Dracula vs Spanish Dracula - a tale of two visions

For a brief period before dubbing and subtitles, big releases got specially made foreign language versions, shot at night with a different cast and crew using the same sets and script. Of these films the so-called Spanish Dracula, directed by George Melford, is the most famous and has acquired a reputation of being as good, or perhaps better, than the US release directed by Tod Browning.
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Summary: After a harrowing ride through the Carpathian mountains in eastern Europe, Renfield enters castle Dracula to finalize the transferral of Carfax Abbey in London to Count Dracula, who is in actuality a vampire. Renfield is drugged by the eerily hypnotic count, and turned into one of his thralls, protecting him during his sea voyage to London.
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Written and presented by Robin Bailes @robinbailes
Directed and Edited by Graham Trelfer
DARK CORNERS OF THIS SICK WORLD: Dracula vs Spanish Dracula
#BelaLugosi #DarkCorners #Dracula

[@andrewparsons2391]

odd, shouldn't Dracula VS Spanish Dracula end with both of them teaming up to fight MechaDracula?

[@blackenedwritings]

"Things I didn't know I want" for 100, please

[@Gondarth]

As long as MechaDracula is played by Christopher Lee, I'm in 😃

[@adrian72300]

@@blackenedwritings The Daily Double!

[@brvndxxxn]

Or French Dracula

[@rsacchi100]

I think Sony would be interested in a movie with that premise.

[@TomFrichek]

It should be said that Dwight Frye also gave a performance that couldn't be matched. The look of him in the ship's hold is the face of my nightmares.

[@edisonlima4647]

I would say marrying Lupita after the movie was a lot more than "doing fine".

[@tense99]

Right

[@betamaxblocker]

When I taught a film course, one thing I had my students was compare and contrast the scenes in these two films where Renfield arrives at the castle. They really liked this exercise, and it was interesting to see what teenagers identified as the stronger and weaker aspects of each scene.

[@charlescossel7948]

Cool!

[@JohnDonovanProductions]

Fun fact: we all know the Spanish language version was shot on the same sets at night with a completely different cast and crew, but did you know that The Transylvanian inn , where Renfield is warned against continuing his trip to Castle Dracula , was destroyed by a fire of unknown origin on October 23 , 1930 , after Browning's unit had finished shooting , according to an October 25 item in the Exhibitor's Herald - World . The inn that appears in the Spanish film is a completely new structure .

[@starmnsixty1209]

Didn't know this. Thanks.

[@jackgrattan1447]

The director of photography on SPANISH DRACULA was longtime Universal cameraman George Robinson, who later shot SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and most of the '40s "Monster Rally" movies. He was also DP on the Abbott & Costello TV show.

[@robinbailes5236]

I think I'm right in saying that he shot all of the Dracula sequels for Universal.

[@eargasm1072]

Cool...did not know that. I love the photography from "Son" and the Frankenstein sequels afterwards

[@Gondarth]

That's not bad. You get hired to run the camera for a low budget, initially half-assed alternate language film, it becomes successful, and all of a sudden, you become one of company's main cinematographers.

[@arrow1414]

To be fair Batman debuted nine years later so Batman uses the Dracula logo!

[@ivans.191]

No, it's taken from the film "The Bat" (1926)

[@GleeChan]

Thumbs up for Eugene Levy!

[@mlongpre100]

a fine canadian

[@margies735]

Eugene was bitten by Dracula and has been acting for so long, appearing unchanged

[@robotrix]

Browning's "cutting of dialog" most likely had a lot to do with the fact that - with many theaters in the US still not outfitted for sound - his version had to also work as a silent film. That version was probably also sent to Spanish speaking areas that had no sound in theaters.

[@MrEMann-io1ut]

There's one thing, no one seems to have notice. In the U.S. movie, when the wives are backing off camera, one bride steps on another's gown. You can visibly see her struggle to hold her balance.

[@Barnabas45]

Not to mention the cardboard on the bedroom lamps to filter the stage lights!

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

@@Barnabas45 You should watch James Rolfe's video about the cardboard. (Seriously!)

[@Barnabas45]

@@andrewgwilliam4831 If you mean the Cinema massacre guy I already have, It was amusing!

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

@@Barnabas45 That's the one!

[@anthonycrnkovich5241]

The cardboard is there to dim the lamp as she sleeps -- listen to Steve Haberman's commentary. It's not a mistake or oversight as naysayers keep harping. It's even included in production stills, which shows it was intentional "set dressing". Thing is, nobody ever even notices the cardboard until it's pointed out to them - they're too engrossed by Lugosi. I believe people who say they prefer the Spanish version are just letting the initial novelty of an alternate version get the better of them. But that novelty wears off after a few viewings.

[@AndrejPanjkov]

One of the most horrifying scenes in Browning's Dracula is the murder of the flower seller in London, and then Dracula's visit to the opera. He's genteel, but he has just come straight from the murder. The omission of this scene is a big hole in Melford's version.

[@starmnsixty1209]

Agreed.

[@davidleblanc5271]

Lugosi Dracula for this kid his old world accent really drives the point home that this person could be from ages past

[@qweebag2488]

Facts

[@sagev.5818]

I completely agree!

[@hebneh]

When these two versions were made, nobody had any idea how influential "Dracula" was going to be - essentially giving birth to an entire genre of film. Intensive analysis like this would've been unimaginable in 1931.

[@TheHeater90]

The Spanish version had the better Mina(Eva), the English version had the better Dracula, Renfield and Van Helsing. Also, the Fog in the English one makes the carriage scene much more atmospheric and cool. Also... in the English version, keeping Renfeild at the bottom of the staircase when they first meet, while Dracula stays nearer the middle section, forcing Renfield to look up at him longer, and thus resulting in the two not sharing the same frame in the scene, makes Dracula seem much more intimidating. Also..... Dracula waving away his brides to bite Renfield himself is essential in my opinion. It was, after all, one of Stoker's very earliest notes when preparing to write the novel. The Spanish version, while having a few superior shots, over does it in a lot of areas. A few too many loudly opening doors, etc. Dwight Frye's Renfield in the English version is perfectly creepy and still very sympathetic. His signature slow, low-pitch laughter is cinematic gold. A far cry from the Renfield in the Spanish version, who's laugh is just over-the-top, loud, and what I'd consider crazy for crazy's sake. Also, Renfield's death in the English version has every right to be "unfairly tragic"... This is a Horror film we're talking about here, not a fluffy bunny movie. Bad, unfortunate, tragic, HORRIBLE things are part of the deal, I'm afraid.

[@LaDracul]

This makes me sad a movie Richard "Cheech" Marin wanted to make about David Manners falling in love with the actress playing Mina in the Spanish language version was NEVER made.

[@ianhartley395]

Almost died when you said Eugene Levy🤣🤣🤣🤣 Same with the Batman logo haha! Thanks for a fascinating video!

[@gdmcbride14]

An amazing documentary. Very well done. I love Spanish Dracula and have for some years since I saw it when I got my Legacy boxset. But Bela baby. This is Bela in his prime, Bela at the height of his career. Bela Lugosi has so much charisma, so much power in his wicked stare ... it's got to be the American version. But you know what ... screw that. My movie collection is big enough for both, and you are right. The fact that they both exist only gives depth to the experience of watching Dracula. Anyway, keep up the good work. Damn, I need to watch Spanish Dracula again...

[@ectoplasmicentity]

Lupita Tovar also starred in the Mexican movie "Santa" 1932 which is considered the first synched talkie in Mexican cinema. Great video.

[@TeatroGrotesco]

Good work! The crucifix scene in the Spanish version Dracula has a heavy Nic Cage look to him.

[@kali3665]

I was REALLY looking forward to seeing your take on this. Thanks for posting!! My biggest issue, of course, is simply that Carlos Villarias is NOT Bela Lugosi. Villarias was clearly directed to imitate Lugosi, and he just looks silly when he tries. And Villarias is utterly ridiculous when he grimaces. Lugosi always looks like a threat; Villarias comes across as more comic. Lugosi has his own unique style, which is well served by Browning's approach to the material. Villarias really doesn't, and it seems to me that George Melford's approach is more conventional. As you said, Robin, Melford's approach seems designed solely to one-up Browning and Freund, but Melford cannot even come close to Browning and Freund's sense of atmosphere. But I think the supporting cast in the Spanish version is far stronger. The Spanish Van Helsing has a more authoritative approach, while Edward Van Sloan doesn't exactly project confidence. And, truthfully, I didn't even remember Harker and Seward were in the American film - they are just that unnecessary. The girls in the American version are mostly forgettable, to the point that I didn't realize for years that Lucy's fate was virtually ignored. Lupita Tovar in the Spanish version is absolutely amazing, though - definitely worthy of Dracula's attention. Helen Chandler ... isn't. If only Tovar had a stronger Dracula figure to play against in the Spanish version -- and Lugosi had a stronger Mina to play against in the American version. I have always said that it's a shame the Spanish version couldn't just use Lugosi. I wonder if he could have learned the Spanish language as he did English - it might have worked. Admittedly, the technology of the time might have made that impossible, but it seems like each version is missing something the other tried to create. In the end, each version has its strengths, and it is difficult to really pick one over the other. If the American Dracula takes the edge, it is purely because of Bela Lugosi and the atmosphere of the early scenes. Spanish Dracula tries to do more with what it has, but doesn't have Lugosi OR the atmosphere. But both fall back on the drawing room setup of the play (even using the same stock footage for Dracula's trip to London), and I think the style simply withers for both. Both versions just suffer from missed opportunities and could have been so much more. Ultimately, it all comes down to these unavoidable facts: the American version has Lugosi -- and the Spanish version doesn't. And the timidity of the times simply couldn't give what each needed to be a true classic.

[@danddoty3981]

You guys should do a special on Vincent Price.

[@gregghill2059]

YES!

[@felixvenus666]

Pretty much always wanted Spanish Dracula but with Lugosi and Fry.

[@originaluddite]

I wonder if some fan is working on an ultimate edit drawing on both.

[@Gondarth]

@@originaluddite Would that even be possible, considering how different each performance is for both characters. I'm no filmmaker, but it may be a tad tricky to pull it off...

[@originaluddite]

Yeah, I guess it would jar, with actors shifting faces, and other issues besides.

[@creategreatness8823]

I think editing down Spanish Dracula to match the edit/structure of American Dracula would be fairly easy. In theory you could Dub the Spanish film in a way that mimics the American one...perhaps there would be an opportunity to use the original American lines as the dubbed in material? It might be possible. But the amount of material(wide shots, scenery shots, etc) available in Spanish Dracula that could be effectively transposed into American Dracula would be quite minimal. You'd be able to fill out American Dracula ever so slightly but not in a substantial way.

[@rickdrais9737]

There are definite high points to the “Spanish Dracula” but it’s difficult to get past Carlos Villarias’ constant mugging for the camera. Yes, some (well, many) shots are better staged and composed than their counterparts in the Browning film, but Karl Fruend was by far the greatest cinematographer of the classic era. And you said it best: Browning had LUGOSI

[@rockinresurrection6542]

FREUND!

[@starmnsixty1209]

You said it, pal. Lugosi was the only man to play Dracula in that period 🧛

[@premanadi]

Totally agree! It's practically a comedy.

[@ulfberht4431]

I think it makes it more charming in an unironic way. Sure no one can top Lugosi’s iconic performance, but Carlos Villarias played a decent Dracula and the mugging shot makes it strangely creepy. Almost crazy in a way

[@rickdrais9737]

@@ulfberht4431 perhaps.

[@Gondarth]

Honestly, I think one of my favourite aspects from the Spanish Dracula is actually something I missed on my first viewing. Whenever Dracula exits his coffin, there's smoke. I don't know why, but I really like that attention to detail.... Both movies are good at least. I don't speak a word of Spanish, so I'd rather watch the Lugosi version, but in no way am I putting down the Spanish version. It had a short film schedule and a minimal budget, so the fact that people still compare which version is better when normally the foreign films would be completely disregarded probably says a lot...

[@ThreadBomb]

But _why_ is there smoke? Is Dracula emerging from cryogenic suspension?

[@Gondarth]

@@ThreadBomb You could think that, but in actuality, when you go back to the original Bram Stoker novel, Dracula has the power to take the form of mist or smoke, as well as a bat, and a wolf, as "seen" (it was offscreen) in Lugosi's Dracula.

[@robertyeah2259]

@@ThreadBomb well, by that logic why is there so much fog in these old horror movies? It adds to the atmosphere

[@naz3272]

Thank you so much for this, the Spanish version is my favorite in the whole world and I love every resource available about it. I love that it's being rediscovered and has a chance to be appreciated.

