Can you imagine if Vincent Price was cast in this instead of Lon Chaney Jr.? Now that "Alucard" would have been creepy, elegant, and engaging..........
I really like the plot to this. Alucard using Claire to gain her assets while at the same time she was using him to gain immortality for her and Frank. Very underrated film.
Yeah, they didn't try to hide it at all. They even credit Lon Chaney Jr. as «Count Dracula»! Weird that they seemingly tried to make a mystery out of it while not bothering to keep neither _who_ or _what_ Alucard is a secret.
I recently got the Universal Classic Monsters complete 30-film collection. I watched all of them and don’t regret it. I love these movies. Even the bad ones.
I think this one is decent but definitely feels like a Film Noir that so happens to have Dracula as the antagonist. That’s probably because the director Robert Siodmak is best known for movies after this like The Killers and The Spiral Staircase
OK... if Dracula is "son of Dracul/"dragon"" then would the son of Dracula be "Draculaa"? It's this kind of thinking that keeps me out of decent society. Aalucard.
One of my earliest Horror memories is seeing Alucard burning in a puddle. When I was a youngster, they did a classic horror marathon on New Years eve on the telly.
I think it was Kim Newman who compared Chaney's Dracula to a bloated leech, and when you think of him that way, his interpretation is actually very good. In any case, he's not really the villain in this film. Louise Allbritton's Kay is the villain, and you really can see her getting the upper hand of THIS Dracula. She wouldn't get away with that with either Lugosi or Lee's Dracula, but then neither would attempt this plot. Personally, I never thought it mattered whether it's Dracula or his son. Chaney makes the role his own, and he doesn't need any connection to Dracula. He doesn't try to imitate Bela Lugosi - he just speaks quietly and straightforwardly, and in his own way, Chaney is threatening. A lot of that is his bulk - he was a big man, and I think he had a few inches on Lugosi - but it works for him and this Dracula - certainly better than John Carradine's Dracula, whom I still consider the worst of the Universal canon. Nevertheless, I now think of it as one of the better classic Universal Horror films - the special effects are actually pretty good (even if they forgot that Dracula can't be seen in a mirror), and Chaney does sell the role in his unique way. And let's face it: ROBERT Siodmak is a better director than CURT Siodmak. In a way, Chaney is to Dracula what George Lazenby is to James Bond. Not whom you would think of in either role, but both are better than he appears on first viewing. I like Son of Dracula.
I fine it intersting that this is probably the first usage of the name alucard in fiction yet at the same time, most people don't think of this movie, they think of castlevania or hellsing, i think it kinda shows how forgetable the movie is
@@davidlionheart2438 Cringe comment. a popular video game character outperforming/outlasting an obscure and bad universal horror movie isn't as deep as you think it is. really shows what kind of person you that you judge people this harshly over a hobby, entirely unprovoked. such a sad life you must lead.
I would actually like to see this remade with a touched up script to fix the problems and make the plot less condescending to the audience. Thanks for covering it.
4:10 If Alucard sounds familiar, it's possible you too remember the scene from Monster Squad where Sean sees a message left for from his mom in the kitchen. BTW this is too funny that Married w/Children 5:59 (what timing!!🤯) , and Al and Griff are dressed as wolves for a "Midnight Madness Sale" at the shoe store. Man I sure love when life just wakes up that way.
I agree that junior's portrayal may have been a bit out of his league by playing an aristocrat of evil since he was much better at characters with some likability and humanity to them.I still however hope that NECA makes a figure of him from this film as well as Dracula's daughter.
Here’s a weird story: my father had a kid legally named Alucard on the track team he coached this past season. My dad had no idea where the name came from so I told him about this film, and he proceeded to mix up the two Chaneys.
Wow! Poor Lon Chaney Jr. His performance is pretty stale here. I even go as far to say his performance as The Mummy was more appealing. And he nearly did nothing in those films either lol Yeah, this movie is a pretty bland one. Dracula's Daughter is way more entertaining! It even has a bit of dark comedy. And it's actually a sequel to the Bela Lugosi Dracula. Taking place moments later the original one ended. So there you go!
Evelyn Ankers disappears half-way in the movie with no explanation. I read a review saying that Lon Chaney, Jr was too fleshy to be a member of the gaunt undead. Of course, he probably snacked on his way the New Orleans to fatten himself up. Louise Allbritton was a blonde, but was made to wear a black hair wig (I guess to show her, as you said, a Goth lady. Maybe to distinguish her from Evelyn, who was blonde). Title misnomer since Lon Chaney is not a vampire sired by Dracula but plays Dracula. Same with the Hammer film, Brides of Dracula. No Dracula, just a disciple of Dracula turned into a vampire.
