The earliest known surviving film performances as dracula were by lugosi and villarias, who were in english and spanishlanguage versions of the same movie shot on the same sets with language. So, it became common practice to shoot spanishlanguage versions of the same film, using the same set and equipment. The english version, todd brownings dracula, remains the most. It even manages to retain some of the books epistolary plotting by focusing on the diary entries and narration of jonathan harker. Lupita tovar, a mexicanborn actress who began her hollywood career in the silent era and went on to play an imperiled heroine in a racy spanishlanguage version of. Irving never did agree to do a stage version, but draculas dramatic sweeping gestures and gentlemanly. The storyline remains the same, but here the tale is simplified and shortened. In the early days of sound, it was common for hollywood studios to produce hollywood foreignlanguage versions of their films usually in french, spanish and german using the same sets, costumes and etc. The icelandic translation of dracula is actually a different book the mysteries of this gothic classic arent over yet still from the 1958 horror film dracula starring christopher lee.
Two films were shot at the same time using the same set, an english speaking version and a spanish one. This website is especially useful because some books include the literal translation in addition to the spanish and english versions. It was filmed at night on the same sets that were being used during the day for the 1931 englishlanguage film of the same title. The 1931 spanish version of dracula the hitless wonder.
Por ejemplo, no es protagonizada por bela lugosi sino por carlos villar. A grandson, movie director, writer and producer paul weitz, confirmed the death. In the early days of sound, it was common for hollywood studios to produce foreignlanguage versions of their. Lupita tovar, a mexicanborn actress who began her hollywood career in the silent era and went on to play an imperiled heroine in a racy spanishlanguage version of dracula and was almost drowned by an inebriated buster keaton, died nov. Back in the days when sound was a new thing in cinema, it was common for studios to shoot foreign language versions of movies while the main feature was being filming, employing the same costumes and sets. Dracula spanishlanguage version universal monsters wiki. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Mary shelleys frankenstein now available as a free online spanish english line under line bilingual book. Most faithful dracula book adaptation motion film animation.
Not many folks today know that dracula like the 1931 american and spanish movie versions from universal existed in two very different stage versions on either side of the atlantic. It was published by edimat libros and has a total of 394 pages in the book. Dracula is one of the most famous villains in popculture history. Vlad tepes, the inspiration for stokers antagonist, is called lad. It was filmed at night on the same sets that were being used during the day for the 1931 englishlanguage film of the same title in the early days of sound film, it was common for hollywood studios to produce. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing dracula spanish version near you. Dracula by bram stoker free ebook project gutenberg. Balderston, which in turn is adapted from the 1897 novel dracula by bram stoker.
Dracula 1931documentary excerpt about spanishlanguage. A great novel ruined by what seems to be a junior high book report for an introduction. In fact, other than dracula not being portrayed as an old man, the entire arrival of john harker at dracula s castle is verbatim to the novel. Dracula spanishlanguage version universal monsters. Although both dracula film versions made use of the same set, decorations and basic screenplay, there were notable differences between tod brownings original dracula 1931 and george. When a book opens, you get the option to read it online or download it for free. Most faithful dracula book adaptation motion film animation ask question asked 6 years, 11 months ago. Entertainment reporter tim estiloz profiles the superior quality 1931 spanish language version of dracula. This is the ladybird retelling of bram stokers classic novel dracula. Recently, vampires have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in both films and television.
The word also refers to the small book that a person uses while attending mass. A missal is a large book that contains the prayers, readings, and instructions authorized by the roman catholic church, and used by priests for the celebration of mass. Dracula is a 1931 american precode supernatural horror film directed and coproduced by tod browning from a screenplay written by garrett fort. Universal studios opted to produce a simultaneous spanish version of dracula for distribution in latin america and spain. The early inspirational writings of sue monk kidd hardcover by. The 8 best versions of dracula in film and tv nerdist. The history, preservation, restoration and legacy of universal studios english and spanish language dracula abstract. A stunningly atmospheric horror tale shot during 1931 draculas off time, this spanish language version bests its legendary. An excerpt from a documentary about the 1931 version of dracula, talking about the spanishlanguage version filmed concurrently with the betterknown english language film. Bram stoker 18471912 dracula tells the tale of a sinister transylvanian aristocrat who seeks to retain his youth and strength by feeding off human blood. The icelandic translation of dracula is actually a. Sue monk kidd goodreads author shelved 2 times as spanishversion avg rating 3. Lupita tovar, actress in spanishlanguage version of dracula.
The story of the making of the film reveals the importance of the hispanic market in the early days of talkies, the artistic genius of a now largely forgotten producer, and one of old hollywoods longestlasting love stories. Dracula is a 1931 american spanish language precode horror film directed by george melford. The american version of the 1931 groundbreaking classic dracula, directed by freaks legend tod browning, starring bela lugosi in the title role, is all but stolen by universal pictures madman mascot dwight frye, who played the igor type fritz in frankenstein and as the scenestealing lawyer turned bugeating lunatic renfield, takes the screen and runs with it. Dracula highlights one of the ways in which studios attempted to produce films for foreign distribution. The book presents several colour illustrations, and these certainly does add to the narrative, as the art usefully depicts the most important aspects of the story.
I recently reread the book dracula by bram stoker and i am searching for a movie that resembles the book closest. You can find an alternative cover edition for this isbn here and here. Dracula has become the fictional character most often brought to the screen, with the possible exception of sherlock holmes. Lupita tovar, actress in spanishlanguage version of. The making of the spanish language version of dracula 1931. Universal pictures experimented with shooting spanishlanguage versions concurrently, using the same sets and. It introduced the character of count dracula, and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. The tale begins with jonathan harker, a newly qualified english solicitor, visiting count dracula at his castle in the. The most important booktotv adaptations coming in 2020. I gave your white zombie book a rave in filmfax a few years ago.
In which i explain how the spanishlanguage version of dracula led to american pie. I had to sleep in the daytime, tovar said in michael g. Dracula 1897, one of the few universal horror films that were converted into spanish during the 1930s. Mar 14, 2019 the earliest known surviving film performances as dracula were by lugosi and villarias, who were in english and spanishlanguage versions of the same movie shot on the same sets with language. Nov, 2016 lupita tovar, a mexicanborn actress who began her hollywood career in the silent era and went on to play an imperiled heroine in a racy spanish language version of dracula and was almost drowned by an inebriated buster keaton, died nov.
Which dracula movie is most faithful to the original bram. The connection between tepes and dracula was hinted for a moment in the book when van helsing was laying out the plan to destroy the count, and i am able to forgive the introduction in coppolas movie. Every movie version of dracula ranked worst to best. Dracula is a 1931 american spanishlanguage horror film directed by george melford. Publication date 1931 topics horror, dracula, 1931, black and white language spanish. Youve been reading the wrong dracula toothpickings medium. Dracula spanish edition spanish hardcover june 6, 2006. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read dracula. It is based on the 1924 stage play dracula by hamilton deane and john l. The spanish language version of dracula 1931 holds a special place in the history of old hollywood horror films. The author, bram stoker, a young victorian theater professional, was probably inspired by the strange epidemic of vampirism that occurred in remote parts of eastern europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It introduced the character of count dracula and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. Dracula is a 1931 american spanish language horror film directed by george melford. It seems to me that most film fans are familiar with universals 1931 version of dracula.
For anyone interested in taking a first, tentative step towards understanding the plot of dracula then this is a useful book. Now i first heard about the spanish version of dracula a few years ago, and the buzz was that this was a superior film its famous sibling. It was customary at that time for studios to produce spanish language versions of their films at night to make use of the sets. The fact that both films still exist today is a testament to the preservation and. First shown on british television in its full 155minute glory before being split up into a miniseries on repeats. Dracula is an 1897 gothic horror novel by irish author bram stoker.
One of the main themes of rhodes book is that the spanish version of dracula is not the lost classic that many critics have made it out to be. Rhodes book tod brownings dracula, i took the opportunity to revisit both versions of the film that universal produced in 1931. I must regret that an attack of gout, from which malady i am a constant sufferer, forbids absolutely any travelling on my part for some time to come. It finishes to appear, for the first time in spaniard, a book, vampires, that collects the best short texts. Popular spanish version books showing 149 of 393 firstlight. Ps i dont mind watching a movie in a language other than english if it has subtitles. Oct 17, 2017 the spanish language version of dracula 1931 holds a special place in the history of old hollywood horror films. Another case of the orientation of the filmmakers and intended audience providing a greater context to an aspect of stokers book, drakula istanbulda might be the first and only dracula movie to benefit from mentioning the historical vlad the impaler, whose minor influence on stoker has since been blown out of proportion. Dracula spanish edition bram stoker, clasicos del mundo on. The spanish dracula certainly shares in the drawbacks of the original in being on the slow side and rather stagebound, but it is noteworthy for its. Unfortunately, most of these foreign language versions no longer exist. One of the main themes of rhodes book is that the spanish version of dracula is not the lost classic that many critics have made it.
The book presents several colour illustrations, and these. Dracula 1931 a comparison of the english and spanish. The novel tells the story of dracula s attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between. Dracula spanish version 2015 additions to the national. I shall enter here some of my notes, as they may refresh my memory when i talk over my travels with mina. This shows the nuance of the language and its translation, and makes for some interesting reading. Dracula retro classics and millions of other books are available for instant access. Dracula spanish version article about dracula spanish. Many translated example sentences containing dracula by bram stoker spanishenglish dictionary and search engine for spanish translations.
Being a great fan of dracula onstage, this book is an exceptional treat. During the time of its production, sound in film talkies was still a relatively new concept, and the idea of dubbing the dialogue into other languages did not become a reality until much later. Jan, 2020 another bbc adaptation, and one that follows the book quite closely. This post is part of the universal backlot blogathon, hosted by kristen at journeys in classic film. Dracula opens with a young solicitors assistant, jonathan harker, en route from budapest into transylvania, to visit the castle dracula and to meet with count dracula, a nobleman who has recently purchased an estate in london called carfax. The novel tells the story of dracula s attempt to move from transylvania to england so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between dracula and a small group of people led by. He is a young man, full of energy and talent in his own way, and of a very faithful disposition. As of the late 1980s, this version has become more highly praised by some than the better known englishlanguage version. Dracula by bram stoker spanish translation linguee.
Although both dracula film versions made use of the same set, decorations and basic screenplay, there were notable differences between. Bram stokers novel dracula may be an englishlanguage greatest hit, and. Dracula 1897 is one of the most commonly studied gothic novels and has been hugely influential through adaptations in fiction, on stage and in cinema. Mar 20, 2019 which dracula movie adaptation is most faithful to the original bram stoker book i wanted a definitive answer, so i selected 12 contenders and put them up to the test. Budapesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which i. A very short bilingual horror story in the form of a spanish english french parallel text which uses fairly simple language. In 1930, two versions of bram stokers most famous novel were shot. But which of the many films created best captures this infamous vampire. Dracula is a 1931 american spanishlanguage precode horror film directed by george melford. Harker worries, as he approaches the castle, about the superstitious locals, who seem to fear dracula. Lees own personal favorite performance as dracula actually came in spanish director jess francos. The american version of the 1931 groundbreaking classic dracula, directed by freaks legend tod browning, starring bela lugosi in the title role, is all but stolen by universal pictures madman mascot dwight frye, who played the igor type fritz in frankenstein and as the scenestealing lawyer turned bugeating lunatic renfield, takes the screen and runs with it, using more creativity in his.
Literature in the form of free spanishenglish parallel texts. It is an adaptation of the 1897 novel of the same name by bram stoker and was filmed at night on the same sets that were being used during the day for the 1931 englishlanguage film of the same name. Nov, 2016 lupita tovar, a mexicanborn actress who began her hollywood career in the silent era and went on to play an imperiled heroine in a racy spanishlanguage version of dracula and was once. However, vampires have been part of pop culture for a great part of the last century. In the early days of sound, it was common for hollywood studios to produce foreignlanguage versions. Offering an authoritative, uptodate guide for students, this book introduces its context, language, themes, criticism. In the original dracula, a young english solicitor named jonathan harker travels to transylvania to finalize the purchase of a. It is an adaptation of the 1897 novel by bram stoker and the 1924 stage play.
I dont know if the dracula from the japanese series avialble as bloodthristy trilogy would count because i dont recall him having anything to do with draculas story. It has been said that the spanish version is a better. No es una version doblada es una produccion totalmente diferente en idioma espanol y dirigida por george melford y enrique tovar avalos. But i am happy to say i can send a sufficient substitute, one in whom i have every possible confidence. Dracula 1931 is the spanish language version of the exact same film. I mean it too, its the same script, the same story, and even the same set. Bram stokers book dracula seized the publics imagination in 1897 with its elegant, deadly vampire who fights a group of englishmen while preying on one of their wives, mina harker. I also liked the fact that he made the movie with almost no digital effects, but rather with old camera tricks. The icelandic translation of dracula isnt a little different from the version you know. Ive never read powers of darkness or dracula in istanbul but those are literary alternate versions.