Dracula (1931)

Dracula is a 1931 American pre-Code supernatural horror film directed and co-produced by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi in the title character. It is based on Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston's 1924 theatrical drama Dracula, which was itself adapted on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. The vampire Count Dracula, played by Lugosi, is a transplant from Transylvania to England where he feeds on the blood of living people, including the fiancée of a young man.

This is the first sound picture adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, and it was produced and released by Universal Pictures. The job of the titular character was eventually offered to Lugosi, who had done the part on Broadway before, but several other actors were also considered. Part of the movie was filmed on sets at Universal Studios Lot in California. These sets were later used at night for the filming of Dracula, the Spanish-language adaptation of the same story that Universal was also producing at the same time.

After its release, Dracula was a commercial and critical success that spawned a number of spin-offs and sequels. It has had a significant impact on popular culture, and Bela Lugosi's interpretation of Dracula made the character iconic and the vampire archetype in subsequent fiction. The United States Library of Congress chose the movie in 2000 as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and preserved it in the National Film Registry.

Cast

 * }

International versions

 * }