In 1922 German filmmaker F. W. Murnau failed to get rights to film Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and so he made many changes in his vampire film "Nosferatu". In 1931 the most famous Dracula film, starring Bela Lugosi, was released. Instead of the book, it was more based on a famous theater play. In 1958 Hammer Films released its first Dracula film that was a greatly simplified version of the story. Christopher Lee, who continued to play the part of Count Dracula in many of Hammer's sequels, often complained that writers didn't use any of the great scenes and/or dialog from Stoker's novel. In 1969-70 a Spanish c-filmmaker Jess Franco (or Jesus Franco) agreed with Lee and begun to plan filming an authentic movie version of Stoker's book. Delighted Lee agreed to play the part in his film.
Franco's film "El Conde Dracula" (a.k.a. "Count Dracula", "Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht", "Verenhimoinen Dracula" etc.) has a very promising beginning. Although film is shot in Spain, Franco has found very Gothic looking places where to shot the film and on the background we hear Bruno Nicolai's powerful organ music. Jonathan Harker's (Fred Williams) journey to Dracula's castle follows Stoker's pages faithfully and Lee looks stunning with the white hair and mustache (Dracula appears as an old man for the first time in cinema history). When he starts speaking Stoker's lines, about Dracula's past and passionately tell how "Dracula's ancestors" defeated Turks, you can see Lee is having a time of his life, finally playing Dracula as he wanted.
Sadly, the first 20 minutes are also mainly the only good ones in this film. Apparently the producers backed out suddenly and Franco lost most of his budget. He has tried to keep most of his film faithful to Stoker, but the lack of money has forced them to make changes. After Harker escapes from Dracula's castle, he wakes up weeks later in a hospital ran by Prof. Abraham Van Helsing (Herbert Lom) and Dr. John Seward (Paul Muller). Soon Harker's fiancée Mina (Maria Rohm) arrives with her friend Lucy (beautiful Soledad Miranda) and her fiancé Quincey Morris (Jack Taylor). Count Dracula has moved to an old abbey very close to a hospital and his presence has an odd effect on Van Helsing's patient Renfield (Klaus Kinski, who actually played Dracula later in 1979).
As said, Franco tries to keep the film as faithful to Stoker as he can. However dreams of making a completely authentic adaptation were gone. Also the film is far from being even a good film. Poor supporting performances, Franco's annoying habit of taking many close-up shots and the general lack of money are too visible effects to ignore. Also after the castle sequence, Lee doesn't have much to do anymore. He does get younger which is interesting to see but he mainly just gives threatening glares. Herbert Lom, who has played different roles from Captain Nemo to Phantom of the Opera, is the saving grace here. His Van Helsing becomes the only interesting character here and Lom does put his best to the role, stealing the rest of the film from others. Klaus Kinski sadly just wastes his talents here, for he has no lines at all. Story tells that producer Harry Allan Towers would have tricked Kinski in the film by not telling him it's a Dracula film. Franco has denied this though.
Jesus Franco's "El Conde Dracula" is the first movie really trying to be faithful to Stoker's book. Unfortunately it doesn't reach it goals and is not even that great movie in the first place. God only knows that they might have done a lot better with more money. Now the only things memorable are performances by Lee and Lom, as well as the organ music.
Franco's film "El Conde Dracula" (a.k.a. "Count Dracula", "Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht", "Verenhimoinen Dracula" etc.) has a very promising beginning. Although film is shot in Spain, Franco has found very Gothic looking places where to shot the film and on the background we hear Bruno Nicolai's powerful organ music. Jonathan Harker's (Fred Williams) journey to Dracula's castle follows Stoker's pages faithfully and Lee looks stunning with the white hair and mustache (Dracula appears as an old man for the first time in cinema history). When he starts speaking Stoker's lines, about Dracula's past and passionately tell how "Dracula's ancestors" defeated Turks, you can see Lee is having a time of his life, finally playing Dracula as he wanted.
Sadly, the first 20 minutes are also mainly the only good ones in this film. Apparently the producers backed out suddenly and Franco lost most of his budget. He has tried to keep most of his film faithful to Stoker, but the lack of money has forced them to make changes. After Harker escapes from Dracula's castle, he wakes up weeks later in a hospital ran by Prof. Abraham Van Helsing (Herbert Lom) and Dr. John Seward (Paul Muller). Soon Harker's fiancée Mina (Maria Rohm) arrives with her friend Lucy (beautiful Soledad Miranda) and her fiancé Quincey Morris (Jack Taylor). Count Dracula has moved to an old abbey very close to a hospital and his presence has an odd effect on Van Helsing's patient Renfield (Klaus Kinski, who actually played Dracula later in 1979).
As said, Franco tries to keep the film as faithful to Stoker as he can. However dreams of making a completely authentic adaptation were gone. Also the film is far from being even a good film. Poor supporting performances, Franco's annoying habit of taking many close-up shots and the general lack of money are too visible effects to ignore. Also after the castle sequence, Lee doesn't have much to do anymore. He does get younger which is interesting to see but he mainly just gives threatening glares. Herbert Lom, who has played different roles from Captain Nemo to Phantom of the Opera, is the saving grace here. His Van Helsing becomes the only interesting character here and Lom does put his best to the role, stealing the rest of the film from others. Klaus Kinski sadly just wastes his talents here, for he has no lines at all. Story tells that producer Harry Allan Towers would have tricked Kinski in the film by not telling him it's a Dracula film. Franco has denied this though.
Jesus Franco's "El Conde Dracula" is the first movie really trying to be faithful to Stoker's book. Unfortunately it doesn't reach it goals and is not even that great movie in the first place. God only knows that they might have done a lot better with more money. Now the only things memorable are performances by Lee and Lom, as well as the organ music.