Dracula (1931)

Dracula (1931) is a movie that I find myself watching over and over again. The beginning of the movie was responsible for the popularity of Halloween and vampire lore. It all begins as Reinfield - as played by Dwight Frye - travels to Dracula’s castle in Transylvania. The mountainous trip is very spooky with Dracula himself driving the coach. Dracula’s wives are classic “Lily Munster.” Dracula and Reinfield then journey to London to take up residence; Reinfield at Dr. Seward’s Sanitarium, and Dracula at Carfax Abbey. David Manners, who also played in The Mummy with Boris Karloff, and The Black Cat with Karloff and Lugosi, also plays Jonathon Harker in Dracula (1931). After a meeting at a theater, Lucy and Mina quote the Count laughingly, “Carfax Abbey…it reminds me of the broken battlements of my own castle in Transylvania.” Lucy is infatuated with Count Dracula and becomes his first victim. The more I watch Edward Van Sloan as Van Helsing, the more I love this guy! He also played Dr. Valman in Frankenstein (1931), and an expert on the occult in The Mummy. It all ends in the basement of Carfax Abbey, which is where the movie Dracula’s Daughter (1936) begins.