Dracula 1958
7.2 / 10
Dracula
After Jonathan Harker attacks Dracula at his castle, the vampire travels to a nearby city, where he preys on the family of Harker's fiancée. The only one who may be able to protect them is Dr. van Helsing, Harker's friend and fellow-student of vampires, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost.
After Jonathan Harker attacks Dracula at his castle, the vampire travels to a nearby city, where he preys on the family of Harker's fiancée. The only one who may be able to protect them is Dr. van Helsing, Harker's friend and fellow-student of vampires, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost.
Videos & Photos
All 3 Videos & 76 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Doctor Van Helsing
... Count Dracula
... Arthur Holmwood
... Mina Holmwood
... Lucy Holmwood
... Gerda
User reviews
See All 3 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
Sleep well, Mr. Harker. The Curse of Frankenstein was coining it in at the box office, so Hammer Films were quick to negotiate a deal to reinvent Dracula on the big screen. Certain agreements were made as per distribution rights for Universal, who owned the rights via a deal that was struck decades earlier with the Bram Stoker estate. Once all the dots were dotted and the t's were crossed, Dracula hit the screens in a whirl of sensual Technicolor bliss, where the trajectory of horror film history was shunted upwards to the point that the legacy still lives on today. Directed by Terence Fisher and adapted to screenplay by Jimmy Sangster, Dracula (AKA: Horror of Dracula) is a compact piece of horror. The Hammer team condense Stoker's novel down to an 80 minute film, quickly placing Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) at Castle Dracula and establishing the vampire legend courtesy of the slick and sexy Count Dracula himself (Christopher Lee). There's no changing into bats or scaling of walls here, in fact Dracula's dialogue is very minimalist, instead he permeates the film with sexual menace, horrific suggestion and an obvious disregard for humanity, with Lee in the role simply terrific. Then it's time for Doctor Van Helsing to bring his cunning whiles to the party, which is the signal for Peter Cushing to enter the fray, who adds class and elegance to a classic role. James Bernard provides a dual score of erotic swirls and thunderous scares, while the cast play out the story in front of some impressively constructed Gothic sets, courtesy of Bernard Robinson, who like the rest of the team were working with a budget under six figures! Some nifty effects work cement the pic's status, other little touches - such as Dracula having no audible footsteps - also ensure that Hammer's Dracula remains a key vampire movie of note. A number of interesting tid-bids sit in the film's back history. How it fell into the public domain, complaints about blood transfusion advertisements in theatre foyers during its first run! Censorship and the "X" Certification afforded it in the UK, and that some of the first wave of critic reviews were positively barbed and indignant. In truth Hammer would produce far better horror films post Dracula's release, in fact this is not even the best of the Hammer Dracula movies. Yet in the pantheon of Hammer film, and horror film in general, it's a 10/10 movie. Terence Fisher deserves the final word, he would say that the shoot and production for Dracula just clicked, it all worked and everyone was in sync. 8/10
Directors:
Genres:
Release Date:
Apr 21, 1958 (United Kingdom)
Run Time:
1hr 22`
MMPA Rating:
NR
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United Kingdom
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Dracula
Sleep well, Mr. Harker. The Curse of Frankenstein was coining it in at the box office, so Hammer Films were quick to negotiate a deal to reinvent Dracula on the big screen. Certain agreements were made as per distribution rights for Universal, who owned the rights via a deal that was struck decades earlier with the Bram Stoker estate. Once all the dots were dotted and the t's were crossed, Dracula hit the screens in a whirl of sensual Technicolor bliss, where the trajectory of horror film history was shunted upwards to the point that the legacy still lives on today. Directed by Terence Fisher and adapted to screenplay by Jimmy Sangster, Dracula (AKA: Horror of Dracula) is a compact piece of horror. The Hammer team condense Stoker's novel down to an 80 minute film, quickly placing Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) at Castle Dracula and establishing the vampire legend courtesy of the slick and sexy Count Dracula himself (Christopher Lee). There's no changing into bats or scaling of walls here, in fact Dracula's dialogue is very minimalist, instead he permeates the film with sexual menace, horrific suggestion and an obvious disregard for humanity, with Lee in the role simply terrific. Then it's time for Doctor Van Helsing to bring his cunning whiles to the party, which is the signal for Peter Cushing to enter the fray, who adds class and elegance to a classic role. James Bernard provides a dual score of erotic swirls and thunderous scares, while the cast play out the story in front of some impressively constructed Gothic sets, courtesy of Bernard Robinson, who like the rest of the team were working with a budget under six figures! Some nifty effects work cement the pic's status, other little