Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
9 used & new from £2.71
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Dracula [DVD] [1931]
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images

Dracula [DVD] [1931]

DVD ~ Bela Lugosi
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £3.98 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £6.01 (60%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually dispatched within 6 to 10 days.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

8 new from £2.71 1 used from £2.86
Learn about Lovefilm
Amazon's choice for DVD rental.
With a 14 day FREE trial. Learn more

Frequently Bought Together

Dracula [DVD] [1931] + Frankenstein [DVD] [1931] + The Mummy [DVD] [1932]
Total RRP: £29.97
Price For All Three: £13.94

Some of these items ship sooner than the others. Show details

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Dracula [DVD] [1931]
81% buy the item featured on this page:
Dracula [DVD] [1931] 3.9 out of 5 stars (16)
£3.98
Dracula/House Of Dracula/Daughter Of Dracula [DVD]
7% buy
Dracula/House Of Dracula/Daughter Of Dracula [DVD] 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£6.58
Frankenstein [DVD] [1931]
4% buy
Frankenstein [DVD] [1931] 4.4 out of 5 stars (9)
£3.98
Classic Frankenstein Triple - Frankenstein/Bride Of Frankenstein/House Of Frankenstein [DVD]
4% buy
Classic Frankenstein Triple - Frankenstein/Bride Of Frankenstein/House Of Frankenstein [DVD] 4.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£6.28
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Actors: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan
  • Directors: Karl Freund, Tod Browning
  • Writers: Bram Stoker, Dudley Murphy, Garrett Fort, Hamilton Deane, John L. Balderston
  • Format: Black & White, PAL
  • Language English, Hungarian
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: Universal Pictures UK
  • DVD Release Date: 1 Nov 2005
  • Run Time: 71 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00006RHUW
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 4,489 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    Popular in these categories:

    #6 in  DVD > Classics > Horror & Suspense
    #6 in  DVD > Horror > Vampires

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
When Universal Pictures picked up the movie rights to a Broadway adaptation of Dracula, they felt secure in handing the property over to the sinister team of actor Lon Chaney and director Tod Browning. But Chaney died of cancer, and Universal hired the Hungarian who had scored a success in the stage play: Béla Lugosi. The resulting film launched both Lugosi's baroque career and the horror-movie cycle of the 1930s. It gets off to an atmospheric start, as we meet Count Dracula in his shadowy castle in Transylvania, superbly captured by the great cinematographer Karl Freund. Eventually Dracula and his blood-sucking devotee (Dwight Frye, in one of the cinema's truly mad performances) meet their match in a vampire-hunter called Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan). If the later sections of the film are undeniably stage bound and a tad creaky, Dracula nevertheless casts a spell, thanks to Lugosi's creepily lugubrious manner and the eerie silences of Browning's directing style. (After a mood-enhancing snippet of Swan Lake under the opening titles, there is no music in the film.) Frankenstein, which was released a few months later, confirmed the horror craze, and Universal has been making money (and countless spin-off projects) from its twin titans of terror ever since. Certainly the role left a lasting impression on the increasingly addled and drug-addicted Lugosi, who was never quite able to distance himself from the part that made him a star. He was buried, at his request, in his black vampire cape. --Robert Horton

Special Features
English
Region 2


See all Reviews

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Frankenstein [DVD] [1931]

Frankenstein [DVD] [1931]

DVD ~ Colin Clive
4.4 out of 5 stars (9)  £3.98
The Mummy [DVD] [1932]

The Mummy [DVD] [1932]

DVD ~ Boris Karloff
4.0 out of 5 stars (8)  £5.98
The Wolf Man [DVD] [1941]

The Wolf Man [DVD] [1941]

DVD ~ Claude Rains
4.2 out of 5 stars (5)  £4.38
Nosferatu (Definitive Fully-restored version with original score) [Masters of Cinema] [1921] [DVD]

Nosferatu (Definitive Fully-restored version with original score) [Masters of Cinema] [1921] [DVD]

DVD ~ Max Schreck
4.4 out of 5 stars (41)  £16.48
Dracula - Prince Of Darkness [DVD] [1965]

Dracula - Prince Of Darkness [DVD] [1965]

DVD ~ Christopher Lee
3.9 out of 5 stars (9)  £3.98
› Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
See all 5 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Great DVD for fans of Dracula., 29 Jan 2003
By A Customer
If you're a fan of Dracula, and particularly this 1931 version, then you should definitely seek this out. Restoration has produced an excellent print with no visible signs of damage. The sound, while never going to be DTS, is perfectly fine.

Extras -
The DVD shows of its true strength as a format with the extras Universal have provided. First, there's an entertaining 45 minute 'making of' documentary, which provides a fascinating insight into the movie's conception and production. There's also a commentary track by film historian David J. Skal, and though while scripted, tells us more than enough about the action on screen. There's the trailer and some production photographs, and last there's the opportunity to have a new orchestral score played with the film as you watch (the original features no music, except the opera scene).

Why not 5 stars?
The Region One version features the complete Spanish version of the movie, shot at the exact same time on the same sets (and reportedly superior) and is referred to frequently throughout the documentary and commentary. Why Universal, after taking so much care over this Region Two verson couldn't have provided us with this further look into Dracula's history is a shame.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Lugosi's sexually ambivalent blood predator still thrills..., 14 Feb 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Dracula (Plus The Making Of) [VHS] [1931] (VHS Tape)
Lugosi is the epitome of urbane menace and Victorian repression-melting sensuality in this classic chiller. He exudes class and sophistication - his much imitated/never bettered accent is essential to this movie's success. An aristocratic old-world psychopath and blood-rapist segues charmingly into the brash, modern, technocratic and meritocratic USA (supposedly a fog-ridden London) of the thirties like some metaphysical terrorist. Dracula prefers the ladies, but his use of Renfield as a blood host and slave indicates a bisexuality that moves beyond the need to feed. He's not just a one-dimensional ham-villain - listen the wistfulness with which he delivers 'to die, to be truly dead, that must be glorious' - a Shakespearian consummation devoutly to be wished. He's victim of an existential nightmare, elegantly clad in evening attire, trapped by darkness, superstitious villagers and his compulsion for blood, a parable of narcotics addiction to which, ironically, Lugosi succumbed towards the end of his life. Surrounded by three sepulchre-clad blood courtesans (who outlive him), his origins are never explained beyond the 'evil of the vampire' rhetoric preached by right-on man of science Van Helsing, who wields his crucifix like an AK 47.
The castle is beautifully done - watch Lugosi glide through automatically opening doors as we wonder what lies beyond. His dramatic exchanges with Van Helsing (Van Sloan) are electric, even now. You hardly ever got this exchange between Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, more's the pity. The sparing use of music helps immeasurably; the use of silence adds a nightmarish quality. Karl Freund's black and white photography is the height of Caligariesque unease. The latter scenes would benefit from a more fluid directorial approach (watch the Spanish version, made at the same time on the same sets to see how this film could have been improved), but Renfield's description of the sea of rats with their red eyes is chilling and beyond criticism. The ending is disappointing - a powerful villain like Dracula needs a better send-off. The underrated and excellent movie with Frank Langella and a hammy Laurence Olivier, made from the same script, shows how this can be done. But the preceding moments with Helen Chandler on the staircase (where he kills his acolyte Renfield, who begs for torture - anything but soulless oblivion) compensate for this.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Disc lacks only one thing..., 4 Feb 2003
By Dennis E. Sisterson (London, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
...namely the Spanish version of the film, included in the US release.
When this film was made in 1930, it was common practice for Hollywood studios to make alternative versions of their films for foreign markets - a Spanish language version of Dracula, with a different cast and crew, was filmed simutaneously, using the same sets and script but working at night with a different cast and crew.
The Spanish version was included in the US release of this disc but someone in their wisdom has decided not to include it in the region 2 release. For that reason this is a very frustrating DVD - especially since the US disc is now unavailable.
Moving away from that point of contention, this is a very good DVD of an historic film with a memorable star performance, which is still very creepy and atmospheric if you can overlook its primitive technical level and stagey production. The commentary adds immeasurably to the viewer's appreciation, and the alternative soundtrack with Philip Glass's new musical score gives an additional, haunting dimension to the film, complementing Lugosi's theatrical manner rather nicely, though purists might find it a little inappropriate or intrusive. Definitely a worthwhile addition though.
An essential addition for any collector of classic movies - but again, very, very disappointing and frustrating that the Spanish version isn't here - especially since the commentary repeatedly refers to it and presupposes that the viewer has it to hand. When are we ever going to stop getting inferior releases over here?
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars classic lugosi.
other reviewers have reviewed the movie and other editions of this classic but none have actually reviewed the version shown in the graphics. Read more
Published 3 hours ago by ciaran moore

3.0 out of 5 stars And the winner is...Dracula
Firstly let me start with the Tod Browning/Bela Lugosi English language version (ELV). It's a landmark film being the first conventional version of Dracula, the first major film... Read more
Published 11 months ago by P. Kenton

3.0 out of 5 stars Why the missing Spanish version ???
I echo A Customer's review.. This is a great dvd with one major flaw: the missing Spanish version of Dracula that is included on the Region 1 edition of this release. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Jay65

2.0 out of 5 stars Dracula (1931)
Having watched a lot of the old Universal horror classics recently, i considered myself suitably prepared for this outing. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Wayne Jefferies

5.0 out of 5 stars I never drink... wine
Bram Stoker's vampire novel has been remade dozens of times, but perhaps the best adaptation is the classic Bela Lugosi version. Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2007 by E. A Solinas

3.0 out of 5 stars not the classic it was meant to be.
a rather disappointing and ameteurish adaptation of the novel and stage play, this version of "dracula" could have been so much more. Read more
Published on 14 Nov 2006 by Mr. A. E. Ward Davies

3.0 out of 5 stars Lost Snuff Movie of the 1930s
This movie now seems very dated, much more so than Frankenstein which was made in the same year. There are four reasons for this: (1) the lack of music; (2) the fact that it was... Read more
Published on 21 Jul 2004 by Captain Cook

5.0 out of 5 stars The English and Spanish versions of the Universal classic
Bela Lugosi simply is Count Dracula; his brilliant performance in this 1931 classic, the first supernatural-based "talkie," defined the role, and - somewhat unfortunately - the... Read more
Published on 15 May 2004 by Daniel Jolley

3.0 out of 5 stars creaky but ground breaking
A Romania vampire leaves his Carpathian home to seek fresh blood in the streets of London.

As Universal's original and ground-breaking monster movie, Dracula is a pivotal moment... Read more

Published on 11 May 2004 by tony mac

5.0 out of 5 stars old classic scrubs up nicely
the new soundtrack is terrific and the film looks better than ever. great restoration work - thoroughly enjoyable.
Published on 10 Jul 2003

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

›Shop The Body Shop

  

Up to 75% off Shoes

Shoe Clearance - 75% off Shoes
Save up to 75% on shoes for the whole family.

›Shop clearance shoes

  

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

›Shop now

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates