Dracula's Influence on 20th Century Film

Bram Stoker's Dracula: A Novel Turned Film

An advertisement poster of the 1992 film
adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula (2)

A couple of centuries have flown by after the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula, yet its legacy continues to be prevalent. From literature to entertainment, Dracula and being a vampire has spread through myths and folklore and become familiar to society. One specific lens through which we look upon vampires is the media and how that platform shapes and perpetuates our minds. Movies and Hollywood portray vampires with fangs, a long, black cape, and a thick foreign accent. This list extends with countless myths and dramatized descriptions of a vampire. One portrayal of Dracula is the 1992 film titled Bram Stoker's Dracula. This Francis Ford Coppola produced film (1) claims to have been closely in tune with the original novel written by Bram Stoker. Ultimately, Coppola's research and sticking to the literature's words allows his Bram Stoker's Dracula film to accurately share a story of the supernatural. 

Francis Ford Coppola's Research-

Tomb of Vlad the Impaler that Producer Coppola
visited prior to creation of the film (6)

Overall, the movie is claimed to be a "close adaptation" of the novel, and it lives up to that label as the producer, Coppola, researched thoroughly the beginnings of Dracula. "Coppola even visited the grave of Vlad the Impaler, the historical Dracula who was known to impale his enemies, in Bucharest," says Bryan Adams from the Motion Picture Association of America (1). This shows how Coppola wanted to capture the authenticity of Dracula and where he has evolved from. Coppola has also touched upon his research strategies in interviews. With one interview with Entertainment Weekly, Coppola reflects on reading the entire novel at age 17 as a camp counselor of 9 year-olds (5). He further states, "I rose at the opportunity to direct it," showing his passion for creating an accurate portrayal of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Dracula connections- 

The best way to write a novel accurately based on a book is to read it and pay attention to specific details. One of the biggest things that tie the film to the novel is the use of lines from the book. These include "Children of the night. What music they make,"(3). The representation of Dracula with his oldman-like qualities that are described at the beginning of the novel seem to fit a description for the one portrayed within the movie. Dracula is different compared to the vampire we see every Halloween, but it is more accurate to Bram Stoker's novel. 

To the right is the trailer for the movie which shows the face of Dracula. 

Known Critiques-

One of the critics of this film adaptation has to do with the portrayal of a story behind Dracula and a heightened connection between him and Mina. This did not happen in the novel, but the film still presents itself as rather accurate to the Stoker's words. This Hollywood style is added to the film for more entertainment purposes, but still sticks to the story's roots in the majority of the film. Another statement of critique states that the plot line is too messy and that there is a too broad representation of characters (4). This is criticism that is negative, but supports that the film is closely tied to the book. These same statements can be made about the original writing by Bram Stoker. 

Legacy Today-

In my opinion, the movie was a different Dracula than what people are used to seeing as his look was more related to the words of Stoker than the vampire we are always being shown. This shows how there is a universal perception we have of the stereotypical vampire. These presumptions have spread throughout the years and have stretched greatly from the Dracula presented by Bram Stoker. This film adaptation tried significantly to accurately represent the Dracula that Stoker envisioned, which is different compared to what we are used to. This movie is one of the few examples of modern recreation that has stuck to the original story. Hopefully, other media creators are able to use Bram Stoker's Dracula as precedence to sticking to the true representation of the original Dracula we all have grown to love.  

Works Cited

(1) Abrams, Bryan. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula: Francis Ford Coppola on Finding Vlad the Impaler’s Grave.” Mpaa.org, Motion Picture Association of America, 30 Sept. 2015, www.mpaa.org/2015/09/bram-stokers-dracula-francis-ford-coppola-on-finding-vlad-the-impalers-grave/v.

(2)“Bram Stoker's Dracula.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 13 Nov. 1992, www.imdb.com/title/tt0103874/.

(3)Fiduccia, Christopher. “25 Crazy Facts Behind The Making Of Bram Stoker's Dracula.” ScreenRant, Screen Rant, 23 Aug. 2018, screenrant.com/bram-stokers-dracula-making-behind-scenes-hidden-trivia/.

(4)McCarter, Reid. “Let's Take a Look at All the Cool and Extremely Weird Stuff in Bram Stoker's Dracula.” News, News, 18 Oct. 2018, news.avclub.com/lets-take-a-look-at-all-the-cool-and-extremely-weird-st-1829841915.