[@JimParshall]

Ahora vivo en México y aprender español es una gran prioridad para mí. Ver esta película en español y disfrutarla con un mínimo de búsquedas en el diccionario es simplemente maravilloso. Muchas gracias por este video. Me encantan los contenidos como este.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

When I watched it for the first time a couple of months ago, it reminded me of how much Spanish I've lost! :-/

[@Reprodestruxion]

Drácula is speaking old Castilian Spanish though , los of vuestra and usted. It’s very roundabout. Sort of like Faun character in Pan’s Labyrinth

[@rociomiranda5684]

Great video. I have seen both films several times. Spanish Dracula is superior in many ways, and since Spanish is my native language, I enjoy the dialogue and the different accents (there are Spanish, Mexican and Argentinian accents in the film), but nothing can beat the screen presence, the delivery, the sinister charm of Bela Lugosi, who I think was the better actor. Villarias' performance looks too exaggerated, even for the period. Now, the two Renfields are equally good, though I have a special place in my heart for Dwight Fry. I also think Lupita Tovar did a better job as the leading lady, warmer, more natural. I enjoy both films, but Lugosi *is* Dracula. He was so impressive, so majestic, in his prime when he made this movie, so very, very handsome, and suave and dangerous. His Dracula casts a very long shadow and every other actor has had to play against him. And yet in popular imagination, he still is Dracula.

[@GyntherMeyer]

Very interesting to learn about the different accents in the Spanish language version (I don't speak Spanish). I too think the Spanish language version is the better film and that Lugosi simply is the (much) better Dracula. Hopefully some day somebody is gonna make a fan version and splice Lugosi into the Spanish language version! xD

[@caulkins69]

I'm guessing Carlos Villarías did not affect an Eastern European accent for his portrayal of Dracula?

[@marcelomelison712]

@@caulkins69 No, Villarias speaks with his very spanish (from Spain) accent. He lived in Mexico for the rest of his life after emigrating there from his native Spain but he never got to adopt the mexican accent. As some other person commented, the accents in the spanish version are all over the place, as the actors were mexican, spanish and argentinian, and even though they spoke the same language their national accents are very different. Imagine an english speaking movie with actors supposedly being from the same country but actually speaking with cockney, irish, scottish, south african and australian accent... Well, that is what happens in this movie.

[@SimianJack]

Excellent post-mortem. The Spanish Dracula does have a great deal to admire, and I find the sea voyage sequence particularly effective. I wish I could say that the entire film was at that level. Ultimately the film drags...some of the performances are wooden, there are moments that rea too calculated (the exaggerated door creaks, e.g.). Browning's version is simply more gripping, for reasons that may have been unintentional. While it gets criticized for being static and stagy, and its lack of score deemed a disservice, I find all of that lends it the quality of a fever dream when viewed at one on the morning with the lights off. Also, when I first viewed the digital restoration of the Browning some years back, I found the space of Seward's mansion came alive where previously it had seemed flat. It's a real presence thanks to the lighting and Freund, and because of that I constantly feel the presence of the undead intruder somewhere unseen inside it, waiting to strike.

[@ThreadBomb]

The reason Browning's version works is that he was a great director! Sadly, most of his work has fallen out of the public consciousness because it was made in the silent film era. He directed a lot of films starring the great silent horror star Lon Chaney, including the legendary lost film London After Midnight.

[@Nono-hk3is]

Laurel and Hardy would do their own foreign film reshoots right after doing the English scene. They'd memorize the sound of their lines. The *Hats Off Entertainment* channel did a documentary recently that features such a clip.

[@greenmonsterprod]

There were also simultaneously-shot versions of the "Our Gang" shorts.

[@christopherwall2121]

@@greenmonsterprod seems Hal Roach figured if one of the big studios could do it, so could he.

[@ThreadBomb]

"The Browning version" - I see what you did there! I prefer the Browning version, mainly because of the acting, and I'm not just talking about Dracula. Most of the Latin actors are very hammy, almost as though they are playing it as comedy. I wonder if this is because of the Englishness of the original story: either the actors didn't understand the atmosphere of cool, clipped Englishness with beastly terror threatening from outside, or else they dismissed it, perhaps even thinking it was silly. Though to this I must add that the young lovers were played much more naturally in the Spanish version; in the English version they were very wooden.

