When author Bram Stoker published his gothic horror novel in 1897, it was a critical, but not a commercial success. It was not until film adaptations began to appear that the character of Count Dracula tightened his grip on the imaginations of society. Little did Victorian readers know that the story of the vampire who attempts to move from Transylvania to England, to walk among the “teeming millions”, would pave the way for the glut of vampire tales that recently crowded our cinemas.
The first film adaptation of Dracula technically appeared in 1922 with Nosferatu – although, being made without permission, many aspects of the story were changed to avoid legal wrangling, including the name of the vampire to Count Orlok. Since the first legal adaptation – Dracula in 1931 – over 215 films have featured the character of Dracula in a major role, making him second only to Sherlock Holmes in the ranking of “most portrayed” character.
Depicted in cinema by everyone from Bela Lugosi to Christopher Lee, and from Peter Cushing to Gary Oldman – Dracula has long had far-reaching influence. He has stalked into our nightmares in countless Hammer Horror films, and stealthily appeared in more faithful adaptations, such as Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He has received the parody treatment at the hands of Mel Brooks, in 1995’s Dracula: Dead and Loving It, and effectively spawned the 2000 film The Shadow Of The Vampire, which presents a fictional account of the filming of Nosferatu. His reach beyond cinema into other media and society in general is without limit.
The reason behind our unending fascination with this horrific creation can be found in the same place as our frequent patronage of films like Paranormal Activity and The Conjuring – it is tucked away in the darkest corners, or hidden under the bed. This character – that so perfectly combines the gentlemanly and considerate with the powerful and murderous – is the ultimate cautionary tale. Nowhere else in fiction – literary or cinematic – will you find a greater embodiment of the knowledge that people are sometimes not what they seem to be.