Horror of Dracula

thumb|306px|link="This is not Lucy the sister you loved, it's only a shell possesed and corrupted by the evil of Dracula!" 

- Dr. Van Helsling to Arthur Holmwood

"Dracula" is a 1958 horror film by Hammer Productions directed by Terence Fisher and written by Jimmy Sagnster loosely based on the novel by Bram Stoker . The film was re-titled "Horror of Dracula" in the United States to diffirenciate it from the 1931 classic . "Dracula" was the first colour vampire movie to show blood, fangs and oozing wounds left by the vampiric bite. The music was composed by James Bernard. The film was starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee , John Van Eyssen, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling and Carol Marsh. "Horror of Dracula" was the first in the famous Hammer Dracula series which continued throughout the 1960's and early 1970's. In 2013 it was released uncut for the first time on Blu-Ray. 

Plot

In May of 1885, British professor Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to seek the sinister Count Dracula of which he knows is a vampire: .a n unholy creature of the night feeding on the blood of the living. Arriving at the castle, the mysterious count Dracula greets him. Harker’s goal is tragically not succeeding as he falls victim to Dracula’s vampire bride and is doomed to become a vampire himself. Dr. van Helsing a close friend to Harker and an expert on the field of the undead finds Jonathan as a vampire and frees his soul by staking him throw the heart. Count Dracula has travelled to England to take his revenge on Jonathan’s fiancée the lovely Lucy Holmwood and make her his new bride. Van Helsing is determined to end Dracula’s reign of terror once and for all. Lucy begins to weaken as Dracula seduces her at night and bites her to drink her blood. Dr. van Helsing puts garlic flowers in her room to keep the vampire away, but Lucy dies and is corrupted by Dracula’s evil. Her sceptical brother Arthur Holmwood and his wife Mina seek answers by Van Helsing.

That night, Arthur and van Helsing find Lucy who is now a vampire and destroy her. Dracula however is not found. He soon seduces and bites Mina. To prevent Mina from falling the same fate as Lucy Arthur and Van Helsing finally find the resting place of Count Dracula. He however flees back to his castle in Transylvania taking Mina with him. In the castle Dr. van Helsing confronts Dracula and finally destroys him as Dracula moves to Van Helsing’s neck, he is exposed to the sunlight, which burns his skin away and crumbles him to ashes. Mina’s curse is lifted and the most evil creature to ever set his seal on civilization is dead…

Cast

Dr. Van Helsing...........................................................................................................Peter Cushing 

Count Dracula.............................................................................................................Christopher Lee 

Arthur Holmwood........................................................................................................Michael Gouch 

Mina Holmwood..........................................................................................................Melissa Stribling 

Jonathan Harker..........................................................................................................John Van Eyssen 

Lucy Holmwood............................................................................................................Carol Marsh 

Tania...........................................................................................................................Janina Fay 

Gerda.........................................................................................................................Olga  Dickie 

Dr. Seward...................................................................................................................Charles Lloyd-Pack

Vampire  Wife..............................................................................................................Valerie Gaunt 

Undertaker..................................................................................................................George Benson 

Production

After the sucess of "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), Hammer Productions decieded to breath new life into other Universal classics. "Dracula" was directed by Terence Fisher, who also directed "The Curse of Frankenstien" . It was written by Jimmy Sagnster which stairght far from the novel. The score was composed by James Bernard and it was produced by Anthony Nelson-Keys. Peter Cushing who played Baron Frankenstein was cast  as Van Helsing and Christopher Lee who played the creature. It was released in May of 1958 - however in America it was re-named "Horror of Dracula" and certain scenes where heavily cut. It was a critical and commercial sucess. 

In 2007 the BFI restorated the picture quality of the movie and re-stored it to its original title. 

Sequels

"Dracula" was such a sucess that seven sequels where made: "Brides of Dracula " (1960), "Dracula: Prince of Darkness " (1966), "Dracula Has Risen from The  Grave " (1968), "Taste the Blood of Dracula " (1969), "Dracula A.D. 1972 " (1972) and "The Satanic Rites of Dracula " (1973) six starring Christopher Lee as Dracula.

Blu-Ray release 

In September of 2011 the missing scenes where found in Japan. The film was released uncut and in High Defenition on Blu-Ray on March 13 2013. This Blu-Ray contains: the "Horror of Dracula" dvd, the 2007 BFI restoration and the new uncut version of "Dracula." 

Diffrences from the novel 

. Mina is married to Arthur and Lucy is his sister. 

. Harker already knows Dracula is a vampire. 

. The ship-travel on the "Demeter" is excluded. 

. Renfield doesn't appear in the film. 

. The charachter Tania is not in the novel. 

. Harker becomes a vampire. 

. The film takes place in 1885, not in 1893. 

. Quincey Morris is excluded. 

. The role of Dr. Seward is very small. 

. Sunlight is fatal to Dracula and he can't turn into animals or fog. 

. Lucy is Harker's fiancee. 

Visit: www.hammerfilms.com