Dracula On Film & On Stage

In the novel Dracula, the main character is first described as being a "tall old man, clean shaven, save for a long white mustache and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of color about him anywhere."  Later, when he appears in England , he seems younger, and is described as "a tall thin man, with a beaky nose and black mustache and pointed beard... His face was not a good face.  It was hard, and cruel, and sensual, and big white teeth,that looked all the whiter because his lips were so red, were pointed like an animal's."  In fact, Stoker has Dracula sporting a large and bushy Victorian mustache, having massive eyebrows, and dense, curly hair - not to mention sharp white teeth, particularly the canines.  He is not especially pale, but he is usually well dressed.
  The first motion pictures depicting Count Dracula appeared in 1922 - the first, Dracula's Death, was a Hungarian production and greatly changed from the novel; the second, Nosferatu, which was made in Germany and without the permission of Stoker's family, so a good many things were changed to avoid lawsuits. Nothing of Dracula's Death remains, but Nosferatu survived.

Scene from Nosferatu

   Dracula was next seen on the London stage, portrayed by Raymond Huntley in 1924.  Huntley reputedly wore his own tuxedo and opera cape in his role.

   In the United States, Dracula was performed by Bela Lugosi, first on stage, and then, on film in 1931:

Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and werewolves became big production themes in movies.  Then they became "tired" and over-used...  Then a series of new Dracula films were made, starring Christoper Lee, and frightening, bloody, gory Dracula portrayals were again popular.

In the 1980s and '90s, Dracula seemed to become a romantic idea, and the way Frank Langella portrayed  the Count made a lot of women want to become his victims...

Then, in the late 1990s and early part of the new millennium, we had The Master in Buffy the Vampire Slayer on television.  Rudolph Martin played the leader of all vampires...

  There has been an army of vampire novels written since the late 1970s that are easily accessible to readers everywhere.  My favorite (of course) is Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Saint Germain series - more for the history and insights of different cultures at different times, as well as the excellent writing and the chance to see the Count grow in his un-dead "humanity."  Charlaine Harris' first few Sookie Stackhouse books had me in stitches - especially the ones that reference Bubba (Elvis is a failed vampire!).  Anne Rice  cannot keep my attention.  And I have to admit that I haven't read any of the "Twilight" series....

    Sitting here, looking at Rudolph Martin's vampire photo makes me wonder when and how the plump, well-fed, dark visaged vampires of legend turned into the thin white wraiths that are generally portrayed today.