Plot
Renfield (Dwight Frye) is a solicitor on his way to the Castle belonging to
Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) in Transylvania on a business matter. The people in
the local village are fearful that vampires inhabit the castle and warn
Renfield not to go there. Renfield refuses to stay at the local inn and asks
the driver of the carriage that brought him to the village to take him to the
Borgo Pass. The innkeeper's wife gives Renfield a crucifix for protection
before he leaves. He is driven to the castle by Dracula's coach, with Dracula
himself disguised as the driver. During the trip, Renfield sticks his head out
the window to ask the driver to slow down, but is startled to see that the
driver has disappeared, and a bat is leading the horses.
Renfield enters the castle welcomed by the charming but eccentric Count, who
unbeknownst to Renfield, is a true vampire. They discuss Dracula's intention to
lease Carfax Abbey in London, where he intends to travel the next day. Dracula
then leaves and hypnotizes Renfield into opening a window. He faints as a bat
appears and Dracula's three wives suddenly appear and start to close in on him.
Dracula then arrives and waves them away before he attacks Renfield himself.
Aboard the schooner Vesta, bound for England, Renfield is now a raving lunatic
slave to Dracula, who is hidden in a coffin and gets out for feeding on the
ship's crew. When the ship arrives in England, Renfield is discovered to be the
only living person in it; the captain is lashed on the wheel and none of the
ship's crew is discovered. Renfield is sent to Dr. Seward's sanatorium which is
adjoined with Carfax Abbey.
Some nights later at a London theatre, Dracula meets Dr. Seward (Herbert
Bunston), who is with a group in a box seat area. Seward introduces his
daughter Mina (Helen Chandler), her fiancé John Harker (David Manners), and the
family friend Lucy Weston (Frances Dade). Lucy is fascinated by Count Dracula,
and that night, after Lucy falls asleep in bed, Dracula enters her room as a
bat and feasts on her blood. She dies in an autopsy theatre the next day after
a string of transfusions, and two tiny marks on her throat are discovered.
Renfield has become obsessed with eating flies and spiders and Professor Van
Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) analyzes Renfield's blood and discovers his
obsession. He starts talking about vampires, and that afternoon chats with
Renfield, who begs Dr. Seward to send him away, because his nightly cries may
disturb Mina's dreams. When Dracula awakes and calls Renfield with wolf
howling, Renfield is disturbed by Van Helsing showing him a branch of wolfbane.
Van Helsing says its a plant used for protection from vampires.
Dracula visits Mina, asleep in her bedroom, and bites her, leaving neck marks
similar to those on Lucy. The next evening, Mina tells of a dream in which she
was visited by stranger with 'red eyes and a white, livid face'. Then, Dracula
enters for a night's visit and Van Helsing and Harker notice that Dracula does
not have a reflection in a mirror. When Van Helsing shows this "most amazing
phenomenon" to Dracula, he reacts violently, smashes the mirror and leaves. Van
Helsing deduces that Dracula is the vampire behind the recent tragedies.
Meanwhile, Mina leaves her room and runs to Dracula in the garden, where he
wraps his cape around her and attacks her. She is found moments later by the
house maid and Seward, Van Helsing, and Harker retrieve her, while Dracula
hides behind a tree. Newspapers report that a "mysterious, beautiful woman in
white" has been luring children from the park with chocolate, and then biting
them. Mina recognizes the beautiful lady as Lucy, who has risen as a vampire.
Harker wants to take Mina to London for safety, but he is finally convinced to
leave Mina with them. Van Helsing orders Nurse Briggs (Joan Standing) to take
care of Mina when she is sleeping, and not to remove the wreath of wolfbane
from around her neck.
Renfield escapes from his cell and listens to the three men discussing
vampires. Before Martin (Charles K. Gerrard), his attendant, arrives to take
Renfield back to his cell, Renfield relates to Van Helsing, Harker and Seward
how Dracula convinced Renfield to allow him to enter the sanitorium by
promising him thousands of rats with blood and life in them.
Dracula enters the Seward parlour and talks with Van Helsing. Dracula states
that because he has fused his blood with Mina's, she now belongs to him. Van
Helsing swears revenge by excavating Carfax Abbey and finding the coffin where
he sleeps; he will then thrust a stake through his heart. Dracula tries to
hypnotize Van Helsing, but without success. Van Helsing shows a crucifix to the
vampire and Dracula turns away and flees the house.
Harker visits Mina on a terrace, and Mina speaks of how much she loves "nights
and fogs". Harker notices Mina's changes, not realizing that she is slowly
transforming into a vampire. A bat (Dracula) flies above them and squeaks to
Mina. She then tries to attack Harker but Van Helsing and Dr. Seward arrive
just in time to save him. Mina confesses what Dracula has done to her, and
tries to tell Harker that their love is finished.
Later that night, Dracula hypnotizes Nurse Briggs into removing the wolfbane
wreath from Mina's neck and opening the windows so he can enter. Van Helsing
and Harker see Renfield, having just escaped from his cell, heading for Carfax
Abbey. They see Dracula with Mina in the abbey. When Harker shouts to Mina,
Dracula sees them, thinking Renfield had led them there. He strangles Renfield
and tosses him down a staircase, and is hunted by Van Helsing and Harker.
Dracula is forced to sleep in his coffin, as sunrise has come, and is trapped.
Van Helsing prepares a wooden stake while Harker searches for Mina. Dracula
moans in pain when Van Helsing impales him, and Mina returns to normal. Harker
leaves with her while Van Helsing stays.
------------------------------------
Come one come all Mortals who are willing to stick their neck out for a vampire
to feed upon. We will be willing to share our Dark Gift to you mortals if you
pass our test.Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheDarkGift/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheDarkGift/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
