The experience was enhanced by a wonderful live piano performance, which truly highlighted the appeal of silent films and the skill of a pianist capable of playing continuously for seventy-five minutes. While Bela Lugosi is listed as the main star portraying the title character, I believe the film ultimately centered on his assistant, "Renfield," played with enjoyment by Dwight Frye. He's depicted as an unassuming estate agent who arrives at Castle Dracula and quickly becomes captivated by his new employer, who intends to travel to “Carfax Abbey” in England along with his three wives, and cause some classic mayhem! It’s “Mina” (Helen Chandler) who soon catches his attention, and it's up to her lover "Harker" (David Manners) and the skilled vampire-hunter "Van Helsing" (Edward Van Sloan) to attempt a rescue before everyone is turned into vampires. Lugosi’s performance feels stiff; however, the frequent spotlight on his eyes does succeed in creating a noticeable feeling of threat as his carefully dressed count consumes victims late at night. The flying bat suspended by string isn't quite as silly as one might anticipate, and overall, the film's visual impact—though certainly simple—is rather effective when the music carries most of the weight. This narrative has always been best suited to black-and-white cinematography, and even after ninety years, it remains a very entertaining movie to see on the big screen.

Source on TMDB