(5) McGovern, Joe. “Francis Ford Coppola Remembers 'Dracula,' Firing His Special Effects Crew, and Keanu Reeves' Accent.” EW.com, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2015, ew.com/article/2015/10/06/francis-ford-coppola-remembers-dracula/. 

(6)Newkirk, Greg. “Roadtrippers.com.” Roadtrippers.com, MapQuest, 13 June 2014, maps.roadtrippers.com/stories/researchers-finally-discover-plan-to-open-draculas-grave-were-all-going-to-die.

Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi (1931)

The Film

The 1931 film version of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi and directed by Tod Browning "is one of the earliest classic American horror films" produced by Carl Laemmle's Universal Pictures. Lugosi, after being the face of the iconic Dracula stage play, went on to play a role in the 1931 adaptation of Dracula as the count himself. The plot for this film was adapted from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, and everything went soaring from here. This single adaptation made way for many other horror films to come from this studio. One of these films just so happened to be another classic that we all must know, Frankenstein. This film was directed by the mind of Karl Freund.(Dirks)

Movie poster for Dracula(1931)

Believe it or not some parts of the film had to be removed overseas due to the graphic imagery including the depiction of Renfield begging to eat bugs and the images of Dracula's Vampiric "wives". Much of the film was pure and not full of unnecessary dramatic music and jump scares unlike movies of today. The dialogue and imagery was enough for this film crew to feel satisfied with their creation. As Oates says in her in depth conversation on this movie, "the film has no musical score, no distractions from its spare, poetic, highly charged dialogue". This is a very interesting concept to me that there was no dramatic music or eerie feeling to start off the movie. The producers were really thinking of mainly dialogue and imagery here to send everything home. Silent films at the time needed music to keep things interesting but the fact that Dracula offered such dialogue that there was no need for music must say something about this incredible adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel.

Lugosi The legend

Bela Lugosi was no doubt an icon and set the scene for all Draculas that followed in his footsteps. With his thick Hungarian accent and his slicked back hair there is no doubt that he was an incredible vampire figure from the beginning. An accurate description of this man was best put by Eugene Smith as he said, "He was stagy, stylized, elegant, Continental, of sonorous deliberate line delivery with significant pauses, with great carriage and stately demeanor, a natural to play the lead in the dramatization of Bram Stoker's novel 'of the Carpathian Mountains nobleman who drinks the blood not solely because he wants to but because he must". Lugosi presented himself in such a manner that he was perfect for this role of becoming a vampire.

Bela Lugosi, main actor in Dracula(1931)

Before Lugosi became the count, he played many other roles in different plays and operas. This guy was all over the place. When he was thirty eight, Lugosi headed for New York where he knew stage opportunities would be waiting for him. This was his chance to shine. Smith Describes some of Lugosi's accomplishments by stating "He sang in operettas for provincial Hungarian companies, performed baritone parts in operas, was Jesus in a passion play, Laertes in Hamlet, Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew, Cassio in Othello, Clarence in Richard III, and in Szeged, his country's second city after Budapest, rose to a Romeo of whom a critic wrote, "Beautifully fiery, passionately loving and dying!"." But when given the chance to play Frankenstein, Lugosi declined and instead Boris Karloff took the role. Overall these accomplishments that Bela Lugosi has made make him truly iconic and very memorable as a character.  

Works Cited:

Oates, Joyce Carol. “Dracula (Tod Browning, 1931).” Southwest Review, vol. 76, no. 4, Sept. 1991, p. 498. EBSCOhost, proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9609190215&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Smith, Eugene R. “The Count: Bela Lugosi Began by Playing Laertes and Romeo, Only to Become Forever Trapped in Very Different Roles. (Film Actor Who Played the Role of the Vampire Dracula).” American Heritage, no. n7, 1998, p. p110. EBSCOhost, proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edscpi&AN=edscpi.A21280978&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Dirks, Tim. “Dracula(1931).” Dracula (1931), www.filmsite.org/drac2.html.

