Son Of Dracula

Unlike the Frankenstein Franchise, which accidentally had a kind of epic quality to it, the Dracula franchise at Universal was a bit of a mixed bag and only got into its stride when it was integrated along with Frankenstein into the Monsters series. That saw Dracula, the Monster and Lon Chaney Jr's Wolf Man mixed into a set of mad adventures that culminated in them all facing off against that most awful Universal horror of all - Abbott and Costello.

Son Of Dracula saw the title role being taken on by reluctant screen monster Lon Chaney Jr. Two years after first being plastered with yak hair by Jack B Pierce, Universal's makeup maestro who had created the classic Frankenstein's Monster, Chaney appeared with no more makeup other than a slightly disreputable moustache as Anthony Alucard, newly arrived from Budapest as a guest of the heiress to the Louisiana plantation of Dark Oaks. Well, I say the title role, but in actual fact Chaney is playing the old man himself, Count Spatula… er… Dracula.

His hostess, Katherine Caldwell (Louise Allbritton) is obsessed with the occult, to the extent of ditching her childhood sweetheart and marrying the Count after the mysterious death of her father, Colonel Caldwell. While they cannot save her from her fate, it is up to her boyfriend (Robert Paige) and Dracula expert Dr Lazio (J Edward Bromberg) to defeat the Prince of Darkness.

Brothers Robert and Curt Siodmak directed and wrote the story (screenplay credited to Eric Taylor), completing the main shoot in a rollercoaster three weeks (which was standard practice for the Universal assembly line.) The final result is a workmanlike, but atmospheric third installment in the Dracula franchise. Robert Siodmak would go on to direct the classic noir thriller The Killers.

Presented in its original Academy Frame format (1.33:1), the movie looks good in spite of its age. It is, of course, in monochrome but that adds to the noirish feel of the piece - tons of atmosphere.