Many vampire film fans have long regarded Columbia's 1943 The Return of the Vampire as a poor second cousin to Universal's Son of Dracula, released that same year. Although most do prefer Bela Lugosi's titular bloodsucker, Armand Tesla, to Lon Chaney, Jr.'s Count Alucard in the latter film, they often complain about Return's derivative similarities to Dracula, director Lew Landers' inconsistent pace, and Matt Willis' unbelievable werewolf character. On the other hand, they praise Son of Dracula for director Robert Siodmak's dark atmospherics, brooding mood of fatalism and tragedy, and imaginatively unhappy ending, in which the hero not only does NOT get the girl, who has willingly become a vampire, but burns her undead in her coffin. As a result, The Return of the Vampire has often been dismissed as a watchable, but pale imitation of Dracula. Fair enough, but if these same critics would watch The Return of the Vampire again, they would find a much more subversive and imaginative film than they may have first thought.
Synopsis
For those unfamiliar with the film, a brief synopsis may be in order. In1918, a vampire, Armand Tesla (Bela Lugosi, at his most effectively Dracula-like), assisted by his werewolf slave, Andreas Obry (Matt Willis), has been roaming the local English countryside. His latest victim is a little girl, Nicki Saunders, granddaughter of Professor Walter Saunders (Gilbert Emery), who is a friend and colleague of scientist Dr. Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort). The Professor, with Lady Jane's assistance, tracks down Tesla's coffin during the day and drives a spike through his heart, not only destroying the vampire, but liberating Andreas from his spell. Years later, Dr. Ainsley has become Lady Jane Ainsley, and Andreas her chief lab assistant. It is now World War II, and a Nazi air blitz bomb unearths Tesla's coffin. Two men assigned to clean up the damage left by the bombing find Tesla's body, and decide to remove the spike. The vampire returns to life, once again enslaving Andreas and turning him into a werewolf, and declaring vengeance against Lady Jane. Tesla not only attacks her son, John (Roland Varno), but his fiancee, Nicki (NIna Foch), now all grown up. When Lady Jane discovers that Tesla is very much alive, she commits herself to the vampire's final destruction. Despite her best efforts, Tesla is able to kidnap Nicki, but just before he is able to turn her into his vampire bride, Andreas has a change of heart and, now in human form, turns on his master with a crucifix. After they are all knocked unconscious by another Nazi bombing assault, Andreas comes to, and drags his master out into the sunlight, ensuring the vampire's final destruction.
Challenging Gender Roles
Most striking, for 1943 audiences, must have been its depiction of gender empowerment.. While strong-willed and courageous women characters were seen in big budget American films featuring such stars as Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford, they seldom appeared in B films, especially horror films. For the most part, audiences would have expected to see women as weak, helpless victims, rather than strong, independent heroes. "The Return of the Vampire" offers, refreshingly, Lady Jane Ainsely, a renowned scientist, and the film's distaff Dr. Van Helsing. She has an adult son in the film, a concert pianist who is engaged to Nikki, but we never meet her husband--in fact, no mention of Lady Jane's marriage, or of John's father, is ever made! Are we to believe that Lady Jane is a widow, or a divorcee?--or did she--heavens!--give birth to John out of wedlock? Questions about John's parentage aside, the film never asks us to equate Lady Jane's identity or accomplishments with a significant male other in her life. We simply accept her on her own terms--as a brilliant scholar and scientist. She challenges male authority at every turn in her frequent clashes with Scotland Yard skeptic, inspector Sir Frederick Fleet (Miles Mander), and proves as able an opponent as Edward Van Sloan's Van Helsing was in the 1931 film. It's difficult to think of any other "golden age" horror film that features such an empowered female character.
Envelope Pushing
The Return of the Vampire also shows an unexpected daringness to push the envelope in at least one other way. In the film's early sequences that pre-date its 1940s World War II storyline, Nicki, a child at the time, is sleeping in her room, when, in the dark of the night, Tesla gains entrance. As his shadow hovers over her bed, the child awakes, screaming in fear. The vampire spreads his cape, and both he and his victim are engulfed in a clowd of swirling mist as the scene fades out. This is an unexpected--and disturbing--scene. The vampire's victim is a little girl of about five or six, and the attack takes place in her bedroom, giving the scene a sexual subtext that must have been strong stuff for 1940s audiences. Clearly, it depicts Tesla as a pedophile, reminiscent of Lucy's stalking of children as the "Bloofer Lady" in Stoker's novel Dracula, when she becomes a vampire. It clearly asks the audience to consider Tesla the most despicable of menaces, and further allies us with his opponents in the film.
Conclusion
Despite its admittedly derivative nature in following Dracula's basic plot, The Return of the Vampire offers some unexpected rewards for classic horror film fans. It features Bela Lugosi in a rare 1940s starring role that's REALLY worthy of his talents, as well as a wonderful, fog-endowed atmosphere and a truly eerie musical score. In addition, the film boldly challenges gender stereotypes in 1930s-1940s horror films by presenting a strong, outspoken, intelligent woman whom viewers are asked to sympathize and identify with, and some willingness to test censorship grounds for artistic and dramatic effect. A MUST for any vampire film fan or Lugosi devotee, The Return of the Vampire is definitely worth revisiting.
