SYNOPSICS
The Return of Dracula (1958) is a English movie. Paul Landres has directed this movie. Francis Lederer,Norma Eberhardt,Ray Stricklyn,John Wengraf are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1958. The Return of Dracula (1958) is considered one of the best Drama,Horror,Mystery,Romance,Thriller movie in India and around the world.
Count Dracula kills a passenger on a train in Transylvania and assumes his identity. He travels to a small community in California where the Mayberrys are expecting their cousin from Europe. His strange behavior, sleeping all day and going out at night are surprising to young miss Rachel Mayberry. A policeman from Europe comes to investigate while Rachel's best friend Jenny dies unexpectedly. And the count plans on giving Rachel the gift of eternal life...
Same Actors
The Return of Dracula (1958) Reviews
Underrated, scary vampire thriller
Dracula (Francis Lederer) kills a passenger on a train and takes over his identity. He becomes the cousin of an all-American family and stays with them. He's becomes very attracted to his young (17) female cousin and wants her to become his bride... An atmospheric, beautifully directed vampire movie. I saw it many times of TV growing up...it scared me silly! I had nightmares over this one. It still works on me now as an adult. Francis Lederer does a fangtastic job as Dracula. Lederer hated this movie--he claimed it was rushed into production and he was forced to do it. Nonetheless he turns out a great performance. There's no fangs and (except for a brief color insert) no blood, but it still scares. Well worth seeing. SPOILER ALERT!!! Be warned--in original prints there is a brief color insert at the end when a vampire is staked. On TV it was in black & white but restored in the VHS that came out in the 1980s and on the DVD released in 2016. It's not a big deal, but that splash of blood in color really jolts you. Try to see it that way.
An effective and atmospheric chiller.
I first saw this film when it was originally released in 1958 and it literally scared the hell out of me. Once I got significantly older and happened to see it available on video, I purchased it for old times sake. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it had lost not one iota of it's power! The casting of the suave Francis Lederer in the title role was a master stroke. It indeed does bring back memories of the superb "Shadow of a Doubt". Although a low budget entry, it still causes uneasiness to its viewers. Gerald Fried's eerie score is a plus too. It was largely overshadowed in 1958 by the "Horror of Dracula" (also a fine film as any Draculaphile would agree) but it deserves to be recognized as the fine chiller it is. i heartily recommend it to any fan of good thrillers.
This Movie Nearly Scared Me To Death!
I saw this on a revival double feature with I was very young. I don't remember the other picture, but that was the one that I had gone to see. I had no idea about "The Return of Dracula," but Francis Lederer nearly scared me to death. After watching his wonderful performance as Count Dracula, I was literally petrified walking home in the dark. My home was only four blocks from the movie house and I was about ten. Behind every tree, bush or dark spot, I expected Lederer to appear. Boy, was I happy to get back into my house! I was pleased to see it, years later, on television where I taped a very good copy. The movie is still frightening, mainly because of the expert direction, the creepy score and the total dedication of the actors. Norma Eberhardt was both beautiful and believable as Rachel, the young "cousin" who had a slight crush on Lederer. Her horny boyfriend, played by Ray Stricklyn, was appropriately jealous and Virginia Vincent ("Helen Morgan Story," "I Want to Live!") as Jennie Blake, the blind girl who became one of Lederer's victims, were both very effective. Miss Eberhardt had the stuff to become a big star, what happened? Francis Lederer, with his craggy face, watery eyes, was downright "pornographic" when he gazed into Rachel's eyes. You just KNOW he wanted her sexually, not just for her blood. With such piffle as "Dead Man Walk" with George Zucco out on DVD, this wonderfully scary film deserves the same respect. DON'T MISS THIS ONE! And, don't watch it alone!
Surprisingly effective and stylish low-budget horror
I picked up The Return of Dracula on a whim for $5 at The Warehouse, expecting it to be a silly old B-movie. What a surprise I got. I usually can't stand vampire movies (George Romero's Martin is my idea of a really good one), but this is one of the best I've seen. Visually, it's stylish and atmospheric. The script is above average. The music is effective, if a little pompous and overbearing at times. What makes the movie really click, though, is Francis Lederer as Dracula. His portrayal of fangface is as good as any I've ever seen. The rest of the cast are competent, which makes them well above average for this sort of thing. The famed colour insert was present in my cheapo copy, which made up for the somewhat dodgy sound quality. Some of the scare scenes hold up quite well even 40+ years on. I'd recommend Return of Dracula highly to anyone who enjoys classy old B&W horror.
Hitchcock Meets Dracula
Indeed this is a vampiric version of SHADOW OF A DOUBT. Nonetheless it is a fun romp and a tremendous performance by Francis Lederer as Count Dracula who has assumed the identity of Belloq Gordal, a Hungarian visiting his Southern California family. There is a wonderful "Dies Irae" score by Gerald Fried and excellent performances and atmosphere throughout. There is a color insert shot of the staking of a vampire woman that is also fun. This film is another in the Fifties canon of cult horror which deserves classic status of sorts. One can almost imagine Joseph Cotten in the titular role, though. The comparison between this film and SHADOW will be obvious, but who cares?