Dracula (1931) Review | Dr. Wolfula

Doc reviews one of the early Universal Horror Classics: Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi!
🎙Click here for Doc's Bonus Audio Commentary of Dracula: / 38221029
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[@BadGuyRants]

Without this film who knows what would've happened with American horror films. Dracula started it all and Bela Lugosi deserves a ton of credit.

[@madizzle90]

This or Frankenstein, which came out the same year.

[@BadGuyRants]

@@madizzle90 because Dracula was so popular they greenlit Frankenstein and then yeah it was all good from there.

[@madizzle90]

@@BadGuyRants Ah, I hadn't known that.

[@dinosaurspy7096]

@@madizzle90 Too bad Frankenstein didn't come out first. :-)

[@mr.checkyourself4672]

Noseferatu started it

[@GoryBMovie]

Fun fact: they wanted to use rats for the film but the studio would not allow it since audiences were terrified of the rats they saw in Phantom of the Opera. Terrific review!

[@jamieharrell5321]

Interesting 🤔

[@SylvesterLazarus]

Fun fact: Béla Lugosi is from Hungary and the village that was featured at the beginning of the movie is in Transylvania and the locals in the movie actually speak Hungarian. Transylvania belonged to Hungary before World War 1, but it was given to Romania as a tribute for war crimes. There are entire regions there where the majority of the population still speak Hungarian. A little detail that adds to the story.

[@hildahilpert5018]

That,s true.Was watching Dracula one day, and my dad said Bela Lugosi was a much better actor than he was given credit for.

[@UJEvans]

"Echolocation, B*tch!" Is going to be my new catchphrase

[@StevenAbney]

😂

[@jfgibson73]

So glad you gave credit to the Spanish version.

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

Listen to them the children of the night what music they make

[@Humongous420]

The only youtuber worthy of pausing Scooby-Doo for!

[@wstine79]

Even when he's reviewing Scooby Doo.

[@Humongous420]

@@wstine79 TRUTH

[@aaroncoatsfam9567]

Was it just me or did that girl at the beginning sound just like Velma from Scooby doo

[@davidchisholm5322]

They should've put Lugosi and Dwight Frye in the Spanish version instead with the superior direction of George Melford it would've been one of the great Dracula films!

[@harleypitts9061]

We can all agree that Dwight Frye is an amazing actor and the best part of the creep factor

[@SuperSwordman1]

Oh a theme of the classics? This is gonna be fun! But you better not give the Wolfman an easier time

[@berniemadow1722]

My Dad loved these movies and I was introduced to them and horror at a very early age. I set up late at night with my Dad and we would watch the Universal classics. My personal favorite was The Gillman from The Creature from the Black Lagoon, while my Dads was Frankenstein. It's a rare treat that you are reviewing these, thanks Dr. W!!!

[@bossviper2833]

For Frankenstein, did your dad like Monster or the Scientist more?

[@coryames1170]

To answer your question about The Lost World: Jurassic Park, the script originally had some left over raptors from Isla Sorna sneak on board the ship. They were supposed to be the ones who killed the ship crew. But obviously they cut it out of the finished film.

[@PatrickVRegan]

“What a bag over the head punch in the face move that is” ... had me laughing out loud. Nice one.

[@Xehanort10]

I'm guessing they had Renfield go to meet Dracula in the film instead of Jonathan to provide an explanation for why Renfield went insane.

[@dewchamp5716]

They really needed to shorten the story, so I'm guessing that's why they shifted the characters to make their story more neat.

[@sikujacob4556]

Directors: How do we make a good Dracula movie? Hollywood: Read the book. Directors: But we don't like to read.

[@DistractedGlobeGuy]

To be fair, the Francis Ford Coppola movie was a pretty direct adaptation of the book for the most part, and it still sucked.

[@cha5]

@@DistractedGlobeGuy Although the Coppola movie took more than a few liberties with the Stoker story. I've never considered that movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula",

[@haveagoodone2935]

@@DistractedGlobeGuy I loved the visual aspect of the Coppola film. It had an overall dreamy aspect. Keanu Reeves was I my opinion too inexperienced at the time. His British accent is cringe. Dracula is really hard to translate to film because the novel is a slow burn horror and is narrated thru diary entries. Also it was written in the Victorian age so the sexuality aspect that was associated with evil at the time is a complete 180 from today's "sexy vampires" that is come to be expected.

[@kaneanderson8626]

@@cha5 I saw it as more of a remake of the Jack Palance version, which wasn't very good of a film in itself. Coppola took it and made it better, while following the book in some parts but also screwing around with it in others. A very good film, and one of my favorite Dracula movies.

[@cha5]

Kane Anderson Myself I never cared for Coppola trying to humanize Dracula, if I want an Anne Rice style vampire I’ll stick with Interview with a Vampire, although I’ve never really been a Rice fan.

[@SgtPerro]

My favorite take on this is the 1979 remake of Nosferatu. That film is truly masterfully crafted.

[@DistractedGlobeGuy]

Definitely the best vampire movie of all time, though not a very accurate depiction of the Dracula character. For the character, you're better off with the Hammer series.

[@SgtPerro]

@@DistractedGlobeGuy Oh, I've seen at least one films for most of the major actors to play Dracula, and have read the book. I'm well versed on the character, but that was just my favorite in terms of being a phenomenal film.

[@abidiqbal3585]

The Spider Eating Bastard...Remind me why I love you Doc Wolfe! 😂👍

[@StevenAbney]

Dammit, the pic of “the folks” made me LOL at 6 in the morning. NOTHING makes me laugh at 6 in the morning.

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

This brings me back to watching the first "Cinemassacres Monster Madness". Great job doc, looking forward to more Universal Horror reviews!

[@elijahblechman8633]

@rod dog miss those days.

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

@Gary Hall oh your not alone buddy. I dont mind Kieran as much (the one with the long hair) but Tony & Justin are pretty acquired tastes

[@sertorrhenclegane]

Here's a piece of trivia that might just blow some minds. The lead actress in the Spanish-language Dracula, Lupita Tovar, was the grandmother of the two men who gave the world the American Pie franchise.

[@user-rg7uh9se4c]

She did an opening to Universal's Dracula video tape in 2000 when she was around 90. She said she adored Frank Langella as Dracula in 1979's version and wished she could have done it with him!

[@sertorrhenclegane]

@user-rg7uh9se4c I think that was Carla Laemmle, if memory serves.

[@TheCharlesJackson]

Love your voice in this episode 👀 reminds me of the older voice from the old days...that makes no sense, but I swear it does to me.

[@KingOfTheOzone]

The Jaques Stickman Days.

[@childofthe80s1981]

"The count pimpslaps the mirror out of the doc's hand which is the reaction that only a vampire or Clint Howard would have" lmao good one Doc

[@1TakoyakiStore]

I'm surprised that Dracula, The Wolf Man, and Frankenstein weren't the first 3 films Dr. Wolfula reviewed.

[@dinosaurspy7096]

But I glad you waited. :-)

[@Nestalgba92023]

They are the absolute classics so…

[@liampreyer6607]

I’m just visiting my ancestral home in the old country.... Pennsylvania.

[@thenightmarenerd8086]

This was the movie that launched my love of horror and of Bram Stoker’s character. Dracula will never end.

[@stevegeorge6880]

I don't think I've ever heard someone compare the 1931 Dracula to a Kevin Smith film before.

[@dinosaurspy7096]

New millennium reviews. :-)

[@LyleVSXyle]

It’s pretty true though. It lacks a lot in terms of style. White Zombie was more ambitious in comparison.

[@garryflanders6328]

Ĺove the Christmas Vacation "bag over the head, punch in the face" reference!

[@tomlion0116]

I'm a hungarian fan of yours Doc and we are still proud of Lugosi. Greetings from Hungary! PS: Bojler eladó!!!

[@katherinewiykovics1602]

Mennyibe kerül?

