Countess Dracula: A Novel (Paperback)

by Carroll Borland (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A novel by the co-star of Mark of the Vampire. Includes a history and personal rememberances of the making of Mark of the Vampire.

From the Back Cover
Carroll Borland is the legendary star of early cinema, who's portrayal of "Luna" opposite Bela Lugosi in the 1935 motion picture classic, Mark of the Vampire, indelibly etched in the minds of moviegoers the "look, the style and sexuality of female vampires for generations to come." How did Bela Lugosi inspire the writing of this legendary sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula? What was the true story behind the infamous "incest scene" rumored to have been cut from Mark of the Vampire, starring Carroll and Bela?

Was Carroll Borland visited by the ghost of Bela Lugosi? What was the secret of their relationship? Learn the answers in Gregory Mank's compelling account of Carroll's life and film career.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 143 pages
• Publisher: Magicimage Filmbooks; 1st edition (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882127323
• ISBN-13: 978-1882127320
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,584,068 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Borland's long-lost novel in print at last!, July 21, 1999

By A Customer

Actress Borland co-starred with Bela Lugosi in 1935's THE MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (MGM, D: Tod Browing). She first met Lugosi after seeing him onstage in DRACULA: THE VAMPIRE PLAY. It inspired her to write COUNTESS DRACULA, a sequel ore to the play than to Stoker's novel. She showed it to Lugosi, and they became friends. Now, just before Borland's death, the book was published. Yes, it was an amateurish effort, not terribly good. However, it has a unique place in both film history and horror literature, and it belongs in every true vampire fan's collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good Dracula sequel!, April 9, 2003

By	Ralph Schiller (Winfield, IL, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

'Countess Dracula' by author Carrol Borland, is a surprisingly good, well-written novella, that is a worthy sequel to Bram Stoker's original classic 'Dracula'. The author wrote this book back in the early 1930's, when she was a teenage girl with an unabashed crush on film star Bela Lugosi! She soon met the famous man, and was able to read him her manuscript. Bela Lugosi liked the novella, and did try to have 'Countess Dracula' published at the time, but he was unable to as Universal Studios still held the copyright on the character of Count Dracula.

Carrol Borland has an exciting, pulp-style to her writing, with her story taking place in the mysterious, haunting land of Transylvania! Two English couples, one a pair of honeymooners, stay at a village inn that lies directly in the shadow of a mountain capped by Castle Dracula. The young beautiful bride attracts the attention of the handsome, suave middle-aged count, who fancies her for himself! The description of author Borland's Count Dracula truly matches Bela Lugosi, and not Bram Stoker's literary vampire. 'Countess Dracula' would have made a great, eerie little Universal horror film back in 1935!

The narrative is excellent, and only falters at the very conclusion with a bit of an unsatisfying ending. Carrol Borland had real talent as a writer, and it's a great pity that she didn't write further novels. We are grateful though, that this manuscript was safely hidden away in her desk for over six decades until publication!