[@walkure48]

Lupita Tovar is far better and far more vibrant than the stiff Helen Chandler, and that's a huge deciding factor for me. Of course, Lugosi is irreplaceable.

[@ThreadBomb]

She is far less wooden - but not exactly convincing as an upper-class English girl, which is supposed to be her character. And then there is the black negligee which this supposedly virginal girl wears to bed...

[@paulbrown6464]

Love Lupita Tovar, frequently call my female game characters Lupita

[@premanadi]

Carlos Villarias almost turns it into comedy with his ridiculous mugging.

[@DistractedGlobeGuy]

​@@premanadi he would have made a good Renfield though.

[@premanadi]

@@DistractedGlobeGuy In a comedy version...

[@ToonGal12]

3:57 Yeah, I know my house kinda' looks like crap, but please, make yourself at home! Real smooth, Drac. XD

[@gregghill2059]

Excellent analysis. Having seen both I would say the Browning version is superior for the reasons Robin gave but also because Lugosi and Van Sloan are simply much better actors at least here than Carlos Villarias and Eduardo Arozamena. Many have, unjustly, accused Lugosi of hamminess but that's exactly what Villarias and Arozamena display throughout the movie. I'm a bit surprised that DCR didn't show more of the contrast between the Browning and Melford versions of Dracula's and Van Helsing's confrontation. In the latter it appeared to be not so much a contest of wills as of eye bulging.

[@cassyblack3346]

This was so fascinating to see. I've got to see the Spanish version now

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

It's definitely worth watching. They're clearly the same film... and yet they're clearly not. It's fascinating!

[@RavenHouseMystery]

It's difficult to give a definitive answer as to which version is better, partly because it is the existence of the American Dracula that drives many of the improvements made in the Spanish Dracula. I still give my vote to Tod Browning's Dracula. Not only is it more atmospheric, but we also get three iconic performances of iconic characters with Bela Lugosi (Dracula), Edward Van Sloane (Van Helsing) and Dwight Frye (Renfield).

[@starmnsixty1209]

🧛🧛🧛👍🎃

[@Galantski]

Ultimately, for me, the versions stand or fall on the portrayals of the central character. If the casting is off there, it doesn't matter how good the rest of it is. This is the film that made Bela Lugosi's career, and his Dracula would henceforth be the gold standard against which all subsequent performances would be measured. On the other hand, one of the actors obliged to follow Lugosi's lead was Carlos Villarías in the Spanish version, and while he's not horrible, like most who have essayed the role, he isn't worthy to carry Bela's candelabra.

[@premanadi]

I think Villarias is laughable. He makes it seem like a comedy with all that mugging.

[@leannerose6181]

Thank you,I love these two movies,it's so hard "choosing" between them,I love them both!

[@QueenOfTheNorth65]

I will never NOT love the way Lugosi says the word “here” when he tells Van Helsing to “Come here.”

[@Occult_Detective]

Great vid! I do disagree. The shot of Dracula rising up out of the hold of the ship in the Spanish version. I feel the Browning shot, is more Dracula’s style. Regal, taken stance, posturing. He is above creeping around, like a lowly scavenger hiding in the darkness. Which is the feeling nosferatu and the Spanish version put out there.

[@ThreadBomb]

I agree. That shot in the Spanish version makes him look animalistic, which is a valid approach but contradicts his portrayal in the rest of the film.

[@monsterhobbiesonlinestore]

Spanish Renfield was absolutely terrifying!

[@christopherwall2121]

"But Browning had Lugosi" and that is why it is hard to pit them against each other, as both have elements the other version could use.

[@TerryFedora]

I had such a big smile on my face when I saw that this was one of your newer videos. This is one of the most fair comparisons I have ever seen between the two and I appreciate not dunking on either.

[@starmnsixty1209]

👍

[@stuartbluefield769]

My lovely wife bought me a boxed set with both versions a while back, and some commentary. But this analysis is not only excellent, but very welcome. Thanks much.

