Dracula (Spanish-language version)
| Dracula (Spanish version) | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster.
|
|
| Directed by | George Melford |
| Produced by |
Paul Kohner Carl Laemmle Jr. |
| Written by |
Novel: Bram Stoker Stage Play: Hamilton Deane John L. Balderston Screenplay: Baltasar Fernández Cué |
| Starring |
Carlos Villarías Lupita Tovar Barry Norton Pablo Álvarez Rubio Eduardo Arozamena |
| Cinematography | George Robinson |
| Edited by | Arthur Tavares (as Arturo Tavares) |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
|
April 24, 1931 |
|
Running time
|
104 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Spanish Hungarian |
| Budget | $66,000 |
Drácula is a 1931 American Spanish-language horror film directed by George Melford. It is an adaptation of the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker and the 1924 stage play. It was filmed at night on the same sets that were being used during the day for the 1931 English-language film of the same title.
In the early days of sound film, it was common for Hollywood studios to produce foreign-language versions of their films (usually in Spanish, but also in French, Italian and German) using the same sets and costumes. Of the cast, only Carlos Villarías (playing Dracula) was permitted to see rushes of the English-language film, and he was encouraged to imitate Bela Lugosi's performance. Some long shots of Lugosi as the Count and some alternate takes from the English version were used in this production.
In recent years, this version has become more highly praised by some than the better known English-language version. The Spanish crew had the advantage of watching the English dailies when they came in for the evening, and they would devise better camera angles and more effective use of lighting in an attempt to improve upon it. This version's supporters consider it to be much more artistically effective. The Spanish semiologist Roman Gubern says that the longer runtime allows more development of the plot in spite of the shortened shooting time and smaller budget.
The film was thought to be lost until a print was discovered in the 1970s and restored. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Renfield, a solicitor, makes a journey into Transylvania via stagecoach. He mentions his destination, Castle Dracula, to the locals who react with alarm. They tell him Count Dracula is a vampire and when he doesn't believe them, one insists he wear a cross. When he arrives at the Castle, the Count bids him welcome. After drinking drugged wine, Renfield drops the cross and is bitten.
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Wikipedia