Armand Tesla: “I sleep… during the day. I am not to be disturbed… during the day.”
It has long been lamented that Bela Lugosi only donned the cape once as Universal’s Dracula (excluding the much later comedy Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein), whereas their two other most famous creatures, the Frankenstein Monster and Wolf Man, were brought back to life a number of times by Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. respectively. Instead, for budgetary reasons, they cut Lugosi out of the sequel (Dracula’s Daughter – reviewed here on Filmizon this month), eventually giving the role to other actors (Chaney Jr. and John Carradine) until he finally returned to the role in 1948 in the above mentioned comedy. Yet, to say there is no true sequel to Dracula is not completely true.
Columbia Pictures, looking to capitalize on the horror craze, aimed at producing a sequel to the Universal product. . . after being threatened with a lawsuit, they went ahead anyway – simply changing the Dracula name. Titled The Return of the Vampire (1943), B movie specialist Lew Landers was put in charge of directing the low budget fare.
An ambitious, surprisingly impressive sequel of sorts, the narrative starts towards the end of World War 1, with Dracula (I mean Armand Tesla – Lugosi) terrorizing the outskirts of London – a nice silent era touch only finds us seeing his silhouette, him shrouded in fog, or from behind (though his menacing voice can be heard – the only difference from a silent production). Using a Werewolf (Matt Willis) that is completely under his control, the poor beast is forced to do the bidding of his master.
Nearby, Dr. Walter Saunders (Gilbert Emery) and Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) realize the severity of the situation – after the fiend has ensnared his young granddaughter, Nicki (Sherlee Collier), and quickly trap the vampire. . . thinking they have vanquished the blood sucker.
Flashing forward all the way to the next World War, Dr. Saunders has recently passed away, while Lady Jane is successful in every which way. Having freed the Werewolf upon trapping the vampire, the man under all of that fur, Andreas Obry, is now her trusted medical assistant. And thankfully, Nicki, now an adult (played by Nina Foch), does not even recall her childhood attack.
Yet, evil cannot stay buried, and fateful happenstance finds a Nazi bombing raid freeing Tesla from his binds. . . a return that brings with it more than two decades of bloodlust and revenge. Quickly regaining his strength, will this undead bloodsucker be able to best his female foe, or will she outsmart him once more?
A piece of visual mastery, this is what gothic horror is supposed to look like. Giant buildings and derelict cemeteries, shrouded in fog (both in and out), shadow and bright light bringing forth a stunning form of German Expressionism – a terrorizing shadow on the wall of a soon to be victim, or reflection of a holy crucifix just two examples of this striking cinematographic use. Despite its budget, you really can’t tell – it would fit right into a Universal monster movie marathon. . . everything from the werewolf effects to the setting, riffing off of their rival studio.
Matched by strong performances, Lugosi is on point – his aura utterly entrancing – putting him at his tricky best (sadly, this was Lugosi’s last leading role – for those of you who know his story, it was all downhill from here), while Foch, in her first screen role, is instantly captivating as the vampire’s much desired victim. Then there is Willis, who might play one of the most sympathetic werewolves in film history – a good man completely entranced by a much more powerful being. Even his makeup exudes this sense. As for Inescort, she is more than solid as the strong willed protagonist – willing to ignore ridicule from Scotland Yard and continue on her path to vanquishing a most worthy foe. Lastly, keep an eye out for two Civil Defense workers who are tasked with cleaning up the cemetery after the bombing, pure comedy coming from Billy Bevan (the silent film star) and Harold De Becker.
The closest thing you’ll get to a true sequel to Dracula, The Return of the Vampire is truly worthy of being the follow up to a Universal classic. Despite its low budget, it flourishes under clever direction, solid acting, and impressive visual effects (the climax being a prime example of this). Though it has never gotten the credit it deserves (a combination of it not being a Universal production and being somewhat lost to time), let’s change all that. So, avoid the sun by watching this should-be classic horror film, it’s Dracula in all but name.