Dull and uninspired

For some reason I expected this to be a fairly entertaining film, possibly because it was the first of Hammer's many Dracula films, so I assumed it would be better than any of the numerous sequels. Also I have seen and enjoyed Hammer's first Frankenstein film, Curse of Frankenstein. However, this film is really only of interest for the fact that it is the first time Lee & Cushing played Dracula & Van Helsing.

The biggest problem with this film is that it was obviously made very cheaply. Most, if not all of the exterior shots are quite clearly sets or artificial backdrops, and most of the characters and story from the novel have been dropped, probably so they wouldn't have to hire too many actors. Not only that, but most of the actors they did hire are competent at best, and in a couple of cases not even that good. What we are left with is a very thin storyline in which Dr Van Helsing is trying to destroy Dracula, and that's pretty much it. The lack of any real plot development after the first 15 minutes, together with the shortage of characters, mean that many scenes feel padded out, and there isn't really enough drama or tension to sustain your interest all the way through.

One redeeming feature is Christopher Lee's performance, which ironically, given he is playing the lord of the undead, is actually the film's liveliest. Unfortunately, he only seems to have about ten minutes of screen time, with the rest of the film taken up by Peter Cushing looking serious and Michael Gough (best known as Alfred in the Batman films) scowling.

As well as not being particularly scary, or even interesting, there is very little humour in this film, especially when compared to some of the later Hammer films. One possibly unintentionally funny moment comes after Van Helsing has been listening to a wax cylinder recording of himself talking about vampires. A servant comes into the room to relay some information, then says that he thought he could hear voices, to which Van Helsing replies, as if it was a perfectly reasonable explanation, 'Of course you did- I was talking to myself!' Sadly this exchange happens to be one of the most memorable moments of the film. Still, it was better than the Francis Ford Coppola version.