The Return of the Vampire

I watched this Lugosi outing he made at Columbia a second time as well, and I guess I can say that I liked it better now too. The atmosphere really is everything in this one as the film is enveloped in fog and the prowling camera-work is top-notch throughout; despite being clearly a B-movie, the film's production values are more polished than in most of Universal's stuff of this period! Lugosi isn't offered anything new to do here but he is suitably authoritative in his role of Armand Tesla; until he reprised the role of Dracula one last time in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), this was arguably his best work of the 40s (which I admit isn't saying much). The contributions of the rest of the cast - Frieda Inescort (for once the vampire expert/hunter is a woman!), Miles Mander, Nina Foch and Gilbert Emery - are quite professional as well. Matt Willis is not bad as a man enslaved by Lugosi and turned by him into a werewolf(!) and, even though the character's psychological torment is as palpable as that of Lon Chaney Jr.'s Larry Talbot in the Universal "Wolf Man" saga, the actor is defeated by the shaggy-dog make-up, the fact that he is allowed to speak when transformed(!!) and, well, the very pointlessness of his presence since he never does much at all except serve Lugosi (a task which could easily have been handled by a mere human, who would certainly have aroused a great deal less suspicion than a werewolf)! The climax, while somewhat abrupt, is nicely handled.

Return of the Vampire is, despite its title not a sequel to Mark of the Vampire.

In this vampire movie, a vampire is staked during World War 1 but then in the Second World War, two gravediggers bury him again after an air raid. They don't realise this corpse is a vampire after pulling the stake out his chest. He regenerates and gets a job in a lab. He has the help of a werewolf that can talk and killings once again start...

One of the best things about this movie is that talking werewolf. I don't think I've seen another movie with one. Unusual.

The cast is lead by Bela Logosi as the Dracula-like vampire. I've never heard of anybody else in this.

Return of the Vampire is worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of Bela.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

This has got to be one of Bela's most underrated performances, a bright spot among the dreariness of Monogram potboilers. Columbia allows him to both reference Dracula while at the same time expanding the definition of vampirism by having him play Dr. Armand Tessla, the "depraved Roumanian scientist" who is so obsessed with evil that he actually becomes a bloodsucker. (there is also a nifty sketch of Lugosi drawn in a book about his character) Lugosi is alternately sinister, avuncular, lovestruck, arrogant, and commanding. His voice, usually cause for laughter at its ripe indelibility, is used extremely effectively as a whisper when he is calling Nina Foch into the graveyard. ("Just a little bit further--further--further!") This is actually quite eerie. His exchanges with Matt Willis are atmospheric and believable, in that someone undead would naturally have supernatural acolytes surrounding him. (so what if they sprout facial hair; that just gives the acolyte more "texture") I have to disagree with viewers who think Willis is ridiculous as a talking wolf; I happen to think he's the best thing in the film. Willis' natural speaking voice is kind of strange, half Southern, half something..and when he's the werewolf with those teeth his line readings are really creepy. My favorite is when he's saying "as if they could tell what happened!" and then he chuckles. He is really effective. The whole production is sort of tongue in cheek and the Britishness at its height. (Frieda Inescort: "The Gerries have rather taken things out of your hands") The WWII element adds more interest, and Lugosi has a droll line that he is going out of his hotel but, "whether I can be reached is another matter." A jarring note is Foch's boyfriend, who has "Lady Jane" as his mother and yet speaks with a German or Dutch accent. All in all, a must for Lugosi fans and all other horror film fans interested in how Columbia does this kind of movie as opposed to Universal.

If you're looking for a movie that will give you some good, old fashioned, escapism and not try to preach to or lecture you, you will enjoy this movie. Lugosi, with the aid of Andreas (his werewolf assistant) is once again trying to capture the heart and soul of a young woman. But, the young womans' soon to be mother-in-law is on to Lugosis' plot and a real battle royale is soon underway. This is a down to earth, old time vampire movie which takes place during the WW II years. Enjoy it for what it is and don't take it too seriously. IMHO, the walking, talking, sharp dressing vampire assistant is one of the best parts of the story. Andreas has a real inner conflict while trying to decide whether to help his evil vampire master or to help the heroine rid the earth of this monster.

I really enjoyed this movie. It was unique in that the Vampire had a werewolf as his assistant. This werewolf wears a suit, talks, smiles and, in general, acts like a normal human being. The movie was basically a sequel to Dracula but the vampire played by Bela Lugosi could not use the name Dracula because this was a Columbia picture and Universal Studios had the legal rights to the Dracula character. But, it was still Lugosi at his scary, pompous best.