Horror Of Dracula
From 1958 comes Hammer Films' best entry into the Dracula lexicon.
In the late fifties, UK production company Hammer Films found good fortune in a new formula for creating more commercially viable pictures. In 1957, they took the story of Frankenstein and slightly retooled the plot, creating The Curse of Frankenstein. With a barely brand new story, they would proceed to cut corners in every facet of production, splurging only to sign big name British actors such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, as well as to develop set design.
As the film gained notoriety across the world, the profitability of their system was realized as they set forth on reinventing another classic horror icon, Dracula. Hammer's primary focus for Horror of Dracula was to bring back it's principals from Frankenstein, including thespians Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as well as director Terence Fisher, and it is this same triumverate that keeps this otherwise painfully cheap film afloat.
Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee - A Winning Team
While Bela Lugosi introduced a classic demonic charm to the character as he lures his victims, Lee plays more the force of nature, a predatory evil that looks to dominate it's prey; where Lugosi is a bat, Lee is a wolf. This breath of fresh air into an otherwise overused, stale stereotype, keeps the film interesting. As Dracula's eternal enemy, Dr. Van Helsing, Cushing proves a resourceful foil to the inhuman Count.
It never feels like either of the actors are just phoning in performances. It's not the movie isn't terrible, it is bad, but these actors so genuinely enjoy working with each other that it shines through their characters. Few cinematic pairings have proven more long-lasting or effective as these two. For his end, director Fisher does more than his part as well, keeping the film moving at a rather blurry pace (the whole movie is under 90 minutes). Indeed, if the film were longer, it probably would have fallen flat on it's face.
Classic Story Exchanged for Cheap Terror
The film takes various liberties with the source material. It sacrifices the classic story for cheap terror. Any truly horrific, or possibly expensive, moments are left to the viewer's imagination. It's questionable why some scenes even exist in the film, but for all of it's practical faults, it only builds it's image of a king B-movie.
Horror films today that use entire budgets simply to push the envelope in gore and taboo aren't nearly as effective, or even as enjoyable as this film was. It seems what separates the interesting works of this ilk from the true amateurs is the professionalism and devotion of it's key players, be the actors like Cushing or Lee, or a production company like Hammer Films.
P.S. Watch for Michael Gough (Alfred from the Burton/Schumacher Batman films) as the man who's family is plagued by Dracula!
2 out of 4
Christopher Lee is Dracula
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