Legacy of Bram Stoker's "Dracula"

Female Vampires

Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula" is arguably the most influential piece of literature that is based on vampires of all time. The characteristics we observe in vampires today in cinema or television are inspired by many of the features presented in "Dracula." Greg Buzwell of the British Library puts it well, "Victorian literature tends to present the vampire myth as a sexual allegory in which English female virtue is menaced by foreign predators. (1)" Throughout "Dracula" this theme is repeated and emphasized, Lucy and Mina are targeted by the foreign Dracula in his attempt to use them to kickstart his eugenic takeover. This part of Stoker's legacy is carried on in today's cinema for women in vampire stories remain to be sexually targeted by a foreign predator. An example of this would the character of Bella Swan in the infamous "Twilight" series, she is notably pursued by a foreign family of vampires who throughout the movie often show difficulty in even being around her because of their overwhelming desire to bite her. A man's inability to protect his female comrades has long been seen as a threat to one's masculinity and to society as a whole. This common theme originating in "Dracula" is carried over to various versions and each portrays the woman as something that needs to be saved but is also juxtaposed in comparison to the sexual female vampire. Female vampires according to Christopher Craft in "Kiss Me With Those Red Lips" are "feminine demons equipt with masculine devices. (6)" Which at the time made them extremely dangerous and powerful based on their ability to seduce for their master, Count Dracula. 

A promotional poster for the 1931 film release which presents Lucy and Mina caught in a spider's web. (1)

Pre-Dracula

Vampire lore is constantly changing and realigning the characteristics we think of when we hear the term vampires. Before the novel "Dracula", vampires would often be disguised as an intimate family friend or perhaps just an acquaintance and this was a common theme in vampire literature up until the release of Bram Stoker's novel. As reader's become more familiar and aware of certain ideas like this one they tend to lose their spookiness because the idea becomes known and it's anticipated rather than shocking. However, vampire lore has always been able to adapt to the time period and this is one of the many reasons these stories survive era after era. Bram Stoker in the later 19th century releases "Dracula" which explores elements of the unknown and in doing this Stoker comes back to the original, more frightening vampire given the time period. Jennifer Fountain, a grad student from Dartmouth writes about vampires in her B.A. thesis paper and states, "Instead of appearing in the visage of a family friend, Dracula exemplified the threat of the unknown. Some scholars believe that this return to a more traditional approach to the vampire archetype occurred in response to the "acceleration" of the fields of science and technology that were occurring at the end of the century." As I mentioned Stoker's adaption of the vampire to the cultural insecurities at the time are one of the many reasons his novel has succeeded for over 100 years. As "Dracula" enters the vampire lore kingdom it definitely leaves its mark and returns to the vampire to its original foreign invader perception that highlights societies feeling culturally insecure about foreigners. 

Foreign Invader

Before Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula", literature about vampires existed mainly across Europe and didn't quite enter the United States culture and make any significant impact. This all changed after the release of Dracula. Many times characters in literature that were cinematized in the United States fell short of the reality the author had hoped for, however "Dracula" seemed to be the exception. The flexibility of Stoker's character left directors room to cast him as someone who both acted and appeared foreign in comparison to the rest of the characters in the cinema production. Jennifer Fountain comments on the casting of Bela Lugosi saying, "The decision to cast Lugosi as the central character of the tale was vital. His speech, mannerisms, and dress all identified the Count as a profoundly alien entity." Stoker's visual foreign invader theme can be noted in various other cinema productions about vampires including "Nosferatu," where the main character looks notably different than the others and this makes him more likely to be declared to be a vampire in the eyes of the 'normal' society that surrounds him.

Nosferatu appearing less human looking with long ears and long fingers and a set of shark-like teeth (3).

