Dracula's Daughter

Dracula's Daughter is an American feature film of the horror genre. It is a direct sequel to the 1931 movie Dracula and is loosely based on the short story "Dracula's Guest" by Bram Stoker. The film was directed by Lambert Hillyer with a screenplay written by Garrett Fort, based on a story treatment written by John L. Balderston, suggested by Oliver Jeffries.

Plot
In the crypts beneath Carfax Abbey, Professor Von Helsing drives a wooden stake into the heart of the vampire lord known as Dracula. He is promptly arrested for the crime and brought to Scotland Yard, where he is interrogated by the Yard's commissioner, Sir Basil Humphrey. Humphrey accuses him of committing murder, but Von Helsing defends his position, citing that Dracula was a vampire, and as such, a creature of the undead. Humphrey tells him that there are only two ways this will end for him: at the gallows, or in an asylum. He then asks him if he has considered legal representation. Von Helsing intends on contacting one of his old students, a psychiatrist named Doctor Jeffrey Garth.

Meanwhile, Dracula's daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden), with the aid of her manservant, Sandor (Irving Pichel), steals Dracula’s body from Scotland Yard and ritualistically burns it, hoping to break her curse of vampirism. However, Sandor soon makes her realize that her thirst for blood has not been quenched and that all that is in her eyes is "Death". The Countess resumes her hunting, mesmerizing her victims with her exotic jeweled ring. After a chance meeting with Dr. Garth at a society party, the Countess asks him to help her overcome the influence she feels from beyond the grave. The doctor advises her to defeat her cravings by confronting them and the Countess becomes hopeful that her will plus Dr. Garth's science will be strong enough to overcome Dracula's malevolence.

The Countess sends Sandor to fetch her a model to paint; he returns with Lili (Nan Grey). Countess Zaleska initially resists her urges but succumbs and attacks Lili. Although the girl survives the attack, when Dr. Garth tries to hypnotize her to learn what happened, she suffers heart failure and dies. As the Countess comes to accept that a cure is not possible — and the doctor discovers the truth about her condition — she lures him to Transylvania by kidnapping Janet (Marguerite Churchill), the woman he loves. She intends to transform him into a vampire to be her eternal companion; Dr. Garth agrees to exchange his life for Janet's. Before he can be transformed, Countess Zaleska is destroyed when Sandor shoots her through the heart with an arrow as revenge for her breaking her promise to make him immortal. He takes aim at Dr. Garth but is shot dead by a policeman.

Notes & Trivia

 * Dracula's Daughter (1936) redirects to this page.


 * Copyright: MCMXXVI by Universal Productions, Inc.


 * This film is certificate approval number: 2019.


 * This movie is featured on disc two, side one of the Dracula: The Legacy Collection DVD set. It is identified as a bonus feature film. The original theatrical trailer to the movie accompanies this film.


 * Principal photography on Dracula's Daughter began on February 4th, 1936. Filming concluded on March 10th, 1936.


 * Former MGM and RKO Pictures executive David O. Selznick is credited as Oliver Jeffries in this film. The treatise for this film is based on his suggestion.


 * Executive producer Harry Zehner is uncredited for his participation in this film. This is his only known film work.


 * Composer Heinz Roemheld is uncredited for his participation in this film.


 * Contributing script writers for this movie, which went through numerous re-writes before receiving certification approval include Charles Belden, Finley Peter Dunne, Kurt Neumann and head staff writer, R.C. Sherriff. All of these men were uncredited in the final presentation of this film.


 * Actor Otto Kruger receives top billing on the film over that of Gloria Holden.


 * Actor Halliwell Hobbes is credited as Halliwell Hobbs in this film.


 * Actress Nan Grey is credited as Nan Gray in this film.


 * Actor Claud Allister is credited as Claude Allister in this film.


 * Dracula's Daughter was filed with the U.S. Copyright office (LP6370) on May 20th, 1936.


 * Principal photography on Dracula's Daughter began on February 4th, 1936. Final shooting concluded on March 10th, 1936.


 * In the film, Marya Zeleska's name is listed as Countess Marya Zeleska (Dracula's Daughter) in the film's closing credits.

Fun Facts

 * The tagline for the film that appeared on theatrical posters is, "She gives you that WEIRD feeling". Another tagline is, "Look out! She'll get you!"


 * Dissolving blurbs on the Realart re-release of Dracula's Daughter trailer include, "The dead return to plague the earth...", "Dracula's Daughter - strikes the living with all her father's cunning!", "Terror... the gift of Dracula grips..", and "More exciting than 'Dracula'".


 * In the theatrical trailer, Nan Grey's name is mis-spelled as Nan Gray.


 * At the time of its release, Dracula's Daughter had the highest production budget of any Universal Pictures film to date, with a final tally of $278,000.


 * Marya Zeleska is the first female lead in a Universal Pictures horror film and the first female supernatural creature to serve as the central antagonist in such a film.


 * Marya Zeleska was quite skilled at playing the piano.


 * Some film historians have attributed a homosexual quality to Marya Zeleska. While this may be something of a stretch, there is a heightened sense of intimacy between Zeleska and the model Lili when she is asking her to disrobe. However, these connotations are extremely subtle and is not enough to divert the viewer from the fact that she developed a romantic interest in Jeffrey Garth.


 * During the party scene, Lady Esme Hammond offers Marya a drink, to which she replies, "I never drink... wine". This is a nod to her more infamous father's line in Dracula when offered a drink by Renfield in the first act of the film. Oddly enough though, Marya is then seen holding a cup of tea only moments later.

Incongruities

 * Is Marya Zeleska truly the daughter of Dracula? The movie does not clarify whether or not she is Dracula's birth daughter, or merely just his vampire daughter; or perhaps, both.


 * As the daughter of Dracula, Marya Zeleska's nationality would be Transylvanian. However, at Lady Esme Hammond's ball, she is introduced as Hungarian. This could be explained in that Zeleska was Hungarian on her mother's side, or perhaps she was simply lying.


 * Professor Von Helsing posits that Marya is one-hundred-years old. How he came upon this summation is unclear, and he appeared to be simply guessing her age. If there is any validity to Von Helsing's claim, then this presents an entirely new issue. As he has also stated that Dracula is over 500-years-old, it would be impossible for him to have a biological daughter who is only 100. If the family lineage is intended strictly a vampiric relationