Dracula's Daughter
Dracula's Daughter | |
---|---|
Directed by | Lambert Hillyer |
Written by | Suggested by: Oliver Jeffries Treatment: John L. Balderston Kurt Neumann Contributing: R. C. Sherriff Peter Dunne Charles S. Belden[2] |
Screenplay by | Garrett Fort |
Story by | John L. Balderston[2] |
Based on | "Dracula's Guest" 1914 story by Bram Stoker |
Produced by | E. M. Asher |
Starring | Otto Kruger Gloria Holden Marguerite Churchill |
Cinematography | George Robinson |
Edited by | Milton Carruth |
Music by | Heinz Roemheld |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 69 or 72 minutes[2] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $278,000[3] |
Dracula's Daughter is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Pictures as a sequel to the 1931 film Dracula. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden in the title role, and Marguerite Churchill, and features, as the only cast member to return from the original, Edward Van Sloan – although his character's name was altered from "Van Helsing" to "Von Helsing".
Dracula's Daughter tells the story of Countess Marya Zaleska, the daughter of Count Dracula and herself a vampire. Following Dracula's death, she believes that by destroying his body, she will be free of his influence and live normally. When this fails, she turns to a psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey Garth (Kruger). The Countess kidnaps Dr. Garth's assistant, Janet (Marguerite Churchill), and takes her to Transylvania, leading to a battle between Dr. Garth and the Countess in an attempt by him to save Janet.
Ostensibly based on a deleted chapter from
David O. Selznick purchased the rights to the Stoker material for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but Universal bought them in 1934, with the rights to revert to MGM if Universal did not begin production by October 1935, a date later extended to February 1936. Universal rushed the film into production in that month, with the script only partially completed, to meet this deadline.[2] The film was first assigned to James Whale, but Universal production head Carl Laemmle Jr. finally hired Hillyer as director.
While not as successful as the original upon its release, the film was generally well-reviewed. In the intervening decades, criticism has been deeply divided. Contemporary critics and scholars have observed the film's alleged lesbian overtones, which Universal exploited in some early advertising.
Plot
Having just destroyed Count Dracula, Professor Van Helsing is arrested by two Whitby policemen, Sergeant Wilkes and Constable Albert, after they happen upon Dracula's body with a stake driven through its heart (as well as the broken-necked corpse of Renfield) in the cellar of Carfax Abbey. Van Helsing is taken to Scotland Yard, where he explains to Sir Basil Humphrey that he did indeed destroy Dracula, but because the vampire had already been dead for over 500 years, it cannot be considered murder. Instead of hiring a lawyer, Van Helsing enlists the aid of a psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey Garth, who was formerly one of his star students.
In Whitby, Sergeant Wilkes leaves the jail to meet an officer from Scotland Yard at the train station, placing Constable Albert in charge of the recovered bodies. Meanwhile, Dracula's daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska, enters the jail, mesmerizes Albert with her jeweled ring, and – with the aid of her manservant, Sandor – steals Dracula's body from the jail. After tossing salt on the pyre, the Countess ritualistically burns Dracula's body, hoping to break her curse of vampirism. However, Sandor soon begins to discourage her, telling her that all that is in her eyes is "death". She soon gives in to her thirst for blood. The Countess resumes her hunting, mesmerising her victims with her exotic jewelled ring. After a chance meeting with Dr. Garth at a society party, the Countess asks him to help her overcome the influence she feels from beyond the grave. The doctor advises her to defeat her cravings by confronting them, and the Countess becomes hopeful that her will, plus Dr. Garth's science, will be strong enough to overcome Dracula's malevolence.