The Counts Infamous Characteristics

The most important part of Stoker's legacy is the characteristics he designated to the vampires in his novel "Dracula." This is because these specific characteristics have survived the test of time and are what we often use to identify vampires or associate them with something today. Stoker's physical descriptors of the vampires present them as pale and somewhat sharp-looking with extremely red lips and facial features too perfect to be mortal. Another legacy Stoker annexed to the vampire is their sexual appeal and seductive voluptuous red lips that are enticing to the human characters in the novel. The Count's ability to morph into other species in Stoker's novel is described well by Dorothea Schuller in "Vampirism, Victorianism, and Collage in Guy Maddin’s Dracula", she says "his formidable powers of metamorphosis may be regarded as one of Dracula’s most significant and, at least for his Victorian antagonists, most disturbing characteristics. (4)" His ability to transform himself is the most unnerving aspect of Bram Stoker's vampire because it makes them lack a stable identity which in turn leaves them unidentifiable and more powerful than those who fear him. As audiences progress, this aspect becomes more receptive and eventually it becomes something we identify vampires by. Stoker also gives his vampire characters the power to see through the eyes of those whom the Count has bitten and vice-versa which is another Victorian uncertainty that causes uneasiness based on the level of power these creatures possess that has been continuously portrayed in cinema today. Ronald R. Thomas notes that "We should not be surprised that Hollywood's obsession with making and remaking nineteenth-century novels into movies simply will not die, nor that "the movies" have become the principal medium through which the Victorian novel, and even Victorian culture, has maintained its ghostly afterlife in modern society. (5)" Thomas is suggesting that without cinema playing its part in popularizing this novel and Dracula himself, we may have never ended up with the hundreds of spin-offs and retellings of Stoker's original Victorian classic that has now become a part of modern-day pop-culture.

Works Cited

SOURCE 1: “Dracula: the Victorian Vampire.” The British Library, The British Library, 26 Feb. 2014, www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/dracula#authorBlock1.


SOURCE 2: Fountain, Jennifer A. The Vampire in Modern American Media, Web Jewels, 2000, www.dartmouth.edu/~elektra/thesis.html.

SOURCE 3: “Nosferatu (1922).” BFI, Film Forever, www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b74e11d41. (Just Photo)

SOURCE 4: Schuller, Dorothea. “‘Nineteenth Century (up-to-Date) with a Vengeance’: Vampirism, Victorianism and Collage in Guy Maddin’s Dracula - Pages from a Virgin’s Diary.” Monstrous Media/Spectral Subjects: Imaging Gothic Fictions from the Nineteenth Century to the Present, edited by Fred Botting and Catherine Spooner, Manchester University Press, 2015, pp. 103–115. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1729w2c.13.

SOURCE 5: Kucich, John, and Dianne F. Sadoff, editors. Victorian Afterlife: Postmodern Culture Rewrites the Nineteenth Century. NED - New edition ed., University of Minnesota Press, 2000. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctttt439.

SOURCE 6: Craft, Christopher. “‘Kiss Me with Those Red Lips’: Gender and Inversion in Bram Stoker's Dracula.” Representations, no. 8, 1984, pp. 107–133. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2928560.

Dracula, Halloween, and Bran Castle

Dracula and it's impact can be seen nearly everywhere today. However, it is never more prominent than Halloween when you see at least two or three little Dracula's tick-or-treating. The overlap of Dracula and Halloween has not only become routine in the states but also in Transylvania, more specifically Bran Castle.

PBS: Secrets of the Dead: "How to Dress Like Dracula" (1)

Halloween:
Every year on Halloween hundreds of children dress up as Dracula for Halloween in the United States. But with the expansion of the popular holiday, you can now find little Dracula's around the globe. Yet, it is not only little children who dress up as Dracula, it as common for families and young adults to dress up as Dracula and other characters from Stoker's novel. Dracula's current mainstream costume has been influenced by the literature descriptions, theater productions, and the movie depictions of the character. The costume is so popular that any YouTube or Google search will lead to multiple how-to's and tutorials to obtain the Dracula look. Often times these tutorials cover not only costume but also make up and hair.

Tourism in Romania:

"The main Romanian tourist destinations included in Dracula tours" (2)

For many years, the legend of Dracula has drawn the masses to visit Romania. Dracula's legacy in tourism has led to many trying to precisely determine how many people come to Romania solely because of Dracula. This type of tourism is referred to as "popular tourism." Romania saw it's biggest increase in "popular tourism" in the 1970's (Candrea) (2) Many go around the country completing day/multi-day trips. Due to the belief that Vlad the Impaler was Stoker's primary inspiration for Dracula most tours and attractions are inspired by or have some historical connection to Vlad. Often times, many of these locations are places where Vlad the Impaler once was giving tourists a chance to not only learn about the legacy and folklore of Dracula, but also the history and events of the man who was Dracula's inspiration.


Bran Castle and Halloween:
No Dracula tour of Romania is ever complete without visiting Bran Castle. Bran Castle is the sole castle associated with Bram Stoker's Dracula because it is the only castle in Romania to have fit Stoker's description, by doing so it is often referred to as Dracula's Castle.  It offers tours that walk visitors through the castle. Often, the tourists leave with an abundance of historical knowledge that influenced Stoker's novel. Bran Castle has also become the number one attraction for tourists. Some referring to it as "unofficial brand" of Romania (Ms. Balmus in Cizmas) (3). Yet, neither visiting Romania and/or Bran Castle can compare to spending Halloween overnight in Bran Castle. Starting in 2009, every year the castle throws it's annual Halloween party. The all-night affair is complete with tours guided by Vlad the Impaler, traditional Romanian dances, horror movies, and music curated by the local DJ's. It has quickly become a popular attraction for die-hard fans of Dracula, often attracting tourists from Australia, US, UK, Italy, etc. Those interested in attending begin planning in January (Cizmas) (3).

Bran Castle courtyard during the Halloween party. (4) 

"Halloween party goers at Bran Castle (Dracula’s castle), Transylvania, Romania. (Photo by Christopher Campbell for Writers’ Expeditions)" (4)

Along with that, two lucky people get to spend the night in coffins. The two are chosen winners of an Air BNB contest. In the video you will see the brother and sister who won the first contest, and were the first people to spend the night in Bram Castle in 70 years.

Overnight in Bran Castle

Citations:

1. Malabrigo, How To Dress Like Dracula, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/vampire-legend-how-to-dress-like-dracula-for-halloween/2346/ 
2. Adina Nicoleta CANDREA, et al. “Marketing the Count’s Way: How Dracula’s Myth Can Revive Romanian Tourism.” Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov. Series V : Economic Sciences, Vol 9(58), Iss 1, Pp 83-90 (2016), no. 1, 2016, p. 83. EBSCOhost, proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.ff41d0e6aaef4f3b8f7cc13e17c07cd5&site=eds-live&scope=site.
3. Cizmas. "Halloween in Transylvania: Where legend ends and history begins" Pittsburg-Post Gazette. 26 October, 2016. http://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2016/10/26/Halloween-in-Transylvania-Where-legend-ends-and-history-begins/stories/201610260014 
4. Campbell, Partygoers . . ., 2013. Bran Castle, Romania.  http://kirstenkoza.com/expeditions/vlad-dracula-expedition-romania-halloween/ 
5. Mediatime Network. "Night at Dracula's Castle" Online Video Clip. Youtube. Web.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOJoeeGdRCI 

From Dracula to Van Helsing, & Everything In-between

Van Helsing  2004 Movie Poster

When it comes to movies that are offspring of the famous Dracula, there was one that I found that was different from the rest. Directed, produced, and written by Stephen Sommers, Van Helsing stars Hugh Jackman as a famous monster hunter, Van Helsing. Painting Van Helsing in a completely different light, this film goes into the lives of some of the more prominent characters from Bram Stoker's Dracula, along with other fictional characters such as Frankenstein.

Touching right away on a whole new outlook of what Bram Stoker might have imagined for this story, Van Helsing started with black and white in Frankensteins "lab". Immediately showing Dracula played by Richard Roxburgh, the movie soon moves on to focus on Van Helsing in his demon/monster hunting glory. After making his way to Transylvania, the film unfolds to show Draculas brides, Van helsings mission, and Draculas plans. The film shows all of this unfold while going over the top in some places, and adding love to the mix as well (1).

While this movie focused on Van Helsing, the references and pieces of plot that were taken from Dracula were constantly in play. Whether it was talking about setting, characters, or the general plot, the movie still had many ties to the book that it was based off of. One of the main points that crossed from the book to the film was that of Dracula trying to take over with his "children" (2). Throughout Bram Stokers novel Draculas overall goal was to spread his control to all over Europe; in the film this is along the same plot despite him going about it in a more fictional manner. A twist Sommers put on Draculas plans was that of his undead children. Instead of following in the path of Stoker and getting Dracula to bite people, Sommers had almost what could be called cocoons filled with the undead (1).