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"Son Of Dracula" is one of my most favorite Universal horrors. I don't care under what circumstances the script was written, I think it's extremely well written. It's a great looking film. The sets, costumes, and especially the photography and effects are all excellently done. The cast is great, especially Chaney who makes for a surprisingly aristocratic, very menacing, very effective Count, and Louise Allbritton who's obviously having a hell of a good time as the evil Kay, and being very good at it. All this is capped off with one of the most exciting, satisfying finales in any Universal horror. "Son Of Dracula" is CRIMINALLY underrated. You got this one very wrong, Doc. VERY wrong.
The "Alucard" alias was also used in a vampire book called 'Carmilla.' But instead of the name being backwards, they just switched the "C" & "M" placements.
Well, Carmilla was published 25 years before Dracula was. It invented the concept of vampires using anagrams of their names as aliases (e.g., Mircalla).
A film studio pumping out sequels to cash in on a popular movie in the 1940's?? How can this be, the internet swears that just started in the 2000's. Lies, Dr. Aluflow!
I’m actually bringing back my horror host character. I just put up some pics of his new costume and his mascot who I believe from the son of Frankenstein movie . The pics are on my community if you wanna check them out. His name is Frank-N-King by the way I spelled that way just to make it look different
Great review as always. Hey, question for Patreon folks. The movies that Doc streams on sundays, are they presented in Die-In Theater format or is the doc just riffing on a movie I have to stream myself?
The one thing that blew my mind about this movie was that it wasn't the Sun that destroyed the vampire, but not being in his coffin before dawn. I know it wasn't the Sun or it's light as he was inside a cave when the Sun rose. Vampire lore is sure weird and inconsistent.
Also, Lon Chaney's Mummy movies are better than the original starring Boris Karloff. I don't care how much hate I get for that, the sequels were far more creative and odd and entertaining than the original - which is a gentle, slow, romantic film that's tremendously light on "horror", even for 30s standards.
So last year I decided to watch as many of the Universal Monsters movies as I could. not the famous ones... the ones no one remembers. There were only a couple that were so bad I just gave up on. Son of Dracula bored me so bad I just ignored it as I worked on other things. That, and the She-Wolf of London were snoozers.
I literally just started watching the film when a few minutes later i get this notification, what form of black magic is the good Dr practicing here, freaky . Anyway ive not seen this film before and its included in a Dracula 6 disc box set i bought a while back and i genuinely think the film is a load of old cobblers, ill stick to the original me thinks. Good review as always doc.
13:45 So you're telling me, a time period movie, has black actors portraying roles.. that historically black people had?? Seriously people have to stop applying modern politics to everything and actually think for a second🙄
I enjoy this film , primarily due to the interplay between Craven and Bromberg . However , I've always been somewhat turned off by Chaney's sleepwalking masquerading as a performance . My issue with his work is that , in my opinion , he comes off as a petulant thug rather than a sinister monster . Also , I deduct a couple of points for the gaff with the hallway mirror . Anyway , within a year or two , Robert Siodmak would be considered one of the great directors of film noir . I don't know if that makes Son of Dracula a film noir/horror hybrid .
I think this movie would have been better if Frank had gone through with Claire's evil plan I mean she gave him immortality and he just kills her it is supposed to be heroic but it just comes off as selfish
Lol wearing a cape is kinda gay? Tell that to Superman, Batman, Shazam, Dr. Strange, Moon Knight, Huntress, Dr. Doom, Supergirl & other heroes & villains. That aside I agree with the good doctor the movie should've focused a little more on the sister relationship between Kay & Clare. I have a sick little twist Frank refuses to join Kay among the undead Clare in the meantime has learned of her sister's secrets & goes to confront her. In the end Frank dies while killing Alucard both their bodies burn & watching from the shadows is Kay & her sister Clare who was turned into a vampire by her sister.
The premis for me was connfusing. Is he the son of Dracula or Dracula.? The real monster is the women. Selfish, oportunistic and manipulative. A narcissist.
@@AnAverageGoblin You are way over thingking my comment. No not all women. Just her charicter. It appeard the writer wanted to make. Dracula a more sympathetic character. .Then a shift on the antagonist. She manipulated Dracula into marrying her. She then wanted to force her true love intrest in to being a vampire. Not caring what he wanted. The term narcissist is kind of a modern term you could use. She played it brilliantly. I am suprised she did not have bigger carrer.