The Countess sends Sandor to fetch her a model to paint. He sees a pretty young woman, Lili, and follows her onto a bridge. The woman pauses at the railing looking despondent. Sandor promises her food, warmth, and money. She hesitates, but Sandor explains that he seeks her for his mistress. Lili returns with Sandor. Countess Zaleska initially resists her urges, but succumbs and attacks her. Lili survives the attack and is examined by Dr. Garth through hypnosis; she reveals enough information to let Dr. Garth know that it was Countess Zaleska who attacked her, but she suffers heart failure and dies. The Countess gives up fighting her urges and accepts that a cure is not possible; she lures Dr. Garth to Transylvania by kidnapping Janet Blake, his secretary, with whom he has a playfully antagonistic relationship, but now realises that he cares for her. Zaleska intends to transform Dr. Garth into a vampire to be her eternal companion. Arriving at Castle Dracula in Transylvania, Dr. Garth agrees to exchange his life for Janet's. Before he can be transformed, Countess Zaleska is destroyed when Sandor shoots her through the heart with an arrow as revenge for her breaking her promise to make him immortal. He takes aim at Dr. Garth, but is shot dead by a Scotland Yard policeman, who along with Van Helsing, has followed Dr. Garth from London.
Cast
- Otto Kruger as Dr. Jeffrey Garth
- Countess Marya Zaleska, Dracula's daughter
- Marguerite Churchill as Janet Blake
- Irving Pichel as Sandor
- Halliwell Hobbes as Hawkins
- Billy Bevan as Albert
- Nan Grey as Lili
- Hedda Hopper as Lady Esme Hammond
- Claud Allister as Sir Aubrey
- Gilbert Emery as Sir Basil Humphrey, Scotland Yard
- Edward Van Sloan as Professor Van Helsing
- Edgar Norton as Hobbs, Sir Humphrey's butler
- E. E. Clive as Sergeant Wilkes
- Christian Rub as Coachman (uncredited)
- Vernon Steele as Squires (uncredited)
- Fred Walton as Dr. Beemish (uncredited)
Source:[2]
Production
Universal originally did not hold the rights to "
Modern sources report that the film was also loosely based on Carmilla, an 1872 Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu, which is often cited as the first published British work of fiction to deal with lesbian relationships.[2]
Selznick hired
Director
Universal studio head Carl Laemmle, Jr. (nicknamed "Junior") wanted James Whale, fresh from his great success with Bride of Frankenstein, to direct Dracula's Daughter. Whale was waiting for Irene Dunne to finish shooting Magnificent Obsession, so she could begin work on Whale's Show Boat. Wary of directing two horror films in a row, Whale instead convinced Laemmle to buy the rights to a mystery novel called The Hangover Murders. Laemmle agreed only after extracting a promise from Whale that he would direct Dracula's Daughter next.[7] Whale completed work on the film, Remember Last Night?, on September 14, 1935.[8] Magnificent Obsession completed filming on October 29. With Dunne freed up, Whale went to work on Show Boat. Laemmle replaced him with A. Edward Sutherland, who was best known for his work on comedies. Sutherland had as little interest in Dracula's Daughter as Whale did, and soon left the studio,[9] so Hillyer came on to direct.[citation needed]
Universal script
A treatment by John L. Balderston was submitted to Universal in January 1934, and may have been presented to MGM earlier. Another short treatment by Kurt Neumann was rejected by Universal.[2]
The earliest screenplay for the Universal film was written by
Universal submitted Sheriff's first draft to the
Screenwriting duties were then assigned to Garrett Fort,[12] who submitted a draft in January 1936, and a second draft in February. Asher, Fort, and Universal executive Harry Zehner meet with Production Code officials in February, during which Universal was asked that the scene in which Lili poses for Marya be written so that no suggestion was made that Lili was nude, or that no indication was made of a "perverse sexual desire on the part of Marya or of an attempted sexual attack by her upon Lili".[2]
Fort's February draft, as revised by Charles Belden in March 1936, seems to be the version used to shoot the film, which was viewed and passed by the PCA in April. Fort is the only contributor to the screenplay to receive screen credit, along with Stoker.[2]
Casting
Dracula's Daughter was Gloria Holden's first starring role, and reportedly she was extremely displeased at having been assigned it. Like many actors, Holden looked down on horror films. She had also seen
Initially, Lugosi and Jane Wyatt were set to star in the film. Universal also announced that Boris Karloff and Colin Clive, who had starred together in Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, would appear,[14] and that Cesar Romero would play Dr. Garth with Lugosi playing Dracula and Wyatt playing Lili, who was eventually played by actress Nan Grey because Grey was a blonde, giving contrast to her and actress Gloria Holden who had black hair. [15] According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal had sought Herbert Marshall for the role of Sandor, before casting Pichel.[15] None of them appeared except, after a fashion, Lugosi, in the form of a wax bust molded in his image for use in Dracula's coffin. Some sources report that Lugosi was paid as much as $4,000 for his abortive involvement, but the only confirmed record of any financial arrangement is a letter in which Lugosi consents to the use of his likeness at no cost to create the wax bust.[14]
Shooting
Shooting on Dracula's Daughter began on February 4, 1936, rushed into production before Fort had completed the script,[16] because of a deadline clause in Universal's option of the property from Selznick.[17] The script was not finalized until shooting had been underway for three weeks.[18] The film was completed on March 10.[19] Despite studio orders that the film be shot on a seven-day-per-week schedule,[18] filming ran seven days over its schedule and $50,000 over budget, with the final cost of the film tallied at $278,380.[20]
Dracula's Daughter was the last in the first cycle of
Other production aspects
Makeup artist
Critical response
The New York Times gave Dracula's Daughter a solid, albeit somewhat tongue-in-cheek, review upon its release, citing the film's "blood-curdling events" and noting that "Gloria Holden is a remarkably convincing bat-woman" in concluding that the film is both "quite terrifying" and "a cute little horror picture".[25] Variety also praised the production and Holden's performance in particular.[26] Despite critical approval, Dracula's Daughter did not have the same box office success as the original.[citation needed]
Later reviews of Dracula's Daughter are sharply split. Entertainment Weekly, reviewing the film following its video release, called it "one of the most satisfying vampire pictures ever made". Describing director Hillyer's visuals as "lush, evocative, and suffused with just the right gothic chiaroscuro" and noting that "Gloria Holden, as the reluctant vampire protagonist, absolutely drips patrician eroticism", EW concludes that this film is better than Lugosi's original Dracula.[27]
Ryan Cracknell of Apollo Movie Guide, while echoing the praise for Holden's performance, nonetheless found that the film "doesn't hold up so well today". Citing what he sees as slow pacing and "long bouts of over-the-top dialogue", Cracknell compares the film to "reading a textbook – not the most exciting thing in the world, but it does provide insights into and perspectives on the foundation of early horror movies and how many similarities carry over into movies half a century and more later".[28] Michael W. Phillips, Jr., concurs, calling the film "a marked improvement on the original film, [but] still a bit of a snooze, relying too much on forced comedy and not enough on suspense or fright".[29] Phillips again praises Holden's performance and also Pichel's portrayal of Sandor, but finds the rest of the cast weak.[citation needed]
Influence
Horror author
Lesbian implications
The lesbian vampire has long been a trend in literature, dating back to such works as Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1797 poem Christabel and Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novella Carmilla. Dracula's Daughter marked the first time that the trend was incorporated into a film.[36] The lesbian implications of Dracula's Daughter were of great concern to the Production Code Administration. PCA head Breen took special notice of the scene between the Countess and her model, Lili, writing: "This will need very careful handling to avoid any questionable flavor".[37] The day before the scene was to be shot, Universal's Harry Zehner asked Breen to read a draft of the scene. In response, Breen wrote:
The present suggestion that ... Lili poses in the nude will be changed. She will be posing her neck and shoulders, and there will be no suggestion that she undresses, and there will be no exposure of her person. It was also stated that the present incomplete sequence will be followed by a scene in which Lili is taken to a hospital and there it will be definitely established that she has been attacked by a vampire. The whole sequence will be treated in such a way as to avoid any suggestion of perverse sexual desire on the part of Marya or of an attempted sexual attack by her upon Lili.[37]
Gay film historian
Another lesbian-tinged scene which has received less critical attention comes when the Countess is holding Janet captive. Described as "the longest kiss never filmed", Countess Zaleska "hovers lovingly over Janet ... hovers ... and hovers ... slowly descending to kiss the recumbent Janet ..."[42] until interrupted by the arrival of Dr. Garth.[citation needed]
A 1998 article published by Bright Lights Film Journal said "Gloria Holden in the title role almost singlehandedly redefined the '20s movie vamp as an impressive Euro-butch dyke bloodsucker", but draws an implicit comparison between Countess Zaleska's seeking to cure her vampirism through psychiatry and the former position of mainstream psychiatry of homosexuality as a mental illness. Zaleska's cruising the streets of London is seen as parallel to cruising for sex (although that tends to be a gay male activity) and as suggesting "society's image of the lesbian as soulless predator", but the conclusion is that "Holden's striking, masklike face and haunting, luminous eyes [are] the intoxicating essence of transgressive lesbian power".[43]
Reboot
In April 2023, it was reported that Universal Pictures was developing a monster thriller film for Universal Pictures, with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett attached to co-direct, from a script co-written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick. The project was stated to be a modern-day adaptation of one of the Universal Classic Monsters characters, similar in approach to The Invisible Man (2020) or Renfield. The synopsis was described as "a unique take on legendary monster lore and will represent a fresh, new direction for how to celebrate classic characters". Chad Villella, William Sherak, Paul Neinstein and James Vanderbilt serve as producers while the project was a joint-production between Universal Pictures, Radio Silence Productions, and Project X Entertainment.[44]
The project was later stated to have originally been titled Dracula's Daughter;[45] while Universal restated that though they had considered a singular continuity with Dracula Untold and The Mummy (2017), each installment will continue to be standalone in nature following the successes of The Invisible Man. Each release will continue to be "rooted in the horror genre, with no restrictions on budget, rating or genre. They are not part of a shared interconnected universe, which allows each film to stand on its own. This new direction is filmmaker-driven, inviting innovative filmmakers with original, bold ideas for these characters to develop the stories and pitch them."[46][45][47][48] The film was officially titled Abigail in January 2024.[49]
See also
References
- ^ Branaghan & Chibnall, p. 47
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Dracula's Daughter at the American Film Institute Catalog
- ^ Brunas, et al., p. 159
- ^ a b Skal, pp. 196–98
- ^ a b Curtis, p. 260
- ^ Skal, p. 196
- ^ Curtis, pp. 254–55
- ^ Curtis, p. 258
- ^ Curtis, pp. 260–61
- ^ Robertson pp. 65–66
- ^ Breen, quoted in Skal, p. 198
- ^ a b Skal, pp. 198–99
- ^ Clark, p. 184
- ^ a b Rhodes, p. 219
- ^ a b Mank, p. 365
- ^ Mank, p. 356
- ^ Skal, p. 199
- ^ a b c Mank, p. 357
- ^ Mank, p. 358
- ^ Senn, p. 361
- ^ Johnson, p. 7
- ^ Johnson, p. 129
- ^ The New York Times, "Vampires, Monsters, Horrors!" March 1, 1936. Quoted in White, pp. 147–48
- ^ Bansak, et al., p. 113
- ^ a b Nugent, Frank S. (18 May 1936). "THE SCREEN; ' Dracula's Daughter' Makes Her Debut at the Rialto and Proves She's a Chip Off the Old Block". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
- ^ Clark, p. 188
- ^ a b Simels, Steve (11 December 1992). "Dracula's Daughter". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
- ^ Cracknell, Ryan. "Dracula's Daughter". Apollo Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
- ^ Phillips, Jr., Michael W. "Dracula's Daughter". goatdog.com. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
- ^ Hoppenstand, et al., p. 14
- ^ Skal, David J. "Bloodsuckers and Cocksuckers: A Glossary of Vampirism and Sex". Bright Lights Film Journal #15. p. 11.