Draculas Brides, Van Helsing 2004

One of the points that attracted me most to this film was that of Draculas brides. Throughout Dracula, they were only mentioned once or twice, never really getting to truly shine in the novel. Readers also didn't really get a detailed description of them, despite simply knowing that they were beautiful. In Van Helsing we see the sisters around the 25 minute mark in the film. The brides were able to change from beautiful women into pale, bat like monsters that you would imagine a vampire to look like (if they lived in a cave all day). It was interesting to see how Sommers used what we knew from the book and turned it into something more creature like, yet was able to keep them beautiful (2). During the rest of the movie the brides came and went (with most of them simply being killed by Van Helsing) but having them play bigger roles compared to how they were talked about during the novel was surprisingly nice. Below is a video clip of the fight that occurred after meeting the brides, where you see them in both their true vampire form along with their "human" form. 

Van Helsing Vs. Draculas Brides

Overall this film was not what someone would expect when looking for something adapted from Bram Stokers Dracula, but Stephen Sommers did a great job of not only incorporating different points from the novel but putting his own spin on all of it with his imaginative and over the top ideas. While this movie could easily be looked at as any other fiction movie that touches on Dracula, I like to believe Sommers did more than that, letting his creative side flow seamlessly with that of Stokers.

Work Cited

(1) Ebert, Roger. “Van Helsing Movie Review & Film Summary (2004) | Roger Ebert.” RogerEbert.com, 7 May 2004, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/van-helsing-2004.

(2) “Van Helsing (Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Helsing_(film).

(3) “Van Helsing.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 5 May 2004, www.imdb.com/title/tt0338526/.

     Movie poster arena. “Van Helsing Movie Poster.” IMBd, 2004, www.imdb.com/title/tt0338526/.

Dracula in Theatre Across the Ages

"Dracula" is a timeless story and character. Inevitably, the novel found its way into many different stage adaptations, and continues to surface in new plays even today. The first instance of a play adapted from the novel was actually put together by Bram Stoker himself. Though, this adaptation was not created under the most traditional circumstances. In pre-1968 Great Britain, all new plays were required to be submitted to the Lord Chamberlain's Office for licensing purposes. (1) When Stoker submitted his adaptation, it was purely for that - licensing. Stoker wanted the rights to his own characters as far as stage adaptations went. So he submitted his play to the Lord Chamberlain, and the first performance of said play was actually produced eight days before the novel was released. (1) This is likely because of the impact the novel had when it was first released. It was something most people of that time had never seen before, and Stoker anticipated that it'd be wildly successful. The play, however, was met with much negative reception. It is said that Stoker was very much interested in the opinion of actor Henry Irving, but when he received it, the verdict was harsh. Greg Buzwell details the happening in an article for the British Library: "To Stoker’s disappointment the actor Henry Irving took no part in the production. Irving was widely considered to be one of Stoker’s inspirations for the Count... Legend has it that when Stoker asked Irving what he thought of the play the great actor replied with a single word – ‘dreadful’." (1) The reason for the negative reception was likely because of its length. Buzwell also explains: " The play comprises of a prologue and five acts, containing over forty scenes in total, and would probably have taken a numbing six hours to read." (1) Bram Stoker's motives for writing the play, detailed above, are most likely why the play was so long and messy.

                                           The original manuscript of Stoker's adaptation. Public Domain
                                               
There was a theatrical adaptation of "Dracula" written in 1924 by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. (2) The most interesting feature of this adaptation is the differences between the play and the novel. For one, there is no Mina Harker. (2) Personally, this would detract from the work in a significant way, as Mina is the most central character in the novel. Also, much of the novel is told through her diary entries, as she was practiced in shorthand and typewriting. Another major difference between this play and the novel is that Lucy is Dr. Seward's daughter, and Jonathan Harker is her fiance. (2) Decisions to change characters and plot are not only common but often necessary in stage plays adapted from novels, as there are limits as to what can be done on a stage. Deane and Balderston's version of "Dracula," was described in a review for the New York Times, written by Leah Frank, as being tonally confused. Frank writes: "The main difficulty with this ''Dracula'' is that it hasn't quite made up its mind whether it should be serious and frightening or camp and funny." (2) Campy themes are mostly seen in older movies and plays, which checks out since this play was written in 1924.