[@SylvesterLazarus]

Ne már! Hány éve nem láttam már Bojleres kommentet! :D

[@defender2222]

For those curious the reason why they had to use armadillos and possums for Dracula's castle was that back then there was a worry that showing rats on the big screen would be offensive to people. So they wanted to have rats but couldn't so they picked whichever large mammals looked closest to rats to give the impression. The commentary track on Dracula with a historian has a ton of great information like that.

[@gabi-chan7806]

Hey doc, I'm looking forward for more videos from this series, I love all these classic monster movies and is great to hear you talk about them, it suits you Love from Argentina!

[@nicolechampeau8432]

This makes me happy. I'm looking forward to the rest.

[@jamesbobo]

Early sound films did not use a musical score because studios believed that the audience would wonder where the music was coming from. It wasn't for budgetary reasons. The only time they had music in a film was when there was an orchestra, radio, or record player present.

[@RandomVideos66]

This was the second Universal monster movie I had ever seen. The first being the Invisible Man.

[@elijahblechman8633]

The first one I saw was bride of Frankenstein

[@AbsurdHorror]

Dwight Frye was so underrated. Love him

[@harleypitts9061]

Fun Fact just in case you didn't know Bela Lugosi was so dedicated to the roll he was buried in the cape

[@jamieharrell5321]

Really? Interesting

[@adalynnshorrorworld2242]

Love the style of this review! Still need to see this one, but I’m sure it’s great!

[@michaeldiaz9999]

Seeing those armadillos I had no idea Transylvania was in Texas. I lived in Texas all my life and I never knew that. You learn something new every day.

[@wstine79]

Doctor Wolfula going old school for June? Awesome!

[@randobob]

Finally bring the doctor to the 100k... Let's do this

[@justinperry2598]

One of my favorite films of all time is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari from 1920, and I would love to see Cyd do this one at some point. Hell, I think a review of that from either the Doc OR Ghoulash would be awesome.

[@cheezdoodle96]

Would love to see that! Could make it a joint effort, with Ghoulash taking on the role of the somnambulist and the Doc taking on the role of, well, the Doc, fittingly enough. A proper _Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens_ review would be most appreciated as well! That might actually be my favourite "Dracula" film, though I do hold the Universal, Hammer and even Francis Ford Coppola versions in very high regard.

[@Private-Potato]

Love the grainy black & white filter you put over your self. Huge amount of respect to Bela Lugosi

[@jbjacobs9514]

Who needs a red-nose to get through the foggy night when you have echo-location b&tch! Classic line. I have been seeing echo-location everywhere since that darn Morbius trailer. LOL Bela was one of my favorites - though I love many Dracula performances (Christopher Lee was fun and Frank Langella was sexy! And the even sexier Chris Sarandon! Plus, yes, I loved that Bill Compton from True Blood, ehehe). Awesome review, Wolfula. I am so psyched for the rest of June now! Oh crap, you shone light on one of the earlier series to have an unsatisfying ending too! I loved St. Elsewhere and I was like WTF too! I can't believe you brought that up here. That is why I love you Wolfula!

[@anthonykulik9203]

Dude I loved this video. Love the black and white effect you add instead of being in color. Super cool channel my friend 😎👌

[@bloodycoffee9293]

Yeah, I always wanted the movie to go back to Renfield cause I felt like it was his and Draculas story. The Bram Stoker story almost felt forced in if that makes sense.

[@JosephPagepublic]

Doctor Wolfula deserves at least 1 million subscribers and his star as a talk show guest and host

[@postmortempictures9639]

awesome vid doc we were really looking forward to this and You didnt dissapoint :D

[@supervegito1999]

Who knows how Dracula would’ve been portrayed if it weren’t for Lugosi.

[@dinosaurspy7096]

Probably with more life. Hum... John Wayne? Bruce Wayne.

[@DistractedGlobeGuy]

More like Sir Christopher Lee's version.

[@Spartan_Ghost98]

I like that they have a van helsing in this movie

[@SugarSloth]

It's so awesome seeing myself in the credits as a patron!

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

I watched both versions for the first time earlier this week, and the similarities and differences between them are fascinating. Although the Spanish version is significantly longer, there are some scenes that are only in Browning's version, such as most of the sea voyage, and a street vendor being attacked by Dracula. I'd be interested in knowing why the differences exist: were scenes cut from the English-language script, or was Browning's version trimmed down heavily after it was shot?

[@spacealienjesus709]

I absolutely love this channel..it is my favorite on youtube..i am new but I am going to binge watch.. Thank you for making these videos..

[@Timnrachel]

Hey doc. My birthday is coming up this Friday

[@DoctorWolfula]

Happy early birthday!

[@Timnrachel]

Thanks doc

[@Timnrachel]

Doc I wrote u on messenger

[@brandonmyers5448]

NAPA KNOWHOW AFTERDARK happy early birthday

[@seanobrien1079]

St elsewhere lol you brought that ending up years and years ago on a livestream lol

[@jamieharrell5321]

Ahhhhh 😌The classic Dracula, one of my favorite movie monsters growing up along with Frankenstein

[@JokerVoorhees13]

I remember a while back I had an argument with this one guy who complained about the vampires from Twilight for many reasons but also complained how they don’t have fangs and said a vampire without fangs isn’t a real vampire. So I jumped and asked if he ever saw the original Dracula with Bela Lugosi and he claimed to love the film. And I reminded him that Dracula in the film never has fangs and therefore called him out for basically saying that Bela’s Dracula isn’t a true vampire

[@ttthttpd]

Philip Glass you say? Oh boy, now I know whats going on my playlist next

[@davekennedy6315]

I love seeing your take on an old classic, would you ever consider doing the same with the Hammer horror films? I'm English and growing up in the late 70s/early 80s Hammer films were on TV every single week (and in those years we only had 3 channels!) Hammer really seemed to bring the horror genre to a whole new and much wider audience (plus they added lots of the good stuff like sex, violence and gore!) The Hammer decades seemed to be the pinnacle of horror appreciation, being a horror fan became something to be proud of. Hammer films had classically trained actors normally used to delivering lines of Shakespeare, suddenly delivering the darkest of lines with gusto and deep pride in their craft. I don't think horror had ever been that way before (maybe the Universal years?) and hasn't been that way since.

[@Dr.Gold-Dry-Bowser]

I am...Dracula.

[@ZevonPrice]

I am Spartacus

[@thehollowseance]

Listen to them...children of the night what music they make

[@WattsRaider]

Renfield was the star of the movie.

[@the_flyattractor8656]

If only we could have gotten the Spanish Director with Lugosi as Dracula. Would have been AWESOME!

[@buckylong6847]

Always look forward to Dr. Wolfula reviews, easily the best on youtube :-)

[@anonymoussmith624]

Hey Doc, loved your Poughkeepsie Tape review; I was surprised however that you didn’t mention the Medical Examiner had a nerdgasm over how he ripped people apart with saws

[@Emperorcalebtine]

I really love these Universal reviews. I know your plate is full, but I’d love more reviews if the old black and white horror films at some point. Corridors of Blood is a good one.

[@enslaved2God]

A beautiful classic. I rented the disc from Netflix and it has the Spanish version as well as the Lugosi version.

[@defender2222]

I think Jonathan Harker in Dracula: Dead and Loving It summed up the non-Dracula characters best: "Romance. Despair. Rage. All emotions I've managed to suppress."

[@alfa01spotivo]

Universal Horror series review? Yes please!

[@MrJJr-lw9zq]

I’m very happy your doing reviews on the classic black and white horror movies THX U DOC

[@negativebones1887]

Been waiting for you to review the Universal Monster movies forever, man. So glad you finally did it, and mentioned the Spanish version too! Love that one. I don't know what it is about this video, but it feels a lot like your older stuff, and it kinda gave me that warm spooky feeling your videos from like a decade ago do if that makes any sense. Was that on purpose or just a coincidence? Great video as always, Doc.

[@KonElKent]

It's a truly great film, fully deserving of its place in pantheon of film milestones. But I find it absolutely unforgivable that they left out the real hero of the novel; true badass, Quincy Morris.

[@StinaMariaxo]

I’m so excited for this series!

[@albernardi8]

This is not just my favorite horror flick, but my favorite film of all time. Yes, it is very, very cheesy by modern standards, but it ignited my love of film and horror films in particular. At one point as a kid (maybe 8 or 9 years old) I watched this film on repeat for two whole days, so I can ostensibly quote it verbatim at any time. I watch it every year on my birthday, which funny enough is Sept. 30 so right in time to kick off the Halloween season with the flick that started it all for both me and Universal Monsters.

[@darklink1113]

Thanks Doc for the great review. I too love the castle and the matte paintings. I remember as a kid watching it when no one else was interested and really enjoying the set design and mood. It wasn't scary.....but it was fun. I had seen Halloween, the first Friday the 13th, and Alien so it was tame. Tame but awesome wholesome creepy fun.

[@angelvelazquez6759]

Great review!

[@fogdiver]

Yes! I remember suggesting this, Frankenstein, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, possibly a whole series on Universal Horror films, and eventually the Hammer Horror film series - but with Docta Wu-Fu-La-La-La's umm... *specific* mannerisms, compared to those like Cinemassacre, History of Horror, etc. So in other words, this was MY GOD DAMNED IDEA, SO YOU BETTER PAY ME MY DAMN MONEY MR. DOCTORLA, OR YOU'LL SEE ME IN EXTRA-SMALL CLAIMS COURT WITH LOVE, BIG BEEF SLIPPY

[@thehollowseance]

Been waiting for this forever. Yessssss

[@joshhacker8503]

Oh man, this was a fun one! The old film feel really helps set the mood! Can't wait for the rest!

[@DaRichMan]

Great review. I can't wait for more Universal monster movie reviews.

[@KingOfTheOzone]

This movie is almost 100 years old. HOLY.

[@ryandowney8743]

I had heard of the Spanish version but had no idea it was so different cinematicly.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

It's weird, because it's clearly the "same" film, but sometimes it looks and feels very different. The women are sexier, too! 😉

[@AubreyTheKing]

This is a GREAT classic film! I ALWAYS start off my Halloween October Month with this film! Bela Lugosi, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan were the BEST actors I enjoyed watching the most from this film! There may have been lack of character development from the other cast, but I still believe they all did a brilliant job! Lugosi is definitely the best Dracula! And forever will be! Whenever people imitate Dracula, it's always the Lugosi Dracula. Why? Because we all know he's the man! I literally know EVERY line of dialogue of Lugosi in this film! Yes, THAT'S how close this film means to me! Oh! And I MUST give credit to the Spanish version of Dracula too! Both the English & Spanish versions are worth watching! So...CHECK EM OUT!

[@91lifetime23]

Great review Wolfula, is there any way you could review ALIEN³ the assembly cut and Exorcist III? Big fan of both!

[@glentalbot9166]

The film BLOOD OF DRACULA(1957). was the first U.S. film to show a vampire with fangs.

[@DistractedGlobeGuy]

Except that movie was British, not American. _London After Midnight_ (1927) was American, and featured a character depicted as a fanged vampire, although it's later revealed to be just a guy in a costume trying to scare a suspected murderer into confessing his crimes.

[@Deadpoolzilla]

it always blows my mind that without these monsters there would be no Universal Studios, no park, no films, no nothing. Hardly ever do you see a media empire be built on the backs of horror. Also, if there was a Batman film in the 30's, Dwight Frye would've made an awesome Joker.

[@DistractedGlobeGuy]

Uh, New Line Cinema ("The House That Freddy Built") much? Paramount? Jason Blum? Lionsgate? Dimension? Horror movies are usually really cheap to produce, and really easy to market. They're basically a way to grow money on a tree.

[@Deadpoolzilla]

@@DistractedGlobeGuy I know, I meant that a studio empire was built on horror way back when horror was so retained and forged a media empire as big as Universal

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

Batman was only created in 1939, but there were two movie serials in the 40's: *Batman* (1943) and *Batman and Robin* (1949), neither of which featured the Joker. Dwight Frye died in 1943, unfortunately.

[@KonElKent]

David Manners' $1000/week salary is somewhat misleading; he was under contract to Warner Bros where his salary was something like $600/week. Universal paid to "borrow" him for the duration of filming. WB assigned him to Dracula the same way that they'd assign him to something in house, and he was paid his standard salary. WB pocketed the difference. In the old studio system, studios were willing to loan out actors because there was no way to not make money on the deal. Savage as fuck!

[@AlyssaVx]

God your reviews are hilarious! 😂 I just finished watching this movie. You took all the words out of my mouth.

[@MarkFuriniArt]

Reinfeld is creepier than Dracula in this film. That laugh chills your bones. I love Bela. He is the ultimate Dracula followed by Hammer Horror's Christoper Lee.

[@georgelea4297]

Great review Doc as always

[@jeremiahball3970]

I know most of these films haven't really aged well especially since we are so jaded with all this chi and whatnot but the true charm of these films is not so much the violence and gore which is almost nonexistent but rather the mood that they give.i mean,these films really cast a spell on audiences with their dark gloomy foreboding atmospheres and ambience. This in my opinion really convinces you that there is some otherworldly and unnatural shit going down.i would love to see a modern adaptation of these films done up in this style,but with the violence and gore expected of a horror flick.just not going overboard.have a delicate balance of terror and horror.and no,the two words are not interchangeable like most people think they are.terror being fear of the unknown and horror being the result of what is being witnessed.

[@jeremiahball3970]

So,like a Tim burton film minus the whimsical and more humorous tones that he delivers.unless it is like sleepy hollow.cuz that was spectacular

[@XxD3ADW0LFxX]

I love the old universal horror movies

[@DresdenShuffle]

Back when vampires didn't sparkle. How I miss those days.

[@marcusorlandi8054]

The first half of this film is amazing!

[@barryholyoke5169]

the book was kind of anti-climactic as well, but it was a good read and very interesting; love your reviews Wolfula!

[@harrycallahan3249]

I love these reviews I always learn so much ❤️

[@brandonmoody9557]

Dr.W the only one brave enough to say this movie aint that good

[@vogonp4287]

My two favorite Draculas are Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi.

[@jamieharrell5321]

Wait Christopher lee play Dracula, which Dracula was it??? the one Dracula I remember was this one the one with Keanu Reeves and Gary Oldman

[@SpinosaurusTheProudSocialist]

@@jamieharrell5321 Chrisopher Lee has actually played Dracula on film more than any other actor. He played the Count 7 times in Hammer's (a British movie studio) series of Dracula films, and he played Dracs in two films that weren't produced by Hammer. So in total Lee has played Dracula in 9 different films throughout the 1950s-1970s. Starting with 1958's Horror of Dracula (or just Dracula in its native England) which was actually the first Dracula film to be shot in color.

[@jamieharrell5321]

@@SpinosaurusTheProudSocialist really that’s awesome

[@SpinosaurusTheProudSocialist]

@@jamieharrell5321 Yep, in fact James Rolfe (the Angry Video Game Nerd) reviewed the entire Hammer Dracula series. Check it out whenever you have the time.

[@jamieharrell5321]

@@SpinosaurusTheProudSocialist awesome thank you:)

[@damesaturday9425]

Still love this classic and your review was funny as always. :)

[@dawwe8869]

Great stuff as always!

[@brandonmyers5448]

This is my favorite Dracula movie thank you for reviewing it dr woifual

[@EmpressOfDestruction]

You should do all the revisions to these movies with a filter!

[@chuckyandandy7858]

Great review as always, Doc. Keep them coming! :)