- ^ Melton, p. 791
- ISBN 0-89686-260-7.
- ^ Keesey, p. 82
- ^ Abbott, p. 145
- ^ Tudor, p. 31
- ^ a b Breen, quoted in Worland, p. 126
- ^ Russo, p. 48
- ^ quoted in Russo, p. 48
- ^ "Dracula's Daughter". Time Out London. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
- ^ Skal, p. 200
- ^ Hanson, pp. 198–99
- ^ Morris, Gary (December 1998). "Queer Horror: Decoding Universal's Monsters". Bright Lights Film Journal. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (11 April 2023). "'Scream' Filmmaking Team Radio Silence Reunites With Project X On Untitled Monster Movie At Universal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ a b Kit, Borys (9 May 2023). "'Matilda: The Musical' Star Alisha Weir Joins Melissa Barrera in Untitled Monster Movie From 'Scream VI' Filmmakers (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (13 April 2023). "'Scream' Star Melissa Barrera Reunites With Radio Silence On Secret Monster Movie For Universal". Deadline. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ May 11, 2023. "Dan Stevens Joins Radio Silence's Secret Monster Movie At Universal". Deadline. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Grobar, Matt (12 May 2023). "Kevin Durand Joins Radio Silence's Monster Thriller For Universal". Deadline. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (11 January 2024). "Monster Movie from 'Scream' Directors Gets Title, Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
Further reading
- Abbott, Stacey (2007). Celluloid Vampires: Life After Death in the Modern World. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-71695-7.
- Bansak, Edmund G. and Robert Wise (2003). Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-1709-9.
- Branaghan, Sim; Chibnall, Stephen (2006). British Film Posters: An Illustrated History. United Kingdom: ISBN 1-84457-221-8.
- Brunas, Michael, John Brunas & Tom Weaver (1990). Universal Horrors: The Studios Classic Films, 1931-46. McFarland.
- Clark, Mark (2004). Smirk, Sneer and Scream: Great Acting in Horror Cinema. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-1932-6.
- Curtis, James (1998). James Whale: A New World of Gods and Monsters. Boston, Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-19285-8.
- Hanson, Ellis (1999). Out Takes: Essays on Queer Theory and Film. Duke University Press. ISBN 0-8223-2342-7.
- Johnson, Tom (1997). Censored Screams: The British Ban on Hollywood Horror in the Thirties. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0394-2.
- Keesey, Pam (1997) Vamps: An Illustrated History of the Femme Fatale. San Francisco, Cleis Press. ISBN 1-57344-026-4.
- Mank, Gregory W. (1999) Women in Horror Films, 1930s. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0553-8.
- Melton, J. Gordon (1994). The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. Detroit, Visible Ink Press (a division of Gale Research, Inc.). ISBN 0-8103-2295-1.
- Rhodes, Gary Don (1997). Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0257-1.
- Hoppenstand, Gary, and Ray Broadus Browne (1996) The Gothic World of Anne Rice. Popular Press. ISBN 0-87972-708-X.
- Robertson, James Crighton (1993). The Hidden Cinema: British Film Censorship in Action, 1913–1975. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-09034-2.
- Russo, Vito (1987). The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies (revised edition). New York, HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-096132-5.
- Senn, Bryan (1996). Golden Horrors: An Illustrated Critical Filmography of Terror Cinema, 1931–1939. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0175-3.
- Skal, David J. (1993). The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024002-0.
- Tudor, Andrew (1989). Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-16992-X.
- White, David Manning (1975). Popular Culture. Ayer Publishing. ISBN 0-405-06649-X.
- Worland, Rick (2007). The Horror Film: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1-4051-3902-1.
- Rhodes, Gary D.; Weaver, Tom; et al. (2017) Scripts from the Crypt: Dracula's Daughter. BearManor. ISBN 9781629331164
- Includes script and pressbook