touches - such as Dracula having no audible footsteps - also ensure that Hammer's Dracula remains a key vampire movie of note. A number of interesting tid-bids sit in the film's back history. How it fell into the public domain, complaints about blood transfusion advertisements in theatre foyers during its first run! Censorship and the "X" Certification afforded it in the UK, and that some of the first wave of critic reviews were positively barbed and indignant. In truth Hammer would produce far better horror films post Dracula's release, in fact this is not even the best of the Hammer Dracula movies. Yet in the pantheon of Hammer film, and horror film in general, it's a 10/10 movie. Terence Fisher deserves the final word, he would say that the shoot and production for Dracula just clicked, it all worked and everyone was in sync. 8/10
Hammer’s first vampire flick with Christopher Lee as the Count. RELEASED IN 1958 and directed by Terence Fisher, "Horror of Dracula" chronicles events when Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) goes to Dracula’s castle under the pretense of a librarian. Later, the Prince of Darkness travels to Karlstadt, Germany, to prey on Harker's fiancée, Lucy (Carol Marsh), and her relatives, Arthur & Mina (Michael Gough & Melissa Stribling). Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), a student of vampirism and a friend of Harker’s, shows up to try to put an end to the Count’s reign of terror. Hammer Studios did nine Dracula films from 1958 to 1974: Horror of Dracula (1958); The Brides of Dracula (1960); Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966); Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968); Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969); Scars of Dracula (1970); Dracula AD 1972 (1972); The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973); and The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974. Christopher played the Count in every one of these except "The Brides of Dracula" and "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires." Hammer fans typically praise this first film in the series, Lee's first gig as Dracula, and it is a solid entry with the typical Hammer highlights: Lush Gothic ambiance, bright colors, Lee & Cushing and bodacious women. Lee's diabolical interpretation of the Count is another highpoint, not to mention one of the most stunning horror scores by James Bernard. Unfortunately, the abridged story loosely based on Stoker’s novel is somehow unsatisfactory and there are too many 50's limitations IMHO. Here’s one curious abbreviation: In the book the story starts in Transylvania, switches to England with Dracula voyaging to London, but ends up back in Transylvania for the climax. Coppola’s 1992 film adhered to this European globetrotting, but Hammer decided to simplify the geography where travel time is condensed to something akin to a European theme park rather than reality. The tale starts outside of Klausenburg, the capital of Transylvania in Central Romania at the time, with Drac’s castle nearby, then switches to Karlstadt, in South-Central Germany, which is roughly 750 miles from Klausenburg in reality, yet a mere carriage drive away in this film, perhaps 20 miles. THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 22 minutes and was shot entirely in Bray, Berkshire, England. WRITERS: Jimmy Sangster (screenplay) and Bram Stoker (novel). GRADE: B-
Dracula, or Horror of Dracula, is a pretty by-the-numbers Dracula film. This one, in particular, focuses on Dr. Van Helsing, giving the titular character very few scenes. Regardless, the acting is effective in most of the main characters, including Dracula himself. This film doesn't stretch the lore of Dracula much, rather just producing a solid film within the already-crafted confines, which works well enough. While it's not groundbreaking, it's not bad, either, which is a very good thing. Overall, it's a touch of a drag, but the solid score brings the viewer right back into the action, which is a nice touch on most of these older movies.
Cast & Crew of
Dracula
Directors & Credit Writers
... Director
Cast
... Doctor Van Helsing
... Count Dracula
... Arthur Holmwood
... Mina Holmwood
... Lucy Holmwood
... Gerda
... Jonathan Harker
... Vampire Woman
... Tania
... Inga
... Doctor Seward
... Policeman (uncredited)
... Landlord (uncredited)
... Official (uncredited)
... Marx - Undertaker (uncredited)
... Porter (uncredited)
PC
Paul Cole... Lad (uncredited)
... Coach Passenger (uncredited)
... Fat Merchant (uncredited)
... Inn Customer (uncredited)
Produced By
... Producer
... Executive Producer
... Associate Producer
Videos & Photos of
Dracula
Videos ( 3)
Photos ( 76 )
Related Movies To
Dracula
Nosferatu (2024)
0 /10
A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Run Time: 2hr 13` . MMPA: R . Release: 25 Dec 2024
Director: Jan Cajzl , Giulia Patanè , Robert Eggers
Producer: Marie Veverková , David Minkowski , Miroslav Tupý
Stars: Bill Skarsgård , Lily-Rose Depp , Nicholas Hoult , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Emma Corrin , Willem Dafoe
Werewolves (2024)
0 /10
A year after a supermoon’s light activated a dormant gene, transforming humans into bloodthirsty werewolves and causing nearly a billion deaths, the nightmare resurfaces as the supermoon rises again. Two scientists attempt to stop the mutation but fail and must now struggle to reach one of their family homes.
