Drácula

In this 1931 take on Bram Stoker's tale, a young British real estate agent travels to Transylvania to meet Count Dracula, a mysterious noble rumored to be looking for a new London property. The encounter quickly reveals the Count's dangerous nature and his appetite for power as he uses his charm to draw the traveler into a web of influence and fear. Back in London, the vampire's true self begins to surface amid a city of socialites and aristocrats, where appearances mask danger. The tone relies on shadowy interiors, atmospheric scoring, and restrained gore, building a sense of dread that sticks with you beyond the frame. Its staged effects and production design helped show horror can work with subtle violence.

Directed by George Melford, Drácula was released in 1931 as the Spanish language version of Universal's Dracula. Based on Bram Stoker's novel, it was produced for Spanish speaking audiences and shot in tandem with the English version worldwide markets today.

Although often considered a companion to the Lugosi film, the Spanish Dracula stands out for its performances led by Carlos Villarías and Lupita Tovar, and for being shot entirely on Universal's sets after hours. Its production approach helped prove that multilingual horror could thrive in early sound cinema, for scholars.

Reception at the time highlighted its atmosphere, with many critics noting its visuals and pacing as strong points compared to other early talkies. Thematically, the film probes temptation and secrecy, alongside class anxieties that the vampire quietly exploits among London's social strata, its themes still resonate in power dynamics today.

Box office data from this era are not widely published, so precise numbers are elusive. The project operated on a modest budget of sixty six thousand dollars, and its earnings have not been widely documented in surviving studio accounts today.