type: Glenn Strange" IMDB.com
External links[]
- Review of film in Variety
- House of Dracula at the American Film Institute Catalog
- House of Dracula at the Internet Movie Database
- House of Dracula at the TCM Movie Database
- House of Dracula at AllRovi
- The House of Dracula at Trailers from Hell
| Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Frankenstein's monster • Victor Frankenstein • Doctor Waldman • Elizabeth Lavenza | |
| Films | Universal series | Frankenstein (1931) • Bride of Frankenstein (1935) • Son of Frankenstein (1939) • The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) • Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) • House of Frankenstein (1944) • House of Dracula (1945) • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) |
| Universal characters | Igor • Doctor Septimus Pretorius • Wolf Frankenstein • Bride of Frankenstein • Ludwig Frankenstein | |
| Hammer series | The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) • The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) • The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) • Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) • Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) • The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) • Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) | |
| Toho series | Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) • The War of the Gargantuas (1966) | |
| Parodies | Mad Monster Party? (1967) • Mad Mad Mad Monsters (1972) • Young Frankenstein (1974) • Frankenstein all'italiana (1975) • Frankenweenie (1984) • Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) • The Monster Squad (1987) • Frankenhooker (1990) • Monster Mash (1995) • Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (1999) • Monster Mash (2000) • Frankenthumb (2002) • Frankenweenie (2012) • Monster Family (2017) | |
| The Munsters | Munster, Go Home! (1966) • The Munsters' Revenge (1981) • Here Come the Munsters (1995) • The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas (1996) | |
| Hotel Transylvania | Hotel Transylvania (2012) • Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) • Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) • Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2021) | |
| Others | Frankenstein (1910) • Life Without Soul (1915) • The Monster of Frankenstein (1920) • I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957) • Frankenstein 1970 (1958) • Frankenstein's Daughter (1958) • Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965) • Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966) • Los Monstruos del Terror (1970) • Lady Frankenstein (1971) • Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) • Frankenstein '80 (1972) • Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) • Blackenstein (1973) • Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks (1974) • Frankenstein Legend of Terror (1981) • Frankenstein Island (1981) • The Bride (1985) • Frankenstein Unbound (1990) • Frankenstein (1992) • Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) • Van Helsing (2004) • Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove (2005) • Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (2009) • House of the Wolf Man (2009) • Frankenstein: Day of the Beast (2011) • Frankenstein's Army (2013) • The Frankenstein Theory (2013) • I, Frankenstein (2014) • Army of Frankensteins (2014) • Frankenstein (2015) • Victor Frankenstein (2015) | |
| Television | Tales of Frankenstein (1958) • The Munsters (1964–1966) • Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles (1966–1968) • Groovie Goolies (1970-1971) • Frankenstein (1973) • Frankenstein: The True Story (1973) • Monster Squad (1976) • Struck by Lightning (1979) • The Munsters Today (1988-1991) • Monster Force (1994) • House of Frankenstein (1997) • Frankenstein (2004 TV film) • Frankenstein (2004 miniseries) • Frankenstein (2007) • Mary Shelley's Frankenhole (2010) • Once Upon a Time ("The Doctor" (2012) • "In the Name of the Brother" (2013)) • Penny Dreadful (2014–2016) • Frankenstein, MD (2014) • The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015–2017) • Second Chance (2016) • Hotel Transylvania: The Series (2017–present) | |
| Stage | Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein (1823) • Frankenstein, or The Vampire's Victim (1887) • Frankenstein (1927) • Joined At The Heart (2007) • Frankenstein – A New Musical (2007) • Young Frankenstein (2007) • Frankenstein (2011 play) • Frankenstein's Wedding (2011 play) | |
| Novels | Frankenstein's Aunt (1978) • Frankenstein's Aunt Returns (1989) • Frankenstein's Cat (2001) • Dean Koontz's Frankenstein (Prodigal Son (2005) • City of Night (2005) • Dead and Alive (2009) • Lost Souls (2010) • The Dead Town (2011)) • Frankenstein in Baghdad (2013) • The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein (2018) | |
| Comics | Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein • Frankenstein (DC Comics) • Frankenstein (Dell Comics) • Doc Frankenstein • Embalming • Frankenstein's Monster (Marvel Comics) • Frankenstein (Prize Comics) • Young Frankenstein | |
| Video games | Frankenstein's Monster • Frankenstein • Frankenstein: The Monster Returns • Dr. Franken • Mary Shelley's Frankenstein • Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster • Van Helsing | |
| Related | Universal Classic Monsters • Frankenstein in popular culture • Frankenstein Castle • Frankenstein Day • Johann Konrad Dippel • Frankenstein complex • Frankenstrat (guitar) • "Frankenstein" (1973 single) • Frankenstein (Death Race) | |
| Bram Stoker's Dracula | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Original novel | Count Dracula • Abraham Van Helsing • Jonathan Harker • Mina Harker • Lucy Westenra • Arthur Holmwood • Dr. John Seward • Quincey Morris •
Renfield • Brides |
| Other works | Adri Nital • Alucard • Count Alucard • Count Orlok • Count von Count • Dracula (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) • Doctor Sun • Eva • Hamilton Slade • Janus • Postmortem • Turac | |
| Historical | Vlad Călugărul • Vlad the Impaler • Vlad II Dracul | |
| Films | Universal series |
Dracula (1931 English-language) • Drácula (1931 Spanish-language) • Dracula's Daughter (1936) • Son of Dracula (1943) • House of Frankenstein (1944) • House of Dracula (1945) • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) |
| Hammer series |
Dracula (1958) • The Brides of Dracula (1960) • Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) • Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) • Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) • Scars of Dracula (1970) • Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) • The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) • The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) | |
| Dracula 2000 |
Dracula 2000 (2000) • Dracula II: Ascension (2003) • Dracula III: Legacy (2005) | |
| Parodies | Mad Monster Party? (1967) • Batman Fights Dracula (1967) • Blacula (1972) • Mad Mad Mad Monsters (1972) • Blood for Dracula (1974) • Vampira (1974) • Son of Dracula (1974) • Dracula in the Provinces (1975) • Dracula and Son (1976) • Love at First Bite (1979) • The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (1979) • Fracchia contro Dracula (1985) • The Monster Squad (1987) • Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988) • Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) • Monster Mash (1995) • Monster Mash (2000) • Zora the Vampire (2000) • Hotel Transylvania (2012) • Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) | |
| Other | Dracula's Death (1921) • Nosferatu (1922) • The Return of the Vampire (1943) • Drakula İstanbul'da (1953) • Blood of Dracula (1957) • The Return of Dracula (1958) • Batman Dracula (1964) • Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966) • Dracula (1968) • Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969) • Count Dracula (1970) • Los Monstruos del Terror (1970) • Cuadecuc, vampir (1971) • Vampyros Lesbos (1971) • Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1973) • Count Dracula's Great Love (1974) • Count Dracula (1977) • Dracula's Dog (1978) • Doctor Dracula (1978) • Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) • Dracula (1979) • Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula (1979) • Dracula's Widow (1988) • To Die For (1989) • Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) • Nadja (1994) • Shadow of the Vampire (2000) • Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula (2000) • Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary (2002) • Dracula (2002) •
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) • Van Helsing (2004) • Van Helsing: The London Assignment (2004) • Dracula 3000 (2004) • The Vulture's Eye (2004) • Blade: Trinity (2004) • The Batman vs. Dracula (2005) • Bram Stoker's Dracula's Curse (2006) • Dracula (2006) • Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest (2008) • The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008) • House of the Wolf Man (2009) • Young Dracula (2011) • Dracula Reborn (2012) • Dracula 3D (2012) • Saint Dracula 3D (2012) • Dracula 2012 (2013) • Dracula: The Dark Prince (2013) • Dracula Untold (2014) | |
| Television | Series | Draculas ring (1978) • Cliffhangers (1979) • Drak Pack (1980) • Count Duckula (1988–1993) • Dracula: The Series (1990–1991) • Little Dracula (1991–1999) • Ace Kilroy (2011–2012) • Young Dracula (2006–2014) (characters • episodes) • Dracula (2013–2014) • Penny Dreadful (2014–2016) |
| Episodes | "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1993) • "Treehouse of Horror XXI" (2010) • "Buffy vs. Dracula" (2000) • "The Crypt of Dracula" ((smaller|2017}} | |
| Other novels |
The Dracula Tape and sequels (1975–2002) • Anno Dracula series (1992–present) (Anno Dracula • The Bloody Red Baron • Dracula Cha Cha Cha) • Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories (1914) • The Revenge of Dracula (1978) • Little Dracula (1986) • Dracula the Undead (1997) • The Historian (2005) • The Book of Renfield (2005) • Bloodline (2005) • Young Dracula and Young Monsters (2006) • Fangland (2007) • Dracula the Un-dead (2009) | |
| Plays | Dracula (1924) • Dracula (1995) • Dracula (1996) | |
| Musicals | Dracula (Czech musical) (1995) • Dracula: A Chamber Musical (1997) • Dracula, the Musical (2004) • Dracula – Entre l'amour et la mort (2006) • Dracula: the Musical (2010) • Dracula – L'amour plus fort que la mort (2011) | |
| Comics | The Tomb of Dracula • Dracula (Marvel Comics) • Dracula (Dell Comics) • Dracula Lives • Hellsing • The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen • Sword of Dracula • Batman & Dracula: Red Rain • Victorian Undead • Wolves at the Gate • X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula • Purgatori | |
| Video games |
The Count (1981) • Ghost Manor (1983) • Castlevania series (1986–present • Dracula) • Dracula (1986) • Dracula the Undead (1991) • Dracula Hakushaku (1992) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (handheld) (1993) • Dracula Unleashed (1993) • Dracula: Resurrection (2000) • Dracula 2: The Last Sanctuary (2000) • Van Helsing (2004) • Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon (2008) • Dracula: Origin (2008) • Vampire Season Monster Defense (2012) • Dracula 4: The Shadow of the Dragon (2013) • Dracula 5: The Blood Legacy (2013) • The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (2013) • Drac's Night Out (unreleased) | |
| Pinball | Dracula (1979) • Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) • Monster Bash (1998) | |
| Other games | The Fury of Dracula | |
| Castles | Castle Dracula • Bran Castle • Poenari Castle • Corvin Castle | |
| Albums | Dracula • Dracula 2000 • Iubilaeum Anno Dracula 2001 • Perfect Selection: Dracula Battle • Transylvania • Van Helsing | |
| Songs | "Love Song for a Vampire" | |
| Audio dramas | Legend of the Cybermen | |
| Related topics | Dracula in popular culture • Don Dracula • Transylvanian Society of Dracula • Dracula Society • Dracula tourism • Lugosi v. Universal Pictures • "Dracula/The Rose" | |
| The Wolf Man film series | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original | The Wolf Man (1941) | |
| Sequels | Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) • House of Frankenstein (1944) • House of Dracula (1945) • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) | |
| Remake | The Wolfman (2010) | |
| Characters | Larry Talbot | |
| Other films | Mad Monster Party? (1967) • Mad Mad Mad Monsters (1972) • The Monster Squad (1987) • Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman (2000) • Monster Mash (2000) • Van Helsing (2004) • House of the Wolf Man (2009) • Hotel Transylvania (2012) • Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) | |
Template:Erle C. Kenton