Customer Reviews

The Return of Dracula/The Vampire

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Classic horror fans rejoice! Return of Dracula, though previously available on VHS, has been out-of-print for years. If you've never seen it, it's a suprisingly well-done black & white horror film from 1958.

In a plot that, oddly enough, echoes Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, Count Dracula (a sublime Francis Lederer) relocates to California to live with supposed relatives. And although it's unrelated to the Hammer Films' Dracula films of the same period, it certainly holds its own against those more-polished efforts. The vampire's demise is somewhat graphic for the time.

The Vampire, while arguably the lesser film here, is by no means a waste of time. John Beal generates sympathy as a small-down doctor afflicted with the "disease" of vampirism. Fifties genre favorite Kenneth Tobey is on hand as the local sheriff. While both of these films are basically drive-in stuff, The Vampire's low-budget roots are more obvious, particularly in some laughably-bad make-up work.

If you've been through most or all of the films in the Hammer, AIP or similar catalogs, you're in for a real treat here. Highly recommended for Return of Dracula alone.

I have waited for years to see these titles on DVD and at last they are finally here. Anyone who grew up watching late night horror shows on local TV probably saw these films at one time or another especially THE RETURN OF DRACULA. Both were made by Gramercy Productions a division of Levy-Gardner-Laven, an outfit that produced shows for television in the 50's and 60's (most notably THE RIFLEMAN and THE BIG VALLEY).

What sets these 2 films apart from other B-movie horrors of the era are the use of once major stars (Francis Lederer, John Beal) who were really good actors, maximum use of their minimum budgets (like Val Lewton in the 40's), and the fact that both screenplays were written by a woman (Pat Fielder who did Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT) which gives a slightly different perspective to the proceedings where you wind up caring more about the characters most notably John Beal in THE VAMPIRE. Unlike Val Lewton's pictures these are 1950's films and both contain some truly graphic moments which are still effective today.

Of the two my personal favorite is THE VAMPIRE although THE RETURN OF DRACULA is overall the better film. Excellent black and white photography and effective background music contribute to the overall atmosphere. While the low budget shows through from time to time and John Beal's make-up is a mixed bag (although THE VAMPIRE is a Jekyll/Hyde story rather than a supernatural one), if you're a fan of low budget 50's horror films than these both deliver the goods.

Now if MIDNITE MOVIES (which says MGM but is owned by Fox) would just double up THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD and THE FLAME BARRIER (the other two Gramercy films made at the same time) then that would be a real cause for celebration. You could then compare them with the Richard Gordon English horror/sci-fi films (see my Listmania lists) made at the same time and boy would that be a trip.

This little known gem 'The Return Of Dracula is making it's debut on DVD! It's about time and as a bonus it's on this double feature disc with 'The Vampire'! The Return Of Dracula is a very solid Vampire movie with good pacing and decent atmosphere. The acting is above average for this sort of movie and it has one of the most memorable endings in vampire movie history. Francis Lederer is menacing as the count with his black eyes and his deep facial lines. I did notice in one instance that when one of Dracula's wives got staked the picture turned to color to show the blood......Something I missed as a kid growing up with B&W TV and watching these on Creature Feature. I didn't remember that much about either of these films until I watched them on an HD Channel and then checked the quality on the DVD. Both prints seem to be in very good condition, but unfortunately the disc has no extras. 'The Return Of Dracula' is a much better film than other, but 'The Vampire' is hard to hate and it's a "Hoot Ta Boot"! This is an excellent double feature disc for old horror buffs.

1) The Return Of Dracula 4 Stars
2) The Vampires 2 1/2 Stars

I've been waiting for these 2 movies to be released on DVD and finally they will be. RETURN features an excellent portrayal of Dracula by Francis Lederer. No boo-hooing about the lonely life of a bloodsucker for him--his Dracula is pure and (given the way vamps are often portrayed today)refreshingly E-V-I-L. It's amazing that he really didn't want to play this part and not at all evident. VAMPIRE is another favorite, a really tragic tale of a caring doctor who accidentally becomes addicted to some experimental pills that cause him to regress into a vampire like beast. Both are highly recommended, minor classics.

