Son of Dracula
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Written by Eric Taylor from a story by Curt Siodmak
1943/USA
Universal Pictures
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Count Dracula: [as his coffin is burning] Put it out! Put it out, I tell ya’![/box]
First we get Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein’s Monster. Now it’s Lon Chaney, Jr. as Dracula. What were they thinking?
Katherine Caldwell (Louise Albritton) is a “morbid” believer in the occult. She is eagerly expecting a visit from Count Alucard (Chaney) to her Southern plantation home. Everybody associated with her, including fiance Frank, takes an instant disliking to him. Katherine marries him any way. Her family hires vampire expert Prof. Lazlo (J. Edward Bromberg) to help out. Double crosses and mild horror ensue With Evelyn Ankers as Katherine’s sister.
The highlight of this film is some excellent low-key shots by future film noir master Siodmak. Otherwise, it is pretty lame. Chaney is even more unlikely as Hungarian count that he was a the son of an English lord.
Trailer
Talk about stretching credibility!!!!!! And I don’t mean the vampire angle but the casting of Lon Chaney Jr. as the count. This is where the Universal horror pictures started going wrong and it was pretty much downhill from there. They were trying to keep their money-making horror genre alive but the public begin to lose interest. This one is a hoot!!!!
It’s a hoot but it sure does look more beautiful than it has any right too. Siodmak is becoming one of my favorite directors.