Curt and Robert Siodmak's Son of Dracula' (1943), starring Lon Chaney, Jr., the B star who never really shined, is a good, moody film enhanced by fine compositions and thick with atmosphere. This time around the Count uses a pseudonym, Alucard, and travels to the states to hook up with southern mystery belle Kay Caldwell (Louise Allbritton). But Kay has a beau, Frank Stanley, and he's not about to let the Count steal his woman!
Chaney, the man who (sadly) never really created a great role, but continually failed to fill the shoes of those who did, is sorely miscast as Count Alucard. In a strange way, though, Chaney's inadequacies lend an unwanted/outcast' quality to Alucard that is rather appropriate for the story. Allbritton is a standout in the lead as the woman drawn to Alucard. She does a commendable job carrying most of the film, assisted by Robert Paige as jealous Frank. Adeline De Walt Reynolds is quite effective as Queen Zimba in her brief scene, which introduces the audience to the handsomely photographed, atmospheric forest where significant action occurs throughout the film.
The third in Universal's Dracula' series (following the inferior 1936 sequel, Dracula's Daughter'), the production boasts impressive camerawork (particularly the moving camera) courtesy of cinematographer George Robinson. Robinson lensed many of Universal's B grade horror films of the period, most notably, Dracula' (1931 the technically superior Spanish version), Dracula's Daughter' (1936), Son of Frankenstein' (1939), and Siodmak's own Cobra Woman' (1944).
The Siodmak brothers brought a tremendous amount of talent and genre experience to Son'. Director Robert is probably best known for two superb, back-to-back projects, The Spiral Staircase' (1946) and The Killers' (1946). Writer Curt's classics include Waggner's The Wolf Man' (1941) and Tourneur's I Walked with a Zombie' (1943). Even more spectacular, the brothers, along with luminaries Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinneman and Billy Wilder, wrote and directed the fascinating silent German film, Menschen am Sonntag' (1930). --- david ross smith
Chaney, the man who (sadly) never really created a great role, but continually failed to fill the shoes of those who did, is sorely miscast as Count Alucard. In a strange way, though, Chaney's inadequacies lend an unwanted/outcast' quality to Alucard that is rather appropriate for the story. Allbritton is a standout in the lead as the woman drawn to Alucard. She does a commendable job carrying most of the film, assisted by Robert Paige as jealous Frank. Adeline De Walt Reynolds is quite effective as Queen Zimba in her brief scene, which introduces the audience to the handsomely photographed, atmospheric forest where significant action occurs throughout the film.
The third in Universal's Dracula' series (following the inferior 1936 sequel, Dracula's Daughter'), the production boasts impressive camerawork (particularly the moving camera) courtesy of cinematographer George Robinson. Robinson lensed many of Universal's B grade horror films of the period, most notably, Dracula' (1931 the technically superior Spanish version), Dracula's Daughter' (1936), Son of Frankenstein' (1939), and Siodmak's own Cobra Woman' (1944).
The Siodmak brothers brought a tremendous amount of talent and genre experience to Son'. Director Robert is probably best known for two superb, back-to-back projects, The Spiral Staircase' (1946) and The Killers' (1946). Writer Curt's classics include Waggner's The Wolf Man' (1941) and Tourneur's I Walked with a Zombie' (1943). Even more spectacular, the brothers, along with luminaries Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinneman and Billy Wilder, wrote and directed the fascinating silent German film, Menschen am Sonntag' (1930). --- david ross smith