Dracula's Daughter

Right after the success of James Whale's "Bride of Frankenstein" (sequel to "Frankenstein", also directed by Whale), Universal Studios decided to make a sequel to their other horror classic film, Tod Browning's "Dracula". Story says that the studio chose Whale again for the project, but his script proved to be too outrageous and subversive that was immediately rejected. It would be Garret Fort, writer of the first "Dracula", who would give flesh to the sequel's screenplay and the experienced director Lambert Hillyer was set to direct it. Like "Bride", this sequel would be focused on a feminine version of the previous monster; it's name, "Dracula's Daughter".

The film starts right after the original ends, with Count Dracula killed by Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan), however, to his misfortune, he is arrested for the murder of the Transylvanian nobleman and sent to prison as nobody believes he killed an ancient vampire. Realizing that nobody will believe him, Van Helsing asks the help of his dear friend, Dr. Jeffrey Garth (Otto Kruger), a former student of his who has become a prominent psychiatrist. While this events happen, a mysterious woman steals Dracula's body and a new series of murders start, complicating Van Helsing's defense and Garth's investigation. To make things worse, Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden) arrives and her seductive charms will prove too strong for Garth to resist them.

Unlike "Frankenstein", where there was still material in the source novel to build up a sequel; in "Dracula"'s case things get complicated, as the monster is effectively killed at the end. However, Garret Fort builds up an original story of mystery, horror and even nods to screwball comedy. "Dracula's Daughter"'s themes of betrayal, deception, and the quest for redemption are dark indeed, but Fort manages to add some light-hearted moments that break the suspense in an appropriate manner. Another highlight is that the vampire's sex appeal is enhanced and explored even further than posterior sequels of the now-franchise.

Director Lambert Hillyer had a big experience directing many low-budget films, ranging from westerns to crime dramas, so he was used to work with similar budget constrains. The movie's strength is in its story, and Hillyer knew it, so he keeps a simple yet very effective style that, while nothing too impressive, manages to create the perfect atmosphere for the plot. With nothing more than his well assembled cast and Fort's excellent screenplay, he conceives a film that maybe won't be remembered as influential, but will surely tell its story properly and deliver what it promises.

The cast is vital in this film, as their job is what sets apart the film from other Universal sequels. Otto Kruger is a very good lead actor, with nice looks and an ease for this kind of characters. He has great chemistry with both Gloria Holden and Marguerite Churchill and his performance is one of the film's highlights. Holden portrays the seductive Countess with power and grace in a complicated role as her character is at the same time dominated by a strong sex appeal and a sad and tragic fate. Churchill is superb in her comedy role, and more than mere comic relief, she adds the touch of screwball comedy to the film, giving her energy and charm. And finally, Edward Van Sloan returns as the experienced Van Helsing, and while his role here is more as a spiritual guide to Kruger, he gives another fine performance.

The film's main weakness is without a doubt its low-budget, that not only forced the choice of Hillyer as a director, but it also made it have less production values than other sequels. In a way, this may had been of help, as Hillyer's style bends together perfectly with low-budget projects and also gave the film a look closer to crime melodrama, which was rising in popularity at the time. Sure, Bela Lugosi is definitely missed, but "Dracula's Daughter" makes up for his absence with a witty (and bold for its time) screenplay and a well-assembled cast.

Time has left this film unappreciated, but there is a lot in there to praise, and while nowhere near the best of the Classic Universal Horror films, "Dracula's Daughter" is better than many of the films of its time, and an essential viewing for any fan of Gothic horror. 7/10

After years and years of being a Universal horror fan, I finally see "Dracula's Daughter". What an interesting and haunting film it is,too. It's way ahead of the curve in portraying a vampire that wants to escape its cursed existence. The "daughter" of the title longs to live as a real woman but must answer the call of her blood. Is she really a blood relation to Count Dracula or merely a past victim who was especially close to him? Beginning exactly where Todd Browning's "Dracula" left off years earlier, we see Prof. van Helsing arrested for murder when he is found in the vicinity of Dracula's staked-out body. The dull-witted police commissioner believes van Helsing is either a lunatic or a liar but respects his scientific credentials enough to keep him out of jail. Van Helsing seeks the aid of his old student, psychiatrist Jeffrey Garth, to prove his innocence.

Meanwhile, in a truly unusual scene, the body of Count Dracula is stolen from a pair of bumbling policemen by Countess Marya Zaleska and her pale, sinister servant Sandor. The undead Countess merely wants to give Dracula a dignified cremation by fire. His torment is over, but Marya's lingers. She is struggling mightily to resist the call to vampirism but Sandor seems to encourage his mistress to enjoy her bloody deeds.

Through a tangled web of fate, Prof. Garth and Countess Zaleska become entwined. The Countess begs the psychiatrist to give her the willpower to escape her "obsession"...meanwhile, Garth is becoming uneasily aware of Marya's link to several vampire-like murders that have occurred in town. Most tellingly, he notes that her apartment does not have a single mirror...a sure sign of a vampire, according to Van Helsing.

It all ends in Transylvania as the forces of good and evil collide once more.

Gloria Holden is striking as "Dracula's Daughter". Her exotic Slavic looks and wide, hypnotic eyes make it easy to believe she is more than merely human. She has a tragic aura to her, but when she seduces a young girl to become a victim, she also seems repellent.

The real monster of the movie is Sandor, who seems to be manipulating Marya for his own evil ends. Irving Pichel later became a director of some repute, but here he is a scary, foreboding presence with his ominous bass voice, deathly pale skin and Russian garb. Sandor's relationship with Marya is truly unique, as he talks to her as an equal, not a servant.

Otto Kruger is great as Jeffrey Garth, a man of reason and wit who is thrust into the twilight world of the undead. Kruger was a very under-rated actor who should have been more well-known. His sarcastic romantic sniping with his sexy and uppity secretary comes across just as well as his more serious dialogs with van Helsing and Marya. He's a refreshing change from the usual David Manners type hero in the old Universals.

It's a real treat to see Edward van Sloan return in the role of Dr. van Helsing. Calm, rational and collected in his thoughts, he is a contrast to the unholy creatures he duels with. ONe wonders if van Helsing would be sympathetic to Countess Zaleska...or if he would be hell-bent on her destruction. Never do we hear van Sloan's van Helsing voice any understanding or sympathy for the vampires he stalks.

There's some odd comic moments...the two nitwit bobbies at the beginning in particular stick out like a sore thumb...and director Lambert Hillyer's vision of Transylvania seems more like a clichéd Germany, but "Dracula's Daughter" dares to be different from its more famous predecessor and in so doing, emerges as a bit of a classic itself.

The best of the Universal Dracula films will always be the one from 1931 with Bela Lugosi, which is one of the best and most iconic Universal Studios horrors. But its follow-ups generally are worth a look; Son of Dracula despite Lon Chaney Jnr's miscast Dracula was much better than expected, being a good-looking film with a lot of atmosphere and at least two scenes among the best of any Universal Studios Gothic horror film but House of Dracula while watchable was disappointing apart from a couple of effective sequences, nice sets and a few good performances but did suffer mainly from having too many ideas and not enough time to explore them.

Dracula's Daughter however is the best of them. Is it as good as the 1931 film? No, but it almost is. Two or three things do bring it down. The humour at the beginning with the cops was incredibly hokey and more overly-silly and misplaced than funny. Otto Kruger is an unappealingly stiff male lead, Garth has some very abrupt decision-making that Kruger overdoes to the point it gets annoying. And while the banter between him and Marguerite Churchill's Janet was very enjoyable and witty there was a little too much of it, it could have taken up less of the film and the film could have focused more on Von Helsing. Personal opinion of course.

On the other hand, Dracula's Daughter has great production values. The costumes and sets are sumptuous and splendidly Gothic and the film's beautifully photographed too. The music score, actually sounding original and not stock, compliments the mood very well and has to be one of the eeriest of any of the music scores in the Universal horrors. Dracula's Daughter is wittily scripted as just as I appreciated the film noir-ish-like direction of Son of Dracula I also appreciated the sombre, moody approach that the direction in Dracula's daughter took. The story, apart from the hokey start, is fun and atmospheric, there is a real eeriness but a poignant edge too. Of individual scenes the scene with the Countess Zaleska and Lilli is infamous and for a reason. Apart from Kruger the acting is good, Marguerite Churchill is amusing and Edward Van Sloan once again brings class to Von Helsing but the most memorable turns are from Irving Pichel and especially Gloria Holden. Pichel is effectively sinister especially towards the end while Holden is unforgettable in the title, subtly creepy but somewhat tragic.

All in all, not as good as the 1931 film but of the Dracula sequels Universal made to me Dracula's Daughter's the best one. 8/10 Bethany Cox

One of Universal's most unusual horror films and a more than worthy successor to Lugosi's Dracula (1931) - although I wouldn't go so far as to say it's better: BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) it ain't! The film's approach is very different to its predecessor - despite having the same scriptwriter, Garrett Fort - as it presents the vampire lady of the title as a somewhat tragic figure rather than a mere spook, and Gloria Holden has both the exotic looks and acting talent for the role. Perhaps to make up for Lugosi's absence, the script features a creepy vampire acolyte in the figure of Irving Pichel: fine actor though he is, I think the make-up department went overboard in trying to make him look menacing!

Otto Kruger and Marguerite Churchill are two of the oddest, and yet most likable, leads in a Universal horror film: not only their age difference is immediately apparent, as is their obvious intelligence, but they share a love/hate relationship all through the picture which is both fresh and endearing. The supporting cast is filled with stalwarts of the genre: first and foremost, naturally, is Edward Van Sloan who reprises his seminal Van Helsing characterization as if he had never been away; Billy Bevan, Halliwell Hobbes and E.E. Clive as coppers of different ranks; Gilbert Emery as the unavoidable incredulous Scotland Yard official; Edgar Norton as his 'fresh' butler; and, adding to the fun, there's also Claud Allister as an upper-class nitwit and famed columnist Hedda Hopper as a gossiping socialite. Nan Grey, later female lead of THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940), appears briefly as one of Dracula's victims in what remains perhaps the film's most discussed scene (due to its lesbian overtones). Unlike the original, this sequel is briskly paced and the vampire's demise is not anti-climactic.

This movie literally starts off were "Dracula" finished. Since it is a sequel you would expect only more of the same old routine but "Dracula's Daughter" is surprising original and good on its own. This ain't your average bloodsucking vampire movie.

Thing that was best about this movie is that they came up with a quite original and solid story that goes deep enough and features some strong and interesting characters. It's not like they wanted to surpass the original "Dracula" movie or became too dependent on the events that occurred in that movie. Instead they just tried to be original and create a new and different kind of vampire movie.

Only returning character is professor Von Helsing (why did they ever changed his name?) played by yet again Edward Van Sloan. Van Sloan truly was a fantastic actor, I already loved him in "Dracula" and in this movie he reprises his role with just as much flair. Another actor that impressed me was Irving Pichel as the creepy looking Sandor.

It's definitely a movie worth watching. It never becomes scary, mysterious or tense really but the story and acting are what makes this movie a very solid one.

8/10

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