Dracula's Daughter

Dracula's Daughter (1936)

Directed by: Lambert Hillyer
Written by: Garrett Fort, based on Dracula's Guest (I think) by Bram Stoker
Starring: Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill, Edward Van Sloan, Gilbert Emery, Irving Pichel

Not that this is all that much better than Barbarella, but it does have that old timey charm to it.

After Dracula's death, his daughter comes to London to try and de-vampire herself. There, she falls in love with a handsome psychiatrist. Unfortunately for her, he's already sort of spoken for. Poor Marya.

The look of the film was very good, as it was sort of the same look of Dracula. It even had that really cool set with the big spider web.

I kind of liked Gloria Holden, too. She had nice eyes or something. Of course, she was kind of bisexual. All female vampires are a bit bisexual, it's the Carmilla thing. Most male vampires are, too, ever since Anne Rice anyway. And if they aren't bisexual, then they're into children or goats or lamps or whatever.

Yes, this was made in a time before blatant sexuality was acceptable. So her preferances are a more suggested than anything. She was definitely interested in Nan Gray, though.

There should have been more of this, actually. Irving Pichels should have flirted with Otto Kruger.

Interestingly enough, there was a lot more developement on Otto's relationship with Marguerite Chruchill than there usually is in these kinds of movies. Usually they're just in love because they are. In this, they don't really realize it until the end. Ah, how sweet. That's probably because the monster is a very good looking woman instead of a tentacle beast from outer space. Having it be a woman just changes everything. He's tempted by her (even more so than Mina's tempted by Dracula, I would say, when we're talking about the original Dracula anyway. It's more of a Lucy-Dracula relationship, except that in this version, Lucy's Dr. Seward and she doesn't get killed).

We don't need any such development between the Countess and her weird manservant. She's not interested him at all, nor should she be. He looks like Lon Chaney, for starters (well, Lon Chaney wasn't that bad looking. Let's say Lon Chaney Junior), plus he's majorly creepy and he wears too much eye make up. What's more, he's the Renfield character. (Hey, they should make a version of Dracula with all of the genders reversed. I'm sure they've done this unofficially, but to do it as Dracula, and maybe even have it word for word the same as the book (or as close as is socially acceptable), but Dracula's a woman, Lucy and Mina are men, et cetera. That's be interesting).

The movie doesn't work on every level, but I liked it alright, and they could do a pretty good remake, with Anthony Hopkins back as Van Helsing, and... I dunno, someone with fantastic cheekbones as the Countess. Oh, and of course, Benecio Del Toro playing Sandor. Yeah...

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