Run Time: 1hr 34` . MMPA: R . Release: 04 Dec 2024
Director: Steven C. Miller
Producer: Luis R. Estrella-Rivera , Jimmy Cummings , Michelle Lewitt
Stars: Frank Grillo , Katrina Law , Ilfenesh Hadera , Sam Daly , James Kyson , Lou Diamond Phillips
The Substance (2024)
0 /10
A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
Run Time: 2hr 21` . MMPA: R . Release: 07 Sep 2024
Director: Louis Tellier , Clément Audebrand , Benoit Seiller
Producer: Aurélie Boutet , Erik Baiers , Jacques-Emmanuel Astor
Stars: Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Edward Hamilton-Clark , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia
River of Blood (2024)
0 /10
Four kayakers take the wrong river into a jungle inhabited by a tribe of merciless cannibals.
Run Time: 1hr 26` . MMPA: . Release: 29 Aug 2024
Director: Howard J. Ford
Producer: Rikke Ennis , Howard J. Ford , Frederik Nelsson
Stars: Joseph Millson , Sarah Alexandra Marks , David Wayman , Ella Starbuck , Louis James , Tiffany Hannam-Daniels
Heretic (2024)
0 /10
Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed, becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Run Time: 1hr 51` . MMPA: R . Release: 31 Oct 2024
Director: Richard Cowan , Scott Beck , Bryan Woods
Producer: Scott Beck , Katie Aquino , Heather McGowan
Stars: Chloe East , Hugh Grant , Sophie Thatcher , Elle McKinnon , Topher Grace , Steven Seagal
Stranger in the Woods (2024)
0 /10
Olivia and her friends go on a vacation. After Olivia nearly drowns with a slit wrist in her bathtub after her fiancé's funeral, her friends suspect that she tried to kill herself, but she believes someone attacked her.
Run Time: 1hr 22` . MMPA: . Release: 14 Feb 2024
Director: Adam Newacheck
Producer: Jonas Dolkart , Daniel Kwon , Ram Paul Silbey
Stars: Holly Kenney , Paris Nicole , Devon Deshaun Stewart , Brendin Brown , Teddy Spencer , Radek Antczak
Companion (2025)
0 /10
A billionaire's death sets off a chain of events for Iris and her friends during a weekend trip to his lakeside estate.
Run Time: 1hr 37` . MMPA: R . Release: 22 Jan 2025
Director: Drew Hancock , Betty Austin
Producer: Anthony Tittanegro , Jamie Buckner , Jasmine Gutierrez
Stars: Sophie Thatcher , Jack Quaid , Lukas Gage , Megan Suri , Harvey Guillén , Rupert Friend
Alien: Romulus (2024)
0 /10
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Run Time: 1hr 59` . MMPA: R . Release: 13 Aug 2024
Director: Charlie Hollingsworth , Vera Janisch , Lee Cleary
Producer: Marton Dancz , Fede Álvarez , Israfeel Ahamed
Stars: Cailee Spaeny , Isabela Merced , Archie Renaux , David Jonsson , Spike Fearn , Aileen Wu
Smile 2 (2024)
0 /10
About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
Run Time: 2hr 7` . MMPA: R . Release: 16 Oct 2024
Director: Andrew Hudson , Anthony Pettine , Parker Finn
Producer: Jonathan Fass , Claire Kirk , Gabriel A. Gonzalez
Stars: Naomi Scott , Kyle Gallner , Lukas Gage , Steven Seagal , Rosemarie DeWitt , Dylan Gelula
Nightbitch (2024)
0 /10
A woman, thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.
Run Time: 1hr 38` . MMPA: R . Release: 06 Dec 2024
Director: Marielle Heller , Jonas Spaccarotelli
Producer: Sammy Scher , Megan Ellison , Rachel Yoder
Stars: Amy Adams , Scoot McNairy , Ella Thomas , Arleigh Snowden , Zoe Chao , Emmett Snowden
The Cult (2024)
0 /10
When a young woman relocates to a small town in Europe, she notices the place has something weird. As time goes by, she starts to fear for her life. Based on actual events and in the book the day she became plastic.
Run Time: 1hr 30` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Jun 2024
Director: Alexandre Alonso
Producer:
Stars:
Krampus (2015)
6.2 /10
When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.
Run Time: 1hr 38` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 26 Nov 2015
Director: Guy Campbell , Michael Dougherty , Kristin Voumard
Producer: Alex Garcia , Jon Jashni , Michael Dougherty
Stars: Adam Scott , Toni Collette , Allison Tolman , David Koechner , Emjay Anthony , Stefania LaVie Owen