Dracula (1958 film) facts for kids

Dracula is a famous British horror film from 1958. It was directed by Terence Fisher and written by Jimmy Sangster. The movie is based on the classic 1897 novel by Bram Stoker. This film was the first in a series of popular "Hammer Horror" movies. It stars Christopher Lee as the terrifying Count Dracula. Peter Cushing plays the brave vampire hunter, Doctor Van Helsing. Other actors include Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, and John Van Eyssen.

In the United States, the film was called Horror of Dracula. This was to avoid confusion with an older American film also named Dracula. This 1958 movie was special because it was the first vampire film ever made in color! The movie was filmed at Bray Studios in late 1957. It cost about £81,000 to make. Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula helped create the iconic image of vampires with fangs. The film is known for showing fangs, red contact lenses, and blood effects. Many people loved the film. In 2013, it was called one of the best British films. In 2017, it was ranked among the top 100 British films ever. Christopher Lee's Dracula is also considered one of the greatest horror movie characters.

Meet the Cast

Here are the main actors and the characters they played in Dracula:

• Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing
• Christopher Lee as Count Dracula
• Michael Gough as Arthur Holmwood
• Melissa Stribling as Mina Holmwood
• Carol Marsh as Lucy Holmwood
• John Van Eyssen as Jonathan Harker
• Valerie Gaunt as the Vampire Woman
• Olga Dickie as Gerda
• Janina Faye as Tania
• Charles Lloyd-Pack as Doctor Seward
• George Merritt as Policeman
• George Woodbridge as Landlord
• George Benson as Frontier Official
• Miles Malleson as Undertaker
• Geoffrey Bayldon as Porter
• Barbara Archer as Inga
• Paul Cole as Lad

How the Film Was Made

When Hammer Films decided to make a Dracula movie, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster had to make changes. He needed to fit the long novel into a shorter film. The movie also had a small budget and was filmed at Bray Studios.

Sangster changed Jonathan Harker's role. In the film, Harker goes to Dracula's castle specifically to destroy the vampire. He is not there for a real estate deal, as in the book. Other characters were also changed or removed to simplify the story. For example, Dracula's ability to turn into a bat or wolf was removed. This was done to make the film feel more realistic.

Director Terence Fisher believed the story had a strong emotional element. He wanted to show Dracula's powerful influence over his victims. Producer Anthony Hinds quickly chose Christopher Lee for the role of Dracula. Lee was paid £750 for his part. He aimed to make Dracula heroic, romantic, and dynamic, just as he read in the book. Filming started on November 11, 1957, and finished on January 3, 1958.

Release and Reception

Film Success

The film first premiered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, on May 8, 1958. It was released as Horror of Dracula there. It was often shown alongside another film, The Thing That Couldn't Die. The movie opened in London on June 15, 1958.

Dracula was very successful. It earned about $3.5 million worldwide. It was one of the most popular films in Britain in 1958. In North America, it earned $1 million.

Watching at Home

The film first came out on DVD in the U.S. in 2002. It was later part of DVD collections with other Dracula films. In 2007, the film was digitally restored in the U.K. by the BFI. When it first came out, it had an "X" rating, meaning it was only for adults. The restored version in 2007 received a "12A" rating, suitable for viewers aged 12 and up.

For many years, people believed a longer version of the film existed in Japan and Europe. In 2011, Hammer Films announced that parts of this "Japanese version" had been found. These recovered parts included an extended scene of Dracula's famous disintegration. In 2013, a restored version of the film was released on Blu-ray Disc in the U.K. This version included some of the previously lost footage. In 2018, Warner Bros. Pictures released another digitally restored version. This one brought back the original Dracula title for the opening credits.

More Dracula Films

After Dracula became a hit, Hammer Films made eight more movies in the series. Christopher Lee played Dracula in six of these sequels. Peter Cushing returned as Van Helsing in four of them.

• The Brides of Dracula (1960)
• Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
• Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
• Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
• Scars of Dracula (1970)
• Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
• The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)
• The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

Other Adaptations

• The House of Hammer #1 (October 1976), a comic book version by Dez Skinn and Paul Neary.

Explore More

• Dracula (Hammer film series)
• Hammer filmography
• The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), another Hammer film with Fisher, Cushing, and Lee
• Gothic film, a style of movies based on Gothic stories
• The Mummy (1959), another Hammer film with Fisher, Cushing, and Lee
• Vampire films