"Count Dracula" Review

 

by Daniel White

Shocktober

Recently, I came across statements that Christopher Lee made about Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula. Lugosi's handling of the role did not meet the acclaimed British actor's approval. According to Lee, Lugosi was "ridiculous" and "too nice." He found fault with his smile and his hand movements, and felt he was not "sinister" or menacing enough. Okay, fair enough, Bela Lugosi was not Christopher Lee's cup of tea (bucket of blood?) as far as being a a successful vampire. But then the hypercritical (hypocritical?) thespian starts taking swipes at Lugosi's age and ethnicity. Declaring that Lugosi was "in his YOUNGER (emphasis mine) days a wonderful looking man," he proceeds to inform us that he was not the right "nationality"!! Why? Because the Hungarian actor was not a true Transylvanian!?! This coming from a guy born and raised, for the most part, in London!! Shame on you, Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee CBE CStJ. By the way, what does the CBE stand for? Complete Blathering Eejit?

Lee tackles the role once again in Jesus Franco's Count Dracula (1970), about the same age, one should note, as Lugosi was when he donned the black cape and white fangs in the 1931 fright flick.

It's a middling film, handsomely produced, that never falters, but then again, never really soars either.

The same can be said for Lee. He gives a competent, by the book performance that never stumbles. But it certainly doesn't take flight, and near the end when he resorts to attempting to kidnap Mina like a common thug he commits a grievous error. Dracula would NEVER strong arm his victims. He is above that and needs only to hypnotize them, using his compelling malevolence to bend them to his will. Like Bela Lugosi did so convincingly. Watch the Master, and maybe in time you'll improve your technique, Chris.

The film includes a near-silent Klaus Kinski, as Renfield, straitjacketed (literally and figuratively) by an ill-conceived, poorly (non) written role. Damn! Both Kinski AND Lee failing to achieve excellence!

It does have a pair of beauties (Maria Rohm and Soledad Miranda) as Mina and Lucy. But none of this makes for an inspirational movie of the macabre, just an adequate one. Pretty and polished, but as my grandfather was fond of saying, "Nothing to write home to mother about."

A multi-national production shot on location in Spain, Count Dracula (or La Nuits De Dracula) is available on both YouTube and Tubi.