Dracula - 1931

The movie opens with the scene of Renfield in a carriage with other people speaking of the dreaded night that lies ahead of them, the night that the werewolves come out and feast upon unsuspecting townspeople.  Upon reaching a small town, the townspeople warn Renfield not to meet Count Dracula that night because he is a vampire and only bad things could possible come from him.  Renfield is taken to meet Draculas carriage, and unbeknownst to Renfield, Dracula is the man driving the carriage.  With werewolves crying in the distance, Renfield wanders his way into Castle Dracula where Dracula meets him on the stairs.  After discussing the papers with Dracula, Renfield passes out due to the wine Dracula served him.  Draculas three wives come into the room, and Dracula drinks Renfields blood from his neck.  The next evening, Dracula and the insane Renfield depart from Transylania carrying along 3 boxes of earth to England on a ship.

Dracula introduces himself to Dr. Seward, his daughter Mina, her fiance Jonathan Harker, and their friend Lucy Westerna at the symphony.  He informs them that he is moving into Carfax Abbey, which is next door to Sewards Sanitarium.  Later that night as Lucy is dozing off in her bed, Dracula hovers outside her window in the form of a bat and then comes in and drinks her blood.  Professor Van Helsing, who helps give Lucy blood transfusions, comes to the conclusion that a vampire has attacked her.  Renfield, who is now a patient at the sanitarium, warns Seward and Van Helsing that something awful will happen to Mina.  That very night Dracula enters her bedroom and bites her.  A couple of nights later, she recounts her story of the feeding to Jonathan.  Van Helsing inspects her neck and discovers the two little holes in her neck.  Dracula comes over to visit and Van Helsing notices that he does not have a reflection when seen in a mirror.  When he tricks Dracula into looking into a mirror, he slaps it out of Van Helsings hands.  Soon after Draculas departure, Harker sees a wolf running across the lawn. 

Mina ventures out from her bedroom that same night and walks into the arms of Dracula.  In the meantime, Renfield once again warns the men of Draculas plans to take Mina.  Moments later, Mina is found on the lawn near death.  Word spreads the next day of this mysterious woman who has been attacking children at night, this woman being Lucy.  Mina bids farewell to her relationship with Jonathan because she realizes that she will soon be a vampire.  Dracula tells Van Helsing that his blood now flows through Mina and it is too late to save her, so he might as well go home.  He attempts to mesmerize Van Helsing to draw him near, but he resists and pulls a crucifix out of his overcoat, which causes Dracula to turn away in disgust.  Mina, who is now a vampire, tries to attack Jonathan, but Van Helsing frightens her with a crucifix.  Renfield escapes from the sanitarium and meets up with Dracula and Mina in the Carfax Abbey.  Upon their meeting, Dracula kills Renfield.  Van Helsing and Harker later find Draculas coffin where Dracula is residing while it is daytime.  Van Helsing hammers a stake through his heart and Mina is freed from her vampirism.  Dracula is dead forever and Mina is Jonathans forever.

Cast:

Bela Lugosi - Count Dracula

Helen Chandler - Mina

David Manners - John Harker

Dwight Frye - Renfield

Edward Van Sloan - Van Helsing

Herbert Bunston - Doctor Seward

Frances Dade - Lucy

Joan Standing - Maid

Charles K. Gerrard - Martin

Anna Bakacs - Innkeeper's Daughter

Nicholas Bela - Coach Passenger

Daisy Belmore - Coach Passenger

Barbara Bozoky - Innkeeper's Wife

Tod Browning - Harbormaster

Moon Carroll - Maid

Geraldine Dvorak - Dracula's Wife

John George - Small Scientist

Anita Harder - Flower Girl

Carla Laemmle - Coach Passenger

Donald Murphy - Coach Passenger

Wyndham Standing - Surgeon

Cornelia Thaw - Dracula's Wife

Dorothy Tree - Dracula's Wife

Josephine Velez - Grace - English Nurse

Michael Visaroff - Innkeeper