Following the unexpected success of Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Universal wanted to continue doing monster mash-up movies. House of Frankenstein, while somewhat disjointed, proved to be another hit for Universal, so they decided to capitalize on it. Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, and Glenn Strange all returned to play the Wolf Man, Dracula, and Frankenstein’s monster respectively. However, instead of Boris Karloff, stage and screen actor Onslow Stevens as the mad scientist, though not quite the same. Erle C. Kenton returned to direct, and Edward T. Lowe, who wrote 1923’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, was the screenwriter. Unfortunately, there were some problems behind the scenes, namely Chaney’s worsening alcoholism and actor Lionel Atwill became ill on set. Sadly, Atwill died only five months after filming due to cancer, and Chaney’s alcoholism led to his Universal contract ending. Finally, December of 1945 saw the release of House of Dracula.
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Synopsis
Late at night, Count Dracula (John Carradine) visits the castle of Dr. Franz Edelmann (Onslow Stevens) seeking a cure. Edelmann accepts the task, stating that the best way to cure vampirism would be through a blood transfusion. Meanwhile, Lawrence Talbot/The Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) arrives, also seeking a cure for his lycanthropy. He’s told to wait by Edelmann’s assistant Milizia (Martha O’Driscoll), but instead, he turns himself over to the police. Initially, Edelmann and Inspector Holtz (Lionel Atwill) don’t believe Talbot, until they see him turn into the Wolf Man. The next morning, Edelmann explains that he and his assistants Milizia and Nina (Jane Adams) have been collecting plant spores. These spores can reshape bone, which Edelmann believes can cure Talbot, all the while Dracula is trying to seduce Milizia. Soon, things get crazier when Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange) is uncovered as terror grips the House of Dracula!
Review
To say the plot of House of Dracula is all over the place would be a massive understatement. There are so many subplots going on at once, it’s hard to condense it all into one paragraph. As scatterbrained as the plot of House of Frankenstein was, it was at least easier to follow than this. Plus, that film gave each of the monsters a fitting conclusion, neatly wrapping everything up by the end. This film, however, feels like a tired rehash, though it weirdly acts as a sequel in the loosest of terms. Granted, many of the Universal monster movies by this point didn’t really follow continuity that closely, but it’s still confusing. For instance, Dracula and the Wolf Man are back despite dying last time, yet Frankenstein’s monster’s death is brought up. It’s like this movie can’t decide if it wants to be a sequel or a reboot.
Gripes aside, there are some positive qualities to the film, namely the performances from Carradine, Chaney, and Stevens. Chaney once again acts his heart out here and is even given somewhat of a happy ending. While still lacking the menace of Lugosi, Carradine still makes for a good Dracula, and he’s given more screen time. Stevens also does a good job, especially when he becomes a sort of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type character. His best scene is when he starts threatening a stagecoach driver, acting very creepy and menacing despite the driver’s overacting. Unfortunately, Glenn Strange barely does anything as Frankenstein’s monster, his death being stock footage from The Ghost of Frankenstein. Monster lovers might get a kick out of seeing so many of them together, but it’s otherwise a disappointment. Overall, House of Dracula is another tired entry in a series that’s close to death.
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