                                    Poster for a 1938 production of the Deane/Balderston play, Public Domain

To truly span the 100+ years "Dracula" has been on the stage, I chose to include a slightly more modern adaptation, "Dracula, the Musical," written in 2001 by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and scored by Frank Wildhorn. (3) In a New York Times article, Ben Brantley summarizes his perception on the quality of the musical: "Dracula, the Musical...  isn't simply bad, which is an aesthetic state of being that is kind of fun if you're in the right mood... It is bad and boring." (3) With a musical, one might expect it to be very different from the source material as it must be adapted into lyrics and music - not exactly traditional forms of storytelling. Surprisingly, Brantley claims that if you know the story of "Dracula," you will be bored. But if you don't know the story, you will be lost. (3) It seems that the writers went for a very faithful adaptation of the novel, but failed to add anything new and interesting to give the musical it's own personality and characteristics. Brantley describes this conundrum in the NYT article: "The show assumes the audience's full acquaintance with the source material and delivers much of its crucial exposition through sung lyrics that are not always intelligible." (3)

Works Cited:
(1) Buzwell, Greg. "Bram Stoker's Stage Adaptation of Dracula." British Library, British Library, 15 May 2014,
<https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/bram-stokers-stage-adaptation-of-dracula>
(2) Frank, Leah. "Theatre Review; A New 'Dracula' to Sink Your Teeth Into." The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 18 January 1987, <https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/18/nyregion/theater-review-a-new-dracula-to-sink-your-teeth-into.html>
(3) Brantley, Ben. "Theatre Review; The Bat Awakens, Stretches, Yawns." The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 20 August 2004, <https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/movies/theater-review-the-bat-awakens-stretches-yawns.html>

Inside Look at Hammer Film Productions

Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and DreamWorks Pictures all have something in common: They are exceptionally successful production companies. For years, each company has brought, and still brings, joy and entertainment to families across the nation and even further, onto other countries. Similar to these would be Hammer Film Productions. 

The above photo displays an advertisement from Hammer Films promoting the new movie Dracula.

  

Backstage of Hammer Films:

Hammer Films, also known as "Hammer Studios" was founded in November 1934, making it one of the oldest production companies to date, by Enrique Carreras (theatre owner) and William Hinds, or Hammer, (jewelry store owner and professional actor). Originally, they came up with the name "Exclusive Films" but soon resurfaced as "Hammer Films" in 1947, adding two new members, James Carreras and Anthony Hinds (4). This production company started out of Britain specifying in several genres such as sci-fi, historical epics, and psychological thrillers. However, they soon came across much success in horror based movies when debuting films like Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein (2).  In time, Hammer Films became notorious for low-budget movies, specifically horror or thriller themed with plenty blood and gore (4).

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were signed to Hammer Studios and their names became synonymous with the company. Lee played the Creature in Frankenstein and not soon after reached international stardom while taking he role of Count Dracula. Similar to Lee, Cushing also played a role in both films. He played Baron Victor Frankenstein and also Professor Van Helsing (5). These two actors went on to later play in several more of Hammer Film Productions.

The following clip is a behind the scenes look at Hammer Films. 

Gothic Approach:

By using many dark shadows, Hammer Films produced a naturally eerie atmosphere. Being able to see color in their films gave Hammer Films a huge advantage in their business. Audiences loved the fact that they could see red blood dripping out of a cut which would lead them to create emotions about characters or naturally experience "shock" unlike any other film they've seen. Following the gothic theme, Hammer Films was able to create many other scene unlike some of their competitors at the time. They were allowed to show sexual scenes such as those portrayed in The Brides of Dracula (5). When doing this, Hammer Films realized what attracted their audiences and persisted on giving just what they enjoyed.

Works Cited:

1. Huckvale, David. Hammer Films' Psychological Thrillers. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2014. Print. 

2. "About Hammer." Hammer Films LTD, www.hammerfilms.com. 

3. Pathè, British. "Behind-the-Scenes at Hammer (X the Unknown, Frankenstein Created Woman & More) British Pathè. YouTube, 1 Oct. 2015, www. youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ysf9LMFks.

4. "Hammer Films." Hammer Films. www.hammerfiles.com/topic/Hammer-Films. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica.  6 Aug. 2014. 

5. Ryan, James. "Rebeat." It Haunts Us Still: The Rebirth of Hammer Films. www.rebeatmag.com. 2 January 2015.