Hammer’s debut vampire movie featuring Christopher Lee as the Count. Released in 1958 with Terence Fisher at the helm, "Horror of Dracula" follows Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) who journeys to Dracula's castle under the guise of a librarian. Afterward, the Prince of Darkness moves on to Karlstadt, Germany, where he preys upon Harker’s fiancée, Lucy (Carol Marsh), and her family members, Arthur & Mina (Michael Gough & Melissa Stribling). Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), an expert in vampirism and a friend of Harker's, arrives to attempt to stop the Count’s reign of terror. Hammer Studios created nine Dracula films between 1958 and 1974: "Horror of Dracula" (1958); "The Brides of Dracula" (1960); "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" (1966); "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" (1968); "Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1969); "Scars of Dracula" (1970); "Dracula AD 1972" (1972); "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" (1973); and "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires" (1974). Christopher Lee portrayed the Count in all of these films with the exception of "The Brides of Dracula" and "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires." Those who enjoy Hammer Studios often consider this initial film in the series to be a strong one, marking Lee's first appearance as Dracula. It has the standard elements that fans expect: striking Gothic atmosphere, vivid colors, appearances by Lee & Cushing, and attractive female characters. Lee’s portrayal of the Count is also a standout feature, along with what’s considered an impressive horror score composed by James Bernard. However, I find the shortened story, which draws from Stoker's novel, to be somewhat disappointing, and it suffers from limitations common in 1950s filmmaking. One odd alteration occurs here: In the book, the narrative begins in Transylvania, moves to England with Dracula traveling to London, and then returns to Transylvania for a final confrontation. Coppola’s 1992 film followed this European journey, but Hammer opted to simplify the setting, compressing travel time into something resembling a trip to a theme park rather than an accurate depiction of distance. The story starts near Klausenburg, which was the capital of Transylvania in Central Romania and had Dracula's castle close by, before shifting to Karlstadt, located in South-Central Germany—roughly 750 miles from Klausenburg in reality—but portrayed as just a short carriage ride away, maybe around 20 miles. The movie has a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes and was filmed entirely in Bray, Berkshire, England. The writing credits go to Jimmy Sangster (screenplay) and Bram Stoker (novel). Grade: B-

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