Owners of the Universal Legacy edition DVD of "Dracula" (1931) will find a lot of special content along with the fantastic film. One of the special features is a Spanish version of the movie. And when one examines the Spanish version, they will see a strikingly familiar resemblance to the movie they already know. They will see the same sets, similar dialogue, same scene setups, and same story. The only difference is that the Spanish versions is, of course, in Spanish, features a different cast, and is notably long and duller than its famous English counterpart.
In 1931, it was common practice in Hollywood to not dub over movies for foreign releases, but to essentially make the movie twice with different casts and directors but using the same script and sets. For "Dracula", the English crew would come during the day, shoot their scenes, and then the Spanish filmmakers would take over at night and do the same. It was the goal of the Spanish crew to make the better of the two versions. However, when comparing the two movies, though they are quite similar, the Spanish version of "Dracula" is ultimately less profound, too long, and a lot less entertaining.
A main fault of the movie are the characters and the way they are presented and cast. Nobody can forget Bela Lugosi standing on the castle stairway with a candle in his hand, grinning upon unfortunate Mr. Renfield and declaring: "I am Dracula." But one can easily forget Carlos Villarias repeating the same line, but without the distinctive pronunciation and the air of presence and power that Lugosi had. Villarias gives a noble effort at playing Dracula, but ultimately his sneering, gasps, and wide eyes do not strike with very much impact and are more likely, I'm afraid, to stir up inadvertent laughter. I think Lupita Tovar is a find Spanish actress, but it seems as if the great material that made me feel for Helen Chandler's portrayal of the same character in the English version is gone. Barry Norton is also very good, but his character is quite dry and has no presence. Only Pablo Alvarez Rubio as Renfield comes close to matching the exhilaration and gusto that was found in his American counterpart.
The English version of "Dracula" is a brief seventy-five minutes long and because it was so well-made, I wished it was longer. The Spanish version is longer, but it's a lot less entertaining. In fact, at a hundred and four minutes, it drags on for much too long and this is mostly due to drawl, flat scenes that seem as if we're watching a poorly rehearsed stage production with the camera hardly moving at times from wide shots that give us a very empty feeling. Now the Spanish version does clear up a minor question I had about the ending after becoming associated with the English version and it does have some fine individual moments, but it's really a withered and pale carbon copy of a beloved classic. The only audience members I can recommend this to are curious fans of the English language version. But those are not curious, you might as well avoid. There's not a whole lot to be found.
In 1931, it was common practice in Hollywood to not dub over movies for foreign releases, but to essentially make the movie twice with different casts and directors but using the same script and sets. For "Dracula", the English crew would come during the day, shoot their scenes, and then the Spanish filmmakers would take over at night and do the same. It was the goal of the Spanish crew to make the better of the two versions. However, when comparing the two movies, though they are quite similar, the Spanish version of "Dracula" is ultimately less profound, too long, and a lot less entertaining.
A main fault of the movie are the characters and the way they are presented and cast. Nobody can forget Bela Lugosi standing on the castle stairway with a candle in his hand, grinning upon unfortunate Mr. Renfield and declaring: "I am Dracula." But one can easily forget Carlos Villarias repeating the same line, but without the distinctive pronunciation and the air of presence and power that Lugosi had. Villarias gives a noble effort at playing Dracula, but ultimately his sneering, gasps, and wide eyes do not strike with very much impact and are more likely, I'm afraid, to stir up inadvertent laughter. I think Lupita Tovar is a find Spanish actress, but it seems as if the great material that made me feel for Helen Chandler's portrayal of the same character in the English version is gone. Barry Norton is also very good, but his character is quite dry and has no presence. Only Pablo Alvarez Rubio as Renfield comes close to matching the exhilaration and gusto that was found in his American counterpart.
The English version of "Dracula" is a brief seventy-five minutes long and because it was so well-made, I wished it was longer. The Spanish version is longer, but it's a lot less entertaining. In fact, at a hundred and four minutes, it drags on for much too long and this is mostly due to drawl, flat scenes that seem as if we're watching a poorly rehearsed stage production with the camera hardly moving at times from wide shots that give us a very empty feeling. Now the Spanish version does clear up a minor question I had about the ending after becoming associated with the English version and it does have some fine individual moments, but it's really a withered and pale carbon copy of a beloved classic. The only audience members I can recommend this to are curious fans of the English language version. But those are not curious, you might as well avoid. There's not a whole lot to be found.