Dracula: Complete Universal Monsters Movies
“Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.”
Since its publication in 1897, Bram Stoker's novel Dracula has enthralled generations of readers with the alluring malevolence of its undead Count, the most famous vampire in literature. In this post, we talk about the original novel, about Bela Lugosi's classic portrayal in 1931’s film Dracula, and offer a complete list of Universal Monsters movies with Dracula.
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ABOUT BRAM STOKER’S NOVEL DRACULA
Though Bram Stoker did not invent vampires, his novel helped usher them to iconic stature, launching a whole genre of storytelling that continues to flourish more than a hundred years on. A century of copycats has done nothing to decrease the public’s interest in Stoker’s charming but deadly monster as he stalks his prey—whether in a Transylvanian castle, a British insane asylum, or the homes of his swooning victims. A classic of Gothic horror, Dracula is a lasting story that continues to entice readers even today.
ABOUT ADAPTATIONS OF DRACULA
Dracula has been enormously popular since its publication, and served as a launching pad for a vampire subculture with stageplays, games, books, TV, movies, and more. Vampire literature continues to proliferate, and HUNDREDS of movies have been made featuring Count Dracula—a number second only to Sherlock Holmes. And we shared a shocking secret about these adaptations in this episode of our show!
Did Dracula copy ANOTHER vampire from a DIFFERENT book?
ABOUT UNIVERSAL MONSTERS AND DRACULA
The era of the Universal Classic Monsters started with the iconic Dracula—portrayed in an the equally iconic performance by Bela Lugosi. The film was an adaptation of the 1924 stage play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston—itself adapted from the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker.
The film details the Count’s arrival from Transylvania to England, where he can prey upon the blood of his victims. When he meets Mina Seward, he plans to turn her into his Bride—unless Professor Abraham Van Helsing can stop him.
Although not the first horror movie from Universal, the success of Dracula paved the way for the rest of the iconic Universal monster movies, including such staples as Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and The Wolf Man (1941). In 2000, Dracula was selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
COMPLETE LIST OF DRACULA MOVIES FROM UNIVERSAL
Dracula (1931) with Béla Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye
Dracula (Spanish version) (1931) with Carlos Villarías, Lupita Tovar, Barry Norton, Pablo Álvarez Rubio
Dracula’s Daughter (1936) with Gloria Holden
Son of Dracula (1943) with Lon Chaney, Jr, Evelyn Ankers
House of Frankenstein (1944) with Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., J. Carrol Naish, John Carradine, Anne Gwynne, Lionel Atwill, George Zucco, Elena Verdugo
House of Dracula (1945) with Lon Chaney, Jr., Martha O'Driscoll, John Carradine
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) with Lon Chaney, Jr., Béla Lugosi, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lenore Aubert, Jane Randolph
Dracula (1979) with Frank Langella, Kate Nelligan, Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence
Van Helsing (2004)
Dracula Untold (2014)
NOTE: The Dracula Complete Legacy Collection includes all the movies in the original 1930s-1940s series (including the Spanish edition), and lots of cool bonus materials. Find the collection on Amazon.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSAL MONSTERS
The classic Universal Monsters film series has continued to resonate with classic horror movie fans for nearly a hundred years. Anchored by some of the most iconic movie monsters, the Universal Monsters stable includes Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, the Phantom of the Opera, the Invisible Man, and the Creature From the Black Lagoon.
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Subscribe to the Monster Complex newsletter and get the free booklet DRACULA VS. to discover that time he bumped into that SUPERHERO, was pestered by that FUNNY ANIMAL, was humiliated by those CIVIL SERVANTS, and more! Includes links to video clips!
![[Flashback] Dracula by Bram Stoker—“the events really took place…”](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e613d28fefad366b93ece35/1672758367957-L2T5WIIZLPIF6YE0P4GS/Stoker-Dracula-books-editions.jpg)
![[Flashback] ‘The Vampyre’ by John Polidori—revising vampire folklore into the monster seen in vampire stories today.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e613d28fefad366b93ece35/1680208747809-VFCKO15P6Q229GGB4IB9/Polidori-Vampyre-promo.jpg)
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60+ Vampire Book Series — Monster Complex
British studio Hammer kicked off their classic monster movies with their Dracula films often starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing. Find out about all nine movies in their series.