Review of Son of Dracula (1943) by Art S — 30 Apr 2013

Robert Siodmak, a German emigre who later directed a lot of great films noir, helmed this entry in Universal's series of monster films. As you would expect, he drapes the film in shadows and there are a few genuinely creepy scenes (Dracula glides across a pond, his bride sits up dead in her bed).

But this is still a B picture and Lon Chaney Jr., better known as the Wolf Man, makes for a less than urbane Count (but fortunately the script doesn't require him too talk much). As these things go, this is much less campy than later entries would be (Siodmak plays it straight) and it actually ends up being coherent -- but if Dracula can't be hurt by bullets, why should fire hurt him?