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MOVIE NIGHTS

Every weekend we're watching movies together...whether you're in Pennsylvania USA, or Sydney Australia. It's a throwback! Back to the days when you had the anticipation for waiting till the weekend to see the classic horror or science fiction film that was listed in the TV Guide. The plan is to watch a movie at 7:30PM on Saturday night in your own time zone. Or, if you can't Saturday night...anytime during the weekend. Then, we'll all get together and e-mail our thoughts on the film...a few paragraphs...or simply a sentence if you'd like. They after-viewing reviews appear on our Creepy Classics/Monster Bash News Page. See the latest thoughts posted by viewers ther now.

Concept submitted by Mike Adams of Cartaret, New Jeresey.

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MOVIE REVIEWS FOR:"SON OF DRACULA" (1943) All right, I'm in the minority -- but I liked Chaney as Dracula. He's powerful, intimidating and electrifying in the climax with Robert Page. Moody film work from Robert Siodmak. A film noir/gothic monster movie! Suggested by Kevin Slick, Louisville, CO.

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I found this movie full of dark magic when I was a kid and loved watching it again for our "movie sync-up." I've read numerous articles that talk about Chaney being mis-cast here. I find him absoutely great, with not a hint of Larry Talbot or "Lenny" characters. A totally evil, restrained Chaney makes this movie really work for me. Add in the great photography and John Fulton effects...plus the great cast from beginning to end (including "Jimmy the Crow!"). Chaney pre-dates Christopher Lee as a fiercly powerful Dracula too. Tossing Robert Paige across a room. The climax is intense with Chaney using a death grip on Paige with the dancing shadows of fire. A really, really great and overlooked dynamic vampire movie. This is one of my all-time favorite Universal films.

-Ron Adams, Ligonier, PA

Dracula is a tough role to take on without a doubt. Fandom has decreed
that Lugosi is the standard and few are willing to accept anyone else in
the role which is too bad because they miss out on the variety of possible
vampire experiences. I think Lon Chaney Jr. is excellent in his undead
role. He projects a quite menace with a snarky gleam in his eye as he
confronts Dr. Brewster and informs him that he is now the master of the
house.

The whole look and feel of the film is creepy. The dark and
mysterious swamps are a perfect setting for night time action. I love
Chaney's entrance across the swamp and whole transformation into mist
thing.

Another element of the film that really works for me is Robert
Paige. Son of Dracula uses the basic Dracula props, the older scientists
who "get it" and the somewhat dopey boyfriend who doesn't, but here the
boyfriend actually kicks some butt too. Paige does a great job of acting
crazy and possessed which goes a long way toward making the story make
sense.

Louise Allbritton is wonderfully creepy and strange, again a much
more interesting character I think than had preceded her in the vampire's
love interest. Since any Universal vampire film will have to contend with
the original 1931 Dracula the challenge of Lugosi looms large. I would
say that Chaney's performance is different enough from Lugosi that it can
stand on it's own. If you compare Paige and Allibritton to Manners and
Chandler I think the later film comes up much better because the
characters are more interesting and have more soul. So once again I had
great fun watching Son of Dracula and I hope you all did too.

-Kevin Slick Louisville, CO

Hi Ron:

Great movie, Son of Dracula, although I would have liked Evelyn to play the part of 'Kay' its still
a great flick, any movie w/ the Lonster and Evelyn, you know is gonna be one of the great Universal
Classics; atmosphere, acting, the works.

-Jay Maggio, Kingsman, AZ

Perhaps the one film that stirred the Classic Horror fan in me was Lon Chaney Jr's 1943 Universal flic, Son of Dracula.  That late Saturday night, years ago, I sat in front of my tv screen in my college dorm room, mesmorized by Chaney's performace, the atmospheric fog, and the gloomy ending.  Though I had watched Godzilla, Star Trek, and other Universal films as a young lad, this film struck a cord in me, and I began to delve deeper into this period of film making.

Watching this film again, for the umpteenth time Saturday night, I found that this film still remains one of my favorites.  The actor in it shine, and Evelun Ankers and Samuel Hinds are always welcome in any film.  The creepy atmosphere and great set pieces add a different charm than other Univeral classics, as it places the film in a entirely new locale, the Deep South.  Also of interest is the two transformation scenes of Count Alucard/Draucula...one into a bat (which was done here for the first time, a few years before John Carradine did the same) and the transformation from a fog like vapor.  Very creepily done!

 Yet, perhaps what I enjoyed the most was the ending.  Our hero, Frank, does not walk away hand in hand with a love interest, as in so many other horror films of that period.  Instead, he sets his beloved on fire, after she had become a vampire, herself.  The film closes as the camera zooms in on his haunted eyes, the fire reflecting off his face. 

Though Lon would not have been my first choice to play Dracula (I am a die hard Lugosi fan), he does it well, and I feel it is one of his better films of his career.

-John DeGarmo, Monticello, GA

I totally agree, Ron.  I can’t believe we’re in the minority, as Kevin suggested.  I would add to your praise of other elements the fantastic musical score – so atmospheric.  I remember hearing it first on the “Themes from Horror Movies” album that I ordered from the Captain Company! 

Cheers,

Doug Finton, Oakland, MI

Hi Ron:
 
"Son of Dracula" is one of Universal's most dismissed horror films. It's also one of my favorite Universal films from the 1940's.  Chaney does a great job as Dracula. It's my second favorite Chaney portrayal, the  Wolfman obviously being the first. Lugosi was suave and sophisticated. Chaney's Dracula is one of rage and raw power. You might say he is the working class or blue collar Dracula.

Lois Albritton almost steals the film as Dracula's evil bride. Robert Paige is also good as the spineless hero. "Son of Dracula" is also the first film to use the backward spelling, Alucard, as the alias for Dracula. "Son of Dracula" is probably on of the most unfairly neglected of all the Universal horror films. Hopefully that will change in the future.
 
Bruce Tinkel
Edison, NJ

Hey Ron,

"Son Of Dracula" was the very first Universal classic monster movie I saw!  Salem (a perfect city to see a monster film in sans Transylvania) library was running a special "Movie Every Sunday Night" one summer, and along with modern films they showed "Son Of Dracula." After begging my dad to take me to it, I was treated to a film that has stuck with me through the years.

As an adult who has seen 'them all' by now I still love the atmosphere, the grim circumstances of the story, and the characters and their various motivations (Kay believing she can attain immortality for her and life long love Frank by fooling Dracula; Frank's ultimate insanity yet still sane enough to know what must be done, etc).  I even love the short  "Queen Zimba" scene (gosh couldn't they have come up with a better name than "Queen Zimba") "I see you marrying a corpse!  Living in a grave!"  Powerful stuff indeed!

The only plot point that rang false was the plan to try and commit Kay to an insane asylum simply because she chose to live at Dark Oaks and marry a guy no one knew.  I doubt that would have held up in court!

In my opinion, Chaney out spooked Carradine as the eternal Count.  No point comparing him to Lugosi because no one wins at that game (though I did have a discussion once with author Christopher Golden who hated Lugosi and loved Lee, saying he found nothing whatsoever scary about Bela.  We agreed to disagree!)

All around a well done under-rated gem.  Perhaps the last great Universal horror film of the 1940's.

Thanks!!

Paul Tait

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