I still have a vivid memory of seeing "Return of Dracula" on the late show way back in 1964 as an early autumn storm brewed outside. Perfect! The film was suitably scary, better than the usual junk one of our local stations showed on Friday nights, and it has held up admirably in comparison with other so-called "thrillers" I felt were worthwhile in my younger days. An appropriate alternate title would be "Dracula Comes to Mayberry," as the infamous count descends upon small town USA rather than old world Transylvania. Definitely one of the most atmospheric and memorable low budget horror/sci-fi flicks of the late '50s. As for "The Vampire," it's not as successful, but it's not a waste of time either.

I'd seen images from these movies since I was a kid - a looong time ago - but never the actual films. So no nostalgia involved in a really positive reaction to both.
Lederer's Dracula - despite the unforgivably wavy, floppy hair - is up there with Jack Palance in the unheralded Dracs and John Beal's less trad vamp was better than expected. Lovely transfers of both and a damned good price.

It was a delight to receive this dvd because it had been one of my favourite 'modern' vampire films in my teend (I'm 60 now!) It was just as much fun as i remebered, and rather better made too.
Lederer is splendidly evil and the rather bloodless opponents make a good foil. I know who I was rooting for....
Thanks to all who made the trip down memory lane such a pleasure.

I recall watching these two classic horror films on either Saturday night's Creature Feature or Saturday morning's equivalent and I enjoyed them every time I viewed them.

"The Return of Dracula" is by far the better film as a whole. The story of Dracula arriving in the states as a long lost European relative with "unusual" mannerisms is atmospherically filmed and solidly directed. Frances Lederer to sublimely perfect as Dracula and the supporting cast is terrific too. The film deals with surprisingly interesting themes outside of vampirism, such as longing to see and experience the outside world, what would be willing to exchange to overcome a handicap (blindness in this tale), ethnocentric conduct, and family loyality. For a 1950's film it is also surprisingly graphic with a staking in the heart that shifts the film from black and white to color with blood splashing on the camera lens to the terrific death of Dracula at the end which is my favorite of all Dracula slayings. Those two scenes are not for the faint of heart, even by today's standards.

Now, "The Vampire" is the weaker of the two overall, but better acted and a bizarre twist on vampire folklore. John Beal plays a local family doctor who is accidentally poisoned by his own young daughter when she mixes up the pills he asks for when he has a headache. Unfortunately, she gives him the pills he picked up from a dead patient who was experimenting with vampire bats. The story then shifts to more of Jekyll and Hyde horror tale than a vampire one as he becomes a monster periodically while addicted to the pills. Even when no longer on the pills he becomes a monster. I sense a subplot about chemical dependency in this tight little tale that is short on thrills, but long on story and acting.

This film relies much more on the actors and the scenes with John Beal and his nurse and with his daughter as they are very sensitively done. I was truly touched by a number of scenes. I think you will be very surprised at just how well acted this film is by all participants. Sadly, the make up is rather silly and takes away from the potential shock value the story could have had if the make up was done better.

No matter how you slice it, either film still holds up very well today and if you are a horror fan, you won't regret finding a place on your shelf for these oldies, but goodies.

06/08
Steve Hedge

Here's a classic pair of tightly-wound American vampire thrillers with strong performances across the board, both from the writer of Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT (with which both of these pictures share minor thematic tendencies) and sharing a sharp director in Paul Landres, a man who obviously knew how to make a low-budget really shine. In RETURN, an eastern European artist (the great Francis Lederer) is bitten by Dracula on his way to America, and breeds no small amount of suspicion among his small-town relatives, notably pretty young cousin Norma Eberhardt. Lots of neat little touches in this one. THE VAMPIRE is more of a Jekyll & Hyde tale about a small-town doctor (Paul Beal) who is given (by his own daughter!) an accidental dose of a test serum derived from Bat venom by a local scientist, which transforms him into a crazed killer. The hook is that he has no recollection of the murders he commits, so his doctorly concern for the victims is genuine. His dilemma worsens once he does the math, but his realistic, humanistic response to it is what lifts this above so many drive-in creature features of the day. I used to own RETURN OF DRACULA on VHS many years ago (when it was called CURSE OF DRACULA), but seeing it here with such clarity was a revelation and having THE VAMPIRE in the same set is just a big ol' spoonful of frosting.

I bought this set primarily for The Return of the Dracula. As a child, I remember watching this on the late night horror show, still a great piece of work to me. It is still keeps you on your toes, acting is not bad and the special effects aren't too shabby for the time period. I still find this an enjoyable movie to watch and even my daughter thought it was good movie to watch, not hokey. I liked it then and still like it now. The Vampire is so/so. Not too credible but ok to watch.