[@henrykujawa4427]

The film to watch after "Dracula" is "THE DEATH KISS" with David Manners as a writer who loved solving mysteries, Edward Van Sloan as a film director, and Bela Lugosi as the studio head. I feel it's Manners' best film. He has so much charisma and humor (none of which you see in his horror films), I swear he could have been perfect to play SIMON TEMPLAR.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

One odd quirk of the Spanish version is the introduction of Van Helsing. It clearly involves a trip to and from Amsterdam that could only work if they flew there and back. In Browning's version it's not explicitly stated as a trip abroad, so makes more sense in the overall context of the film. (Assuming the version I saw in both cases was the theatrical cut.)

[@TheValeyard92]

Looking forward to this one. Why nobody's done a fan edit to get Lugosi into the otherwise superior Spanish version, I don't know.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

Who are you, with my opinions?! The Spanish-language version also needs the footage from the sea crossing.

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

I want dwight frye as Renfield as well

[@TheValeyard92]

@@GrosvnerMcaffrey Oh yeah, absolutely.

[@ringbearer1420]

I just hope somewhere out there is a print of the original Browning cut. I think the lost footage would address many of the so called flaws with the original.

[@Gondarth]

It's a shame because Bela Lugosi spoke very good French, as seen in Murders In The Rue Morgue, so if it was a French version of Dracula, they could've had him... Of course, that would require Universal paying him more than bare minimum.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Catch up with our Bela Lugosi documentary. Part 1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGGXg2OwmrmfaZI and Part 2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZnQe6dugJ6IsKM

[@NinjaNezumi]

I love this review!

[@devenhologram]

This was done again with "Exorcist The Beginning" and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist"

[@charliesintergalactictoybo2282]

Hello magnificent explanation of both films, but all the actors in the Spanish Dracula are actually from Spain they are all speaking in Castilian.

[@davidbanan.]

Theres proof that the american. Film was edited wrong

[@kildogery]

This is great, by far the most in-depth comparison I've seen. I've always been fascinated by the story of Spanish Dracula.

[@Shockwave-ob2tx]

I like both, differently, and for the reasons you've stated. It would be interesting to see a mash-up of the two films, if only to see if a superior version could be created.

[@mr.e.balsam4107]

Well, I have some good news for you! ifdb.fanedit.org/dracula-restored/

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

@@mr.e.balsam4107 that's cool!

[@princeblackelf4265]

I may have originally come for the fairly humorous reviews years ago, but i really do love these film history deep dives in to classic genre media even more, i'm glad you guys have been tackling them these past couple or so years

[@shadowandsunshinellc]

This is a subject that has always intrigued me.

[@Channel9Productions]

I love how informative these videos are. It's cool to learn new stuff about movies I've been watching since I was a kid. I recently found your channel by watching your Harryhausen documentary; this lead me to check out your two part documentary on Lugosi. The part where you mentioned Hollywood Gothic by David Skal peaked my interest so I picked up a copy for myself. I'm about half way through it now and it's such an interesting read, so thank you for the recommendation! Keep up the great content 🙂

[@willmfrank]

"The lights go down...and then they come up again!" is meant to show the house lights going down, and the spill from the stage lighting coming up.

[@allisont.5575]

Wonderful job as always! This was such a well done video. Your deep-dive documentary style videos are such a treat! "Comparison is the thief of joy" as they say. Both films have their own virtues and they should each stand on their own. It is almost unfair to compare them, although very interesting and entertaining!

[@petticoatsfroufrou4644]

I enjoyed this detailed discussion and appreciated the insights that were new to me...but I confess I was hoping to learn that I'm not the only viewer who thinks Carlos Villarias has a strong resemblance to Andy Kaufman and is pretty much impossible to take seriously.

[@powertripprulz6639]

I love watching any one of your videos about universal or hammer or vintage silent monster movies, watched many of them several times, you do such a professional job with so much great information, cheers

[@DarkCornersReviews]

Glad you like them! They take a bit of time, but all the research we do makes the next video (hopefully) better.

[@brianfuller757]

I waited for this episode and here it was. Your love of cinema lore is inspiring.

[@PSYCHONAUTAustralia]

This is possibly the greatest film channel on YT. BRAVO!

[@Ironlantern723]

I'd honestly like to see a shot for shot remake of these movies combined using the best of both to make a solid interpretation. It'd be an interesting experiment if nothing else.

[@pamdawkins13]

Yes, please!

