Book explores Count Dracula on the big screen

Review by Doug Gibson

While reading a BearManor Media book on the vampire film, "Son of Dracula," there was a quote from a book title, "Count Dracula Goes to the Movies: Stoker's Novel Adapted," McFarland, 2017, by Lyndon W. Joslin. The title hooked me and I grabbed a review PDF copy from McFarland.

In the forward, Joslin accurately explains that film is a distinct medium from literature. A novel presented as a film must play to visual strengths. Too much allegiance to everything in the book can make a film stodgy, overlong, boring. As an example he notes that Hammer's "Horror of Dracula" deviates considerable, actually overwhelmingly, from Bram Stoker's novel. Nevertheless, it is a superior, compelling tale that captures the menace of Dracula and the danger he places others in. It's a good, scary film. A comparison is perhaps Jess Franco's dull "Count Dracula," a lifeless attempt, even with Christopher Lee, to make a decent adaptation of the novel. A poor director didn't help either.

Joslin's book is better suited for the devoted genre fan. It's too exhaustive for a casual fan. Even I had no idea that films such as "Drakula Istanbulda" and "Hrabe Drakula" were out there. But I am a big fan, and I watched them and others via the Internet. There are 18 "Dracula" adaptations analyzed by the author. The overviews are well done and filled with not only comparisons to Stoker, but other vampire literature frequently is cited. I recommend not reading straight through the book. It's an unfair slog to just read through. Take time to watch one of the films, then continue reading about another film, watch that that film, and then read another. It's better enjoyed as a reference book.

The author appreciates the 1931 "Dracula," and Bela Lugosi, he notes, is the iconic Dracula, but Joslin also favorably compares the overlong spanish-speaking "Dracula" to Tod Browning's. The mere presence of Lugosi overwhelms the Spanish version, and indeed the other films noted in "Count Dracula Goes to the Movies." Many are very well made, and more faithful to Stoker, but where are they now? Only Lugosi's "Dracula" represents the time-tested visual ideal of Dracula. His staying power is secure 90-plus years after he assumed the role on the stage. Christopher Lee runs a strong second to Lugosi. Joslin's essays on the Hammer films are a fun read. He accurately notes that some films could have benefited from more screen time from Lee. He also notes that the threat of running water to Dracula is represented by Hammer's producers.

The author does an excellent job taking the stuffing out of the poor 1979 adaptation with Frank Langella and the way overrated "Bram Stoker's Dracula." I'd be interested in knowing how Joslin feels about the 2020 miniseries of "Dracula." I loathed it, but I respect Joslin enough to get his take one day.

Many more films are analyzed. There's the classic Universal series of Dracula-related films. The author gives appropriate props to the stylish "Dracula's Daughter" and "Son of Dracula," while noting that John Carradine's Dracula was almost a bit player in the two "House Of ..." films. Reading Joslin on "Son of Dracula," as well as reading the aforementioned BearManor Media book on "Son of Dracula," reveals that Bela Lugosi would never have been an appropriate choice to portray Count "Alucard" in "Son of Dracula." The awkward, menacing, cuckolded Dracula in that movie fully represents the actor Lon Chaney Jr. Lugosi is too cool, and too successful with his vampire brides, to be Count "Alucard."

Besides the Hammer essays, there is a section called "Shades of Stoker" that include both 1970s' "Count Yorga, Vampire" films with Robert Quarry. There's even a section of extremely obscure, micro-budget films that are related to Dracula and vampires. While they are interesting, I think more in-depth space should have been devoted to older, "shades of Stoker films" such as "Condemned to Live," "Dead Man Walk," "Return of Dracula," "The Vampire's Ghost," "Blacula," and, Bela Lugosi's Columbia genre film, "Return of the Vampire."

But this is a great read. It's cheaper via Kindle at Amazon. Joslin knows his subject; feel free to disagree, that's what fans do. But respect his opinions. and again, don't make it a long slog of reading. Take a chapter, watch the film (most are so easy to find nowadays with streaming) and then go on to the next film.