The Horror of Dracula [Blu-ray]

Director: Terence Fisher Terence Fisher

Overview

The Hammer Studios classic Horror of Dracula is far closer to the letter (and spirit) of the Bram Stoker novel than the Bela Lugosi version of Dracula. Lawyer Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) arrives in Transylvania to close a real estate transaction with the reclusive Count Dracula (Christopher Lee), discovering all too late that his client is a vampire, who intends to suck the blood out of every available neck in England. Once ensconced at Carfax Abbey, Dracula puts Harker's fiancee Lucy (Carol Marsh) under his spell. It's up to Dr. Van Helsing and his seemingly bottomless bag of crucifixes and stakes to attempt to save the day. Dracula's demise is staged in spectacular fashion, best seen in (you'll pardon the pun) full-blooded Technicolor. Only two carps: Why do all the Transylvanian peasants speak in Cockney accents? And where's that old bug-eater Renfield?

Product Details

Release Date:	12/18/2018
UPC:	0888574561376
Original Release:	1958
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:22:00
Sales rank:	13,326

Special Features

Note: The presentation of Horror of Dracula is based on the British Film Institute restoration of 2007 and additional elements subsequently discovered; As such, it bears its orginal UK release title of Dracula

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Christopher Lee	Graf Dracula
Peter Cushing	Dr. Van Helsing
Michael Gough	Arthur Holmwood
Melissa Stribling	Mina Holmwood
Carol Marsh	Lucy
John Van Eyssen	Jonathan Harker
Miles Malleson	Marx, the Undertaker
Valerie Gaunt	Vampire Woman
Charles Lloyd Pack	Dr. Seward
Janina Faye	Tania
Olga Dickie	Gerda
George Woodbridge	Landlord
Barbara Archer	Inga
George Benson	Frontier Official
Guy Mills	Actor
George Merritt	Actor
William Sherwood	Actor
John Mossman	Actor
Paul Cole	Actor
Dick Morgan	Actor
Geoffrey Bayldon	Porter
Humphrey Kent	Actor
Judith Nelmes	Actor
James Bernard	Composer

Technical Credits

Jimmy Sangster

Bram Stoker

Terence Fisher	Director
Jimmy Sangster	Screenwriter
Michael Carreras	Executive Producer
Anthony Hinds	Producer
Bram Stoker	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

With so many mediocre vampire films, the few which are truly excellent often get lost in the static. Terence Fisher's 1958 Dracula is easily one of the best, and it proves just how important good writing, acting and directing can be in a time-tested genre. The performances are stellar: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee make their respective roles of Dr. Van Helsing and the Count uniquely their own. Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster's condenses Bram Stoker's novel, shifting most events to Dracula's castle and sharpening the material's dialogue and pacing. Appropriately atmospheric and dark, the film adds enough touches of humor and sexuality to update the tale's heretofore staid feel. Fisher's Dracula is a must-see not just for devotees of modern horror but also for fans of good storytelling in general.

All Movie Guide