Dracula

"The story of the strangest passion the world has ever known!"

1931 1h 14m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

🔥

96%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 1,423🍅96%Rotten Tomatoes●71Metacritic★7.3IMDB · 64,051

Horror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A British estate agent travels to Transylvania to meet with the mysterious Count Dracula, who is interested in leasing a London castle. After Dracula enslaves and drives the agent to insanity, the pair return to London together, where Dracula, a secret bloodsucker, begins preying on socialites.

“The story of the strangest passion the world has ever known!”

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Cast

Bela Lugosi
Count Dracula
Helen Chandler
Mina
David Manners
John Harker
Dwight Frye
Renfield
Edward Van Sloan
Van Helsing
Herbert Bunston
Doctor Seward
Frances Dade
Lucy
Joan Standing
Maid

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tod Browning
Writers: Frederick Stephani, Garrett Fort, Louis Bromfield
Languages: English, Hungarian, Latin
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 74-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

95 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Hungarian, Latin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Dracula (Universal) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tod Browning, shot by Karl Freund. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Milton Carruth shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bela Lugosi and Helen Chandler and David Manners carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tod Browning directs. Karl Freund behind the camera. Milton Carruth cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Hungarian, Latin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 74-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
395 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Hungarian, Latin.
5Part of the "Dracula (Universal) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
6Directed by Tod Browning, shot by Karl Freund. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Editor Milton Carruth shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Bela Lugosi and Helen Chandler and David Manners carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "The story of the strangest passion the world has ever known!".
10IMDB entry: tt0021814 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 27 themes, including "monster", "based on novel or book", "transylvania", "vampire".
12Released under 24 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Karl Freund
Editing: Milton Carruth
Production design: Herman Rosse
Costume design: Ed Ware
Makeup / hair: Jack Pierce
Runtime: 74 min · 1h 14m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $355,000
Box office: $700,000
Return: 197% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Dracula (1931)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 71/100
IMDB rating: 7.3/10 · 64,051 votes
MPAA: Passed

Awards

5 wins & 3 nominations total

Part of

Dracula (Universal) Collection

A Universal Production film series beginning with Dracula in 1931 and followed by three sequels up to 1945.

Also by

Tod Browning

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-09-28
★ 9/10
Though not my very favourite movie about the infamous vampire, this is quite beautiful, well-told and gorgeously photographed (I really can't wait to see the blu!) and is most probably Bela Lugosi's finest hour (though I love his work; and it's also right up there with the greatest-ever vampiric depictions on celluloid), and it has genuine scares. Lugosi not only growls and snarls but also delivers the succulent seductive power of both evil itself and immortality--no matter what devastating consequences that immortal life may truly mean. Essential for both horror fanatics and fans of early (up to and including the 30's) cinema to own on the highest-possible quality, and regular re-watches. It's simply THAT GOOD. The fact that its American release date was Valentine's Day (its New York City premiere was two days earlier) only further hits home the fact that its immortality is due to the fact that it isn't simply a cornerstone of Gothic horror but with a vibrant love story at its very heart.
JPV8522021-10-07
★ 8/10
Probably my third or fourth time seeing this and while the story is simple, still really entertaining and Bela Lugosi, who even as a favorite of mine acknowledge was never the strongest actor, is in his element. Also has some decent effects and nice set design for the era. 4.0/5
Martha2022-07-26
★ 10/10
"The blood is the life, Mr. REINFIELD" At three years old this was my first horror movie. My great-grandmother is the one who sat me down and showed me great Bela Lugosi as Dracula. This entire movie is timeless and classic. The very best of all the Universal horrors. No one could be a more perfect Dracula than Bela Lugosi. To accomplish so much with just a stare. No special effects. No fangs... yet he chilled you to the bone and enthralled all. One of my all-time favorites. Classic Cinema perfection.

Production companies

Who made it

Universal Pictures
US

Key crew

NovelBram Stoker
Theatre PlayHamilton Deane
Theatre PlayJohn L. Balderston
EditorMilton Carruth
ProducerTod Browning
ProducerCarl Laemmle Jr.
Art DirectionCharles D. Hall
Recording SupervisionC. Roy Hunter
Supervising Film EditorMaurice Pivar
Scenic ArtistCharles A. Logue
Script SupervisorCharles Logue
DialogueDudley Murphy
Associate ProducerE.M. Asher
Makeup ArtistJack Pierce
Co-DirectorKarl Freund
Second Unit Director of PhotographyJoseph Brotherton
Music SupervisorHeinz Roemheld
OtherMax Cohen
Additional DialogueDudley Murphy
CastingPhil M. Friedman
Production DesignHerman Rosse
Set DecorationRussell A. Gausman
Costume DesignEd Ware
Costume DesignVera West

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

monster
based on novel or book
transylvania
vampire
superstition
transformation
spider
halloween
castle
bat
undead
count
based on play or musical
trance
sanitarium
black and white
biting
pre-code
real estate agent
horse carriage
spider web
lunatic
web
horse drawn carriage
dracula
dramatic
admiring

Release history · US

When it landed

Premiere1931-02-09· Asheville, North Carolina
Premiere1931-02-12· New York City, New York
Theatrical1931-02-14NR

Also known as

International titles

DráculaBR
ДракулаBG
DráculaES
DraculaFI
Dracula - vanha vampyyriFI
DraculaFR
DrakoulasGR
O kapetan VrykolakasGR
ΔράκουλαςGR
DrakulaHU
Majin DorakyuraJP
DráculaMX
Dracula de vampierNL
Książę DraculaPL
DráculaPT