Two years after Bram Stoker’s death, Dracula’s Guest and Other Weird Stories, a collection of short stories, was released. One of these stories, Dracula’s Guest, was originally a chapter of Dracula that was excised due to length. In 1933, MGM executive David O. Selznick negotiated a deal with Stoker’s widow for the rights to Dracula’s Guest. A year later, Universal managed to buy the rights from MGM, but the rights would revert if production wasn’t started. In response, Universal rushed production in October 1935, hiring director James Whale following the success of The Bride of Frankenstein. However, Whale was wary of directing two horror films back-to-back and instead went on to make Show Boat in 1936. Filmmaker Albert Edward Sutherland was brought on as a replacement, but he also declined before Lambert Hillyer was hired. After a short shoot, Dracula’s Daughter was released in May 1936.
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Synopsis
Following the events of Dracula, Professor Von Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is arrested for killing Count Dracula and questioned. He’s brought to Scotland Yard to meet with Sir Basil Humphrey (Gilbert Emery), but he doesn’t believe Von Helsing’s story. In place of a lawyer, Von Helsing hires psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Garth (Otto Kruger) since he was a top student. Meanwhile, Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden) visits Scotland Yard to retrieve Dracula’s body with her manservant Sandor (Irving Pichel). Turns out she is Dracula’s daughter, and she tries burning the body hoping to be rid of the vampire curse. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, and she soon gives in to her temptations, but soon finds help after meeting Dr. Garth. Later, Sandor brings back a young woman, Lili (Nan Grey), who Zaleska attacks and brought to the police. With Lili’s help, Garth, Von Helsing, and the police go confront Dracula’s daughter.
Review
Dracula’s Daughter doesn’t quite live up to the Tod Browning original, but it’s definitely an underrated film in itself. Considering that James Whale was originally hired to direct, it feels like this film was trying to emulate his tropes. He was usually skillful when it came to mixing horror and comedy, which this film tries but doesn’t always succeed. There are some effectively funny moments of dark humor here and there, but there’s also plenty of comedy that fails. Most of the best humor comes from Irving Pichel’s dry and sardonic delivery of some otherwise morbid lines. Gloria Holden as the title character does a good job, exhibiting the same charming yet dark qualities of Bela Lugosi. What makes her compelling is how, despite being a vampire with urges of bloodlust, she actually wants to be mortal. It makes you sympathize with her, and her scenes with Pichel are great.
In comparison to his performances in Dracula and Frankenstein, Edward Van Sloan’s acting is improved here and feels more realistic. While before he was the stern moral voice of reason, here he acts more human while still showing some wisdom. Given that director Lambert Hillyer mostly directed Westerns before this, he does a surprisingly decent directing job here. There is plenty of fog, spooky scenery, and moody atmosphere to satiate any hardcore fan of old-school horror films. Admittedly, the film lacks the creepy vibes of Tod Browning’s original, and the loss of Bela Lugosi is a detriment. Interestingly, there are some underlying lesbian tones, namely Zaleska’s relationship with her female victims, having been interpreted in various ways. While it’s only a few isolated scenes, it’s interesting to see a 1930s film that has this sort of content. Overall, while not a classic, Dracula’s Daughter is nonetheless an interesting watch.
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