History Film / Dracula1931

* DecompositeCharacter: Dr. Steward's status from the original book as a younger doctor who was a student of Van Helsing is given to the character of Dr. Jeffery Garth in [[Film/DraculasDaughter the sequel.]]

* RelatedInTheAdaptation: Mina is now John Steward's daughter.

* TragicVillain: Renfield. He's just an estate agent goes to visit Dracula so the latter can claim ownership of Carfax Abbey. But then Dracula decides to drug and turn him into his sycophant slave whose only purpose is to serve his master. And he's still a brainwashed slave when Dracula finally kills him. (And with "all that blood on [his] hands", implying possible damnation in the hereafter.)

* TragicVillain: Renfield. He's just an estate agent goes to visit Dracula so the latter can claim ownership of Carfax Abbey. But then Dracula decides to drug and turn him into his sycophant slave whose only purpose is to serve his master. And he's still a brainwashed slave when Dracula finally kills him. (And with blood on his hands, implying possible damnation in the hereafter.)

* TragicVillain: Renfield. He was just an estate agent who only went to visit Dracula so the latter can calim ownership of Carfax Abbey. But then Dracula decides to drug and turn him into his sycophant slave who's only purpose was to serve his master. And then he dies as a brainwashed slave.

* HorrorDoesntSettleForSimpleTuesday: It's [[UsefulNotes/{{Walpurgisnacht}} Walpurgis Night]] when Renfield arrives at Transylvania.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Apart from making the disgusting, murderous and old Dracula from the book into a sex symbol, the 60-year-old Renfield is played by the handsome 31-year-old Creator/DwightFrye.

The film was originally planned to be a high-budget adaptation of [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Bram Stoker's original novel]], but due to TheGreatDepression, it was instead adapted from [[Theatre/Dracula1924 a popular stage play of the time]] (written by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, and starring Lugosi in its Broadway production) on a fairly low budget. However, the producers did manage to collect enough money to construct the elaborate sets for the early Transylvania scenes. Tod Browning, who had proven himself in the vampire genre with ''Film/LondonAfterMidnight'' some years prior, served as director; and several elements of the earlier film reappear in ''Dracula'', such as the armadillos and the look of the female vampires.

The film was originally planned to be a high-budget adaptation of [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Bram Stoker's original novel]], but due to TheGreatDepression, it was instead adapted from [[Theatre/Dracula1924 a popular stage play of the time]] (written by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, and starring Lugosi in its Broadway production) on a fairly low budget. However, the producers did manage to collect enough money to film some of the early Transylvania scenes. Tod Browning, who had proven himself in the vampire genre with ''Film/LondonAfterMidnight'' some years prior, directed the film. Several elements of that film reappear in ''Dracula'', such as the armadillos and the look of the female vampires.

A Spanish-language version, ''Drácula'', was shot at night on the same sets with different actors; it's often claimed to be the superior film (mostly for its cinematography, pacing, and atmosphere), lacking only an actor of Lugosi's magnetism playing the Count. Instead it was Carlos Villarías playing Dracula, with Lupita Tovar as "Eva" rather than Mina. Barry Norton plays "Juan" Harker. George Melford directed. Both the Browning and the Melford versions of ''Dracula'' are in the UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry, the Anglo version having been inducted in 2000 and the Spanish version in 2015.

Being bored with Transylvania, Count Dracula (Lugosi) decides to move to London for some fresh blood. After making the preliminary arrangements with the English solicitor Renfield (Creator/DwightFrye), Dracula makes him his thrall and travels to England by sea, killing the crew of his ship in the process. When he finally arrives in London, he turns Carfax Abbey (the property he bought with Renfield's help) into his new base of operations. He then takes a special interest in Mina Seward (Helen Chandler), who lives at the neighboring sanitarium owned by her father, Dr. Seward (Herbert Bunston), and is engaged to John Harker (David Manners). As victims turn up and Mina begins to act strangely, Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) comes to help...

"[[IDoNotDrinkWine I never drink... wine.]]"''

Being bored with Transylvania, Count Dracula (Lugosi) decides to move to London for some fresh blood. After making the preliminary arrangements with the English solicitor Renfield (Creator/DwightFrye), Dracula makes him his thrall and travels to England by sea, killing the crew of his ship in the process. When he finally arrives in London, he turns Carfax Abbey (the property he bought with Renfield's help) into his base of operations. He then takes special interest in Mina Seward (Helen Chandler), who lives at the neighboring sanitarium owned by her father, Dr. Seward (Herbert Bunston), and is engaged to John Harker (David Manners). As victims turn up and Mina begins to act strangely, Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) comes to help...

* AdaptationalBadass: This version of Dracula killed easily Renfield, who had a superhuman strength. In the [[Literature/{{Dracula}} original novel]], Renfield actually fights against Dracula, and almost "won" until he see his hypnotic eyes.

* AdaptationalWimp: Harker. His role in the film is limited to Mina's {{Love Interest|s}} and [[AgentScully the skeptic]] to Van Helsing's advice.

The film was originally planned to be a high-budget adaptation of [[Literature/Dracula Bram Stoker's original novel]], but due to TheGreatDepression, it was instead adapted from [[Theatre/Dracula1924 a popular stage play of the time]] (written by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, and starring Lugosi in its Broadway production) on a fairly low budget. However, the producers did manage to collect enough money to film some of the early Transylvania scenes. Tod Browning, who had proven himself in the vampire genre with ''Film/LondonAfterMidnight'' some years prior, directed the film. Several elements of that film reappear in ''Dracula'', such as the armadillos and the look of the female vampires.

* AdaptationalBadass: This version of Dracula killed easily Renfield, who had a superhuman strength. In the [[Literature/Dracula original novel]], Renfield actually fights against Dracula, and almost "won" until he see his hypnotic eyes.

* AdaptationalBadass: This version of Dracula killed easily Renfield, who had a superhuman strength. In the [[''Literature/Dracula'' original novel]], Renfield actually fights against Dracula, and almost "won" until he see his hypnotic eyes.

The film was originally planned to be a high-budget adaptation of [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Bram Stoker's original novel]], but due to TheGreatDepression, it was instead adapted from [[Theatre/Dracula1924 a popular stage play of the time]] (written by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, and starring Lugosi in its Broadway production) on a fairly low budget. However, the producers did manage to collect enough money to film some of the early Transylvania scenes. Tod Browning, who had proven himself in the vampire genre with ''Film/LondonAfterMidnight'' some years prior, directed the film. Several elements of that film reappear in ''Dracula'', such as the armadillos and the look of the female vampires.

* TragicVillain: Renfield.

* DemotedToExtra: Jonathan Harker and Dr. Seward were viewpoint characters in the novel, but have significantly reduced roles here thanks to Renfield taking much of Harker's book role and Seward's involvement with Lucy getting cut. Dracula's brides likewise only get a brief scene.

* BarefootCaptive: Eva is barefoot when Dracula kidnaps her near the end of the film, probably to add to her sex appeal.

* AdaptationalVillainy: Renfield is an odd case, being something of a CompositeCharacter. At the start of the movie, Renfield fills the role of Jonathan Harker in the book; a skeptical young solicitor sent to take documents to Count Dracula. Unlike Harker, Renfield is fed upon by Dracula and apparently is largely under his control or possibly even part-cursed with vampirism. The actual Harker in the movie, [[DemotedToExtra is a supporting character]] mostly serving as assistant to Dr. Seward or Dr. Van Helsing, and being properly concerned when Mina is preyed upon by Dracula.

* CompositeCharacter: Renfield combines elements of the novel's Renfield and Harker.

* DemotedToExtra: Jonathan Harker and Dr. Seward were viewpoint characters in the novel, but have significantly reduced roles here thanks to Renfield taking much of Harker's book role and Seward's involvement with Lucy getting cut.