[@deforeestwright2469]

A.I. would probably allow faces and voices from the Lugosi version to be inserted into some of the better Spanish version scenes. I vote for a KZbin teaser style video with some of those scenes. I’d love to hear Edward van Sloan doing translated Van Helsing dialogue from the Spanish version.

[@videotalktalk]

I would argue that both versions ARE solid interpretations. simply....different.

[@ShootMeMovieReviews]

Very interesting. Any opportunity to see two approaches to the same work is fascinating to me.

[@davidchurch5932]

Guys, that was worth the wait. Nicely done.

[@kimsmeltzer6083]

while there will always be a place in my heart for dear Bela, I am firmly in the Spanish camp. scenes shot at night do have something special about them, and the image of Eva as predator about to bite her beau has always chilled me to the bone. I can never get enough of the leering Conde Dracula, and the lunatic Renfield is imo the best in the business. there is also a prelude on the Spanish DVD in which the actress playing Eva, Lupita Tovar, talks about shooting scenes at night, how she would get there early and it would be deserted and so, so creepy.

[@user-vi8is9lq9g]

Eduardo Arozamena Lira (13 October 1875 - 21 May 1951) was a Mexican actor. His nickname was "El Nanche Arozamena". Son of Juan Arozamena and Guadalupe Lira y Argomanes. Initially a singer (baritone), theater actor, he later ventured into film, where he was also a director and screenwriter. He worked in Mexico as well as in the United States, where he participated in the famous 1931 Dracula Spanish-language film, directed by George Melford. He also entered literature as a storyteller, with his works being published in the weekly "Mefistófeles". He later authored the weekly column Parece que fue ayer ("It seems like yesterday"), published in the newspaper El Universal Ilustrado.[1] The National Association of Actors (ANDA) of Mexico named their most important medal, awarded to its members when they turn 50 years of career, in his honor.[2]

[@internaltacolove8302]

Can't freaking wait this will be awesome thanks in advance

[@blackenedwritings]

I first heard of the spanish version in James Rolfe's Monster Madness. This is a great topic for your channel. Yet another reason why I look forward to every upload of yours.

[@ferociousgumby]

I've been hoping for a comparison of these two!

[@wishmakr]

Thanks for the video. Now I'm going to search for the Spanish version.

[@gejopohl5102]

The best comarison I've ever seen on KZbin.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

Honestly, this demonstrates that no amount of superior camera tricks can make up for the first superior cast. Lugosi is what makes the first one iconic. Either way, you can learn from both.

[@augustragone1159]

Thanks for this great look at these two versions.

[@FreihEitner]

This is a fantastic in-depth comparison. Well done.

[@srm818]

Here's my take on the two versions - kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3fFaJyvl9OdbMU

[@liladiskens5346]

Merci pour avoir mis en ligne cette pépite dédiée au chef d'œuvre cinématographique des années révolues. Magnifique et passionnant et divertissant documentaire. 👍💜💚💜

[@mauricedavis2160]

Thank you Dark Corners for an excellent episode comparing two versions of film history, but since you asked, if I had to choose a version it would be the Spanish one!!!🙏👌🧛❣️

[@DavidGonzalez-tv2lf]

Amo tus videos, muchas gracias

[@x-snipo2137]

Thanks for the video! You missed the way the lines were deliverd but, I loved the way you analysed it.

[@SirKevinH]

Really enjoyed this examination of the the 2 Universal Dracula's. Lugosi's portrayal is far superior than Villarias as is Frye's Renfield over his Spanish counterpart. The girls are better in Spanish Dracula, far sexier and passionate than their counterparts in the Lugosi film. I do prefer the quick zoom introduction of Dracula in Spanish Dracula. That reminds me of John Ford's introduction of John Wayne's The Ringo Kid in Stagecoach. All in all, I really do like Melford's version a lot but Lugosi's and Frye's portrayals in Browning's version really are definitive and classic.

[@alexandersmith7061]

While the Spanish version is more accurate and has more content, I think the American version was better. Less is more.

[@Trev359]

IMO the direction was better in the Spanish version and key scenes are much more suspenseful as a result. I like the American version but IMO the Spanish version is far superior and much more enjoyable.

[@jesusramirezromo2037]

Probabbly cause of Luggosy, who is the perfect dracula The direction on the spanish is superior

[@trull122]

WOW.... thanks so much! I just bought the Spanish version on Blu-ray from eBay. Cant wait!

[@drummerwarrior1]

A superb documentary of two of my favourite films.

[@TheCatseyepub]

Really well done piece.

[@johnwhiteX]

Love this one. Please do more comparison like this if at all possible.

[@DarkCornersReviews]

We try to get something out like this once a month, they just a take a little more time to research and edit.

[@deforeestwright2469]

This may sound a little odd, but if there are any AI/deep fake wizards out there, consider how interesting it would be to splice these films together. . .maybe in the style of a teaser trailer. While I certainly wouldn’t want to disrespect the performances of any of the actors or other film makers who worked on these movies back in the 30s, there are several shots and scenes from the Villarias version that I would love to see with the Lugosi version’s cast. Lugosi’s face at the top of the stairs in that beautiful panning shot, Edward Van Sloan giving the backstory for Dracula (a scene pleasantly similar to the novel), Dwight Fry’s iconic slow laugh over the slaying of the Demeter’s crew with Lugosi looking up at him from over a body (I like the scene in the Spanish version but the laugh in that scene always seems a little too boisterous and noisy to me). . .

[@videodromeTVversion]

Thank you SO much for this video - I haven't seen the Spanish version yet and now I should really ... obviously, I need to see it now.

[@kvkmuzic7092]

This was a great episode. Never knew of the Spanish version, now I'm on the search for it. Thanks.

[@robertodell9193]

Spanish version is included in the box sets of the Dracula DVDs and Blu-Rays.

[@kvkmuzic7092]

@@robertodell9193 Thanks.

[@WinningSidekick]

Very interesting comparison! Thanks for uploading :)

[@bradforddillman7671]

Great job on this video. It’s interesting how there were two versions shot virtually simultaneously. It’s actually a great use of resources. Love the comparisons you have highlighted

[@OldmovieMike]

Great episode!!!

[@Master_Blackthorne]

Another thing: Mina: In the morning I felt weak, as if all the life had been drained out of me. Lucia: In the morning I felt weak, as if I lost my virginity. In the Spanish version, it is Dr. Seward, Lucia's father, who examines the marks on his daughter neck. He becomes angry as if his daughter was actually violated.

[@RussLudwig]

Great work! Thank you!

[@lallancashire2201]

Excellent! Thanks for another great documentary. Agree both versions have their merits so difficult to identify which is superior. The Spanish Dracula remains still too unfamiliar I suspect and is likely therefore to be underrated. This is a valuable and intelligent comparison of these two pioneering horror films, classics both. 👍

[@swissarmytenor]

The lights in the theatre scene don't come back up again - at least, not the house lights. The house lights dim, then the stage lights come on - also illuminating the actors - which cues them that the show is starting, so they turn toward the stage to watch.

[@NilahxNightmare]

I think you under estimate how interesting the differences are and would not be boring at all if both films were analysed in full

[@mitelyod]

Brilliant vid... Great work... Thanks so much

[@mitelyod]

I watch your videos daily... A right tonic from all the awful "news"... Keep up the good work

[@doczombie]

man this is amazing, i never knew about the maxican version. also i love how the director made it better thanks to his rage

[@matriaxpunk]

It's not mexican, it's spanish xd

[@squirrel9407]

Thanks for this, I've been seeking out older movies since you did the review of "The Man who Laughs" and it's great to see how the two versions above have real and qualititative differences.

[@markw.loughton6786]

Fangtastic (groan) lol Documentary. Once again brilliant insights into these classic horror movies. 👏 Much appreciated and very much enjoyed.

[@philnewberry8072]

This is a good video, much appreciated the comparison.

[@albertmiller3082]

The Hammer Dracula’s use of the cape to cloak the kiss-bite echoes the Carlos shot, not the other way around. Hammer went to school on these Universal Pictures classic.

[@videotalktalk]

I dont think he thought the Hammer films predated Spanish Dracula. I think he just realizes that a lot of people know Christopher Lees dracula, and far fewer have seen Spanish Dracula.

[@albertmiller3082]

@@videotalktalk great point. 👍🏻

[@GyntherMeyer]

Thanks for uploading this comparison video. My hope is that one day we'll see a fan-edit in which Lugosi has been spliced into the Spanish language version! xD xD xD