Count Dracula Goes to the Movies

Stoker's Novel Adapted, 3d ed.

First published in 1897, Bram Stoker’s Dracula has never been out of print. Yet most people are familiar with the title character from the movies. Count Dracula is one of the most-filmed literary characters in history—but has he (or Stoker’s novel) ever been filmed accurately? In its third edition, this study focuses on 18 adaptations of Dracula from 1922 to 2012, comparing them to the novel and to each other. Fidelity to the novel does not always guarantee a good movie, while some of the better films are among the more freely adapted. The Universal and Hammer sequels are searched for traces of Stoker, along with several other films that borrow from the novel. The author concludes with a brief look at four latter-day projects that are best dismissed or viewed for ironic laughs.