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Steve-Calvert.co.uk
A Passion For Horror
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Count Dracula (1977)Dircted by Philip Saville
There have been countless adaptations of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Some of them are more watchable than others, some border on the unbearable, and a few even cross that border and are less undead than they are just dead. Or should that be dud. The 1977 version produced by the BBC and called Count Dracula, is one of the better versions. Perhaps even the best. Louis Jourdan does not, perhaps look the part in quite the same way that Lugosi does in the 1931 version, neither is he quite as terrifying as Christopher Lee is in his contributions to the Dracula franchise. Jourdan's Dracula, by contrast, exudes a quieter kind of evil. A calculating, educated evil with a confidence and purpose all of its own. Count Dracula was originally released as a TV series and many people will tell you that it is truer to the original story than any of the others versions are. I would quite happily stand behind those people and back them up. A little bit of creative license has been used in places, though. Mina and Lucy, for instance, are sisters instead of just friends, and Arthur Holmwood and Quincy P. Morris are amalgamated into a single character called Quincy Holmwood. But, so what, this is a minor deviation when compared with some versions of the story.
When the Count opens the door for Jonathan Harker, there is
nothing strange or evil-looking about him. He is just a man, but soon
establishes himself to be no normal man when he insists on being the
perfect host and carrying his guest's trunk up to his room for him. The
viewer has just witnessed Harker's struggle with the trunk as he dragged
its heavy ass across the courtyard and yet the Count picks it up as if it
were an empty cardboard box and, holding it out in front of his carries it
up the stone staircase without even breaking a sweat. The following day, while Harker is shaving, Dracula appears
behind him, but casts no reflection in the mirror. Harker is, as you can
imagine, slightly gob-struck by this. Unlike in some versions,
though, Dracula does not fly off into a rage at this point, he
is instead merely amused and, picking up the mirror, he passes his
hand in front of it a few times, even tapping on the glass. "Stupid
things," he says. "Shouldn't trust them." And he tosses the mirror out of
the window. Then the Count notices that Harker has cut himself and
the young man probably never realizes just what a close shave he has had,
because it is only the sight of the cross around Harker's neck that keeps
the Count at bay. Although Count Dracula was originally aired on a weekend, at around teatime, it is quite a scary version of the classic story. One reason for this is because the cast are so convincing. Judi Bowker makes an excellent Mina and if she looks a little familiar it is probably because she was also the young lady who played Vicky Gordon in the LWT television series The Adventures of Black Beauty. Frank Finlay is a great Van Helsing. In fact, I cannot think of a single actor who has ever played the role better. Finlay's Van Helsing is a methodical man of science, but he has an open mind and is willing to accept the incredible. Yes, this is, I know, all Van Helsings, but few actors have ever played the role so convincingly. Actually, if is of interest, the part of Lucy is taken by Susan Penhaligon who, the previous year had also starred alongside Finlay in the controversial TV series A bouquet of Barbed Wire.
Not only is the cast good, but what with all of the swirling fog this version of Dracula has quite a spooky feel to it. Of course, the choice of background music helps to maintain the effect and the addition of some interesting coloured tints to some of the scenes gives Count Dracula a rather and unique feel to it.
If you enjoy vampire films Count Dracula is a must for your collection and I cannot recommend it enough. Don't just take my word for it though, check out a few other sites and see what other people are saying about it. I had a little look around myself and no one seems to have a bad word to say about it. And why would they? It's great.
CAST Louis Jourdan ... Count
Dracula Bosco Hogan ... Jonathan
Harker
DVD Information:
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It is impossible for me
to forget to mention Jack Shepherd, because he is, without doubt, the best
on-screen embodiment there has ever been of the fly munching Renfield. He
looks gaunt and ill and very strange, but comes across not as the
traditional madman, but as an educated and intelligent man who has a
strange mental link with the Count and is, perhaps, as much haunted as he
is disturbed. 
