Dracula (1958)

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Bram Stoker (novel) and
Jimmy Sangster (writer)

Release Date:

8 May 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't Dare See It...Alone!

Plot:

After Jonathan Harker attacks Dracula at his castle (apparently somewhere in Germany), the vampire travels to a nearby city...

Plot Keywords:

Eccentric | Lawyer | British | Real Estate | Stylized

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Doctor Van Helsing
Christopher Lee	...	Count Dracula
Michael Gough	...	Arthur Holmwood
Melissa Stribling	...	Mina Holmwood
Carol Marsh	...	Lucy Holmwood
Olga Dickie	...	Gerda
John Van Eyssen	...	Jonathan Harker
Valerie Gaunt	...	Vampire Woman
Janina Faye	...	Tania (as Janine Faye)
Barbara Archer	...	Inga
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Dr. Seward
George Merritt	...	Policeman
George Woodbridge	...	Landlord
George Benson	...	Frontier Official
Miles Malleson	...	Undertaker
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Porter
Paul Cole	...	Lad
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stedwell Fulcher	...	Man in Coach (scenes deleted)
Humphrey Kent	...	Fat Merchant (scenes deleted)
Judith Nelmes	...	Woman in Coach (scenes deleted)
William Sherwood	...	Priest (scenes deleted)
Guy Mills	...	Coach Driver (uncredited)
Richard Morgan	...	Coach Driver's Companion (uncredited)
John Mossman	...	Hearse Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Terence Fisher

Writing credits
Bram Stoker		(novel)
Jimmy Sangster		writer

Produced by
Michael Carreras	....	executive producer
Anthony Hinds	....	producer
Anthony Nelson Keys	....	associate producer

Original Music by
James Bernard

Cinematography by
Jack Asher

Film Editing by
Bill Lenny
James Needs

Production Design by
Bernard Robinson

Art Direction by
Bernard Robinson

Costume Design by
Molly Arbuthnot

Makeup Department
Philip Leakey	....	makeup artist
Henry Montsash	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Don Weeks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Lynn	....	assistant director (as Bob Lynn)

Sound Department
Jock May	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects
Les Bowie	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Peter Diamond	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Len Harris	....	camera operator
Tom Edwards	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Molly Arbuthnot	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
James Needs	....	supervising editor

Music Department
John Hollingsworth	....	conductor

Other crew
Doreen Dearnaley	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1958) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Films S.A. (1958) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Goldstone Film Enterprises (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (a Seven Arts Reissue) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Hispamex (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)  us releasing agent

Also Known As:

Dracula 1958 (USA)
Horror of Dracula (USA)
Drácula (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Cauchemar de Dracula, Le (Belgium: French title) (dubbed version) [fr]
Dracula (West Germany) [de]
Dracula il vampiro (Italy) [it]
Drakoulas, o vrykolakas ton Karpathion (Greece) [el]
Horror Draculi (Poland) [pl]
Horror de Drácula, O (Portugal) [pt]
I Draculas klor (Sweden) [sv]
Pimeyden prinssi (Finland) [fi]
Vampiro da Noite, O (Brazil) [pt]

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Norway:16 (1958) | UK:12A (re-rating) (2007) | USA:Approved (PCA #18981) | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1958) | West Germany:12 | Sweden:(Banned) (1958-1970)

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

Dracula was filmed between 11 November 1957 and 3 January 1958. The film premiered at the Warner Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 8 May 1958 and took in $1,682 on its first day. In Britain, the film opened at London's Gaumont Theater 22 May 1958.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of the bite marks on Jonathan Harker's neck changes considerably from the scene in which he is bitten, to the scene in which he inspects them with the mirror.

Quotes:

Count Dracula: Sleep well, Mr. Harker.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nightmares in Foam Rubber (2004) (V)

Hammer's Masterpiece

Hammer made several classic horror movies : The Curse Of Frankenstein, The Curse Of The Werewolf, Dracula - Prince Of Darkness, The Devil Rides Out, She, The Quatermass trilogy amongst others. However for me, their first Dracula movie is a true horror masterpiece.

Although based on the novel by Bram Stoker, the movie doesn't even try to adapt the book. Jimmy Sangster simply took the characters and events he needed, and went off and did his own movie, and it works brilliantly.

Jonathon Harker arrives at Castle Dracula under the guise of being Dracula's new librarian. Actually however, he's there to destroy the vampire. When he fails, Dracula wrecks vengeance on Harker's fiancé and family, while Van Helsing arrives in the hope of ending what Harker couldn't....

As I said, nothing like the novel but it doesn't matter. This is the best Dracula movie ever made.

To begin with, the set design by Bernard Robinson is superb. His design of the castle is fantastic. Jack Asher, the cinematographer does a stunning job lighting the movie, especially Dracula's first appearance. The music by James Bernard, taking it's cues from the title, Dracula, is wonderful, bringing excitement, dread, fear and everything you could ask for.

Terence Fisher, Hammer's most important director, keeps things going at a brisk pace, staging some brilliant set-pieces. Fisher made most of the early horror classics: The Curse Of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Curse Of The Werewolf. He also made many more movies for Hammer, but this is his finest movie.

Where Hammer got lucky was Christopher Lee. His Dracula performance is gripping. He's charming when he needs to be - watch the brilliance of his first appearance. He appears at the stop of the stairs looking menacing, thanks to the lighting and music, then walks down the stairs and introduces himself! Brilliant.

But Lee is scary and terrifying as he needs to be, when stalking Mina and Lucy, but also almost passionate with them. And he proves a worthy adversary for Van Helsing....

...which brings me to Peter Cushing. Simply put the best Van Helsing on screen, played by the best actor ever in the horror genre. Cushing brings compassion to Van Helsing (watch the scene with the child in the graveyard) but also determination and obsession at ridding the world of evil. Even though he made a lot of horror movies in his career, and thus is somewhat under-rated as an actor, he never gave a bad performance and here like Lee he is at the top of his game. it's no wonder that they both became like a double-act in horror movies!! Although by todays standard, some of the acting may appear wooden, or 'ham(!)' and some of the effects, especially in the movie's stunning climax may have dated the movie as a whole has not.

It's still a battle between good v evil, which reaches a climax in a brilliant finale in the castle as Darcula and Van Helsing face each other. If you watch carefully, you'll see it's Van Helsing's knowledge that wins out, not strength.

When I saw this a child it scared the hell out of me. Time and repeated showings may have weakened the scare factor of this movie, but this is still,and will always be, my favorite horror movie.