Review of Son of Dracula (1943) by Paul S — 11 Jun 2005

Lon Chaney Jr. is back, to mixed reviews. Mostly bad, though, but the bad ones seem to be based on the questionable idea that he is playing not the son of Dracula, but Dracula himself. The source of this somewhat flawed thinking is the fact that Chaney Jr.'s character also goes by the name Count Dracula, after operating under the asinine alias of Count Alucard. So it must be the same Dracula portrayed by Bela Lugosi, right? Not if that's all the proof you've got. It's specifically stated in the movie that Dracula is a family name, so his heir, if he had one, would inherit both the name and the title of count. Therefore, this Dracula could be a descendant of the earlier Dracula, although not necessarily a son, at least not in the literal sense. Also, One of the characters is seen reading the novel [b][i]Dracula[/i][/b] by Bram Stoker, and later is told by an expert that Dracula was destroyed in the 19th century, as in the novel, not in the 1930's as in the earlier film. So perhaps this is not a direct sequel to that film, but more of what is today popularly called a re-imagining. My point is that it's unfair to judge Chaney's performance and alternative acting choices against Lugosi's superior previous performance, as if they were both playing the same character. In fact Chaney's quick temper and impetuous nature match the count of the novel much more than Lugosi's calm, suave socialite.

Now, onto the film, if we must. It's much more fun than the previous two, but abandons that dry sophistication that gives viewers a smug sense of self satisfaction for sitting through the whole thing. I suppose that's another way that it matches the novel. The novel is pulp trash that should have briefly entertained the masses in the late 19th century, then faded quietly into obscurity, but somehow it has stayed with us and is today regarded as classic literature. This film shares the novel's pulpy nature, but is hardly a classic, yet here it is, still with us today.

Plot? I won't bore you, I'll let the movie do that. Just kidding.

Welcome to all Lon Chaney Jr. fans, Dracula completists and any possible Evelyn Ankers oglers. It's a good B grade monster movie for those who don't demand great depth from all their viewing matter.