Dracula (1931) - the Spanish version

The Spanish-language Dracula was made by Universal in 1931, shot at night, on the same sets, after the crew shooting Tod Browning’s version went home. I’d heard so many things about this one, mostly that it was a lot better than Browning’s version. So, is it better than Browning’s version? I’d have to say yes, although it does suffer from some of the same flaws (unavoidable seeing as they were using basically the exact same shooting script). The script wasn’t based on Stoker’s novel. It was based on a play that was based on Stoker’s novel. The Spanish version is more lively, it’s definitely more sexy, and some of the scenes are definitely shot in a slightly more interesting and more inspired way. Sadly, though, Carlos Villarias is not much improvement on Lugosi as the Count.

It’s included in the excellent Dracula Legacy set.