A Short History of Dracula on Screen

Drinking blood makes Dracula immortal, but so have films. Ahead of Nicolas Cage playing the Count in the upcoming horror comedy Renfield, we take a look at Dracula’s bloody history throughout cinema

Words: Ross McIndoe

Nicolas Cage is preparing to sink his teeth into another meaty role as he dons the pointed teeth and deathly pallor of Count Dracula. However, in the case of Chris McKay’s upcoming action-comedy Renfield, it will actually be the legendary vampire’s long-suffering servant (played by Nicholas Hoult) who takes centre stage.

And that is fine because, as famous as he is for sticking to the shadows, Dracula has already spent more than his fair share of time in the limelight. In fact, a fascination with the Dark Lord clearly runs in Nicolas Cage’s blood because his uncle Francis Ford Coppola brought Bram Stoker’s Dracula to the big screen back in 1992. Gary Oldman was the one biting necks and chewing scenery in that adaptation, complete with a fetching heartshaped hairdo and a scarlet robe which fans of The Simpsons will also recognise from an early Treehouse of Horror.

But Dracula’s cinematic history naturally goes far further back than that. Last year, Scottish filmgoers were given a great opportunity to chase his lineage all the way to 1922 with several screenings of the iconic silent film Nosferatu, complete with a live soundtrack from multi-instrumentalist David Allison. This unofficial adaptation of Stoker’s tale is one of the true patriarchs of horror cinema, the original vampire that would sire a legion of others in the century that followed. And, as Chris McKay no doubt noted while planning his more light-hearted take on the Count, Nosferatu also shows off what a hilarious little freak Dracula can be.

Those looking to hear the screams of his victims would have to wait until 1931 when Universal Pictures delivered the first sound film adaptation of Stoker’s novel, led by the immortal Bela Lugosi. The film was a smash hit, leading to a series of sequels and firmly establishing Dracula as a staple of horror cinema for evermore.

At this point, it’s clear that the Americans know their way around a vampire story, but tales about pasty aristocrats who live forever inside palatial homes while sucking the lifeblood out of the country’s common folk have always seemed to strike a chord in Britain as well. Can’t imagine why.

In 1958, Hammer Film Productions recruited Count Dracula to hang out with Frankenstein and the Wolfman, turning to the UK’s James Bond-inspiring, Nazi-killing, Heavy Metal album-recording legend, Christopher Lee for the lead role. Facing off against fellow future Star Wars alum Peter Cushing, Lee’s signature booming voice and towering screen presence helped Dracula to break box office records and his depiction of the character proved so hypnotising that he would continue reprising the role until 1973.

While the Hammer films focused on Dracula as the debonair villain who transfixed his victims with his devilish charms, Werner Herzog returned to its more explicitly monstrous roots for Nosferatu the Vampyre in 1979, with his constant collaborator and sometimes mortal enemy Klaus Kinski in the lead role. That transformative quality has been a key part of Dracula’s cinematic immortality, allowing him to trade blows with action heroes in Blade: Trinity and deliver family-friendly one-liners in Hotel Transylvania. His shadowy silhouette looms larger than almost any figure in the horror canon and with over a century of starring roles on his resume, it seems unlikely he’ll be turning into dust any time soon.

All in all, it’s about time someone put this undead diva back in his place, and we can all look forward to seeing Renfield give his boss a piece of his mind. Although judging by the deliciously grisly trailer, that might not be the only body part he ends up surrendering.

Renfield is released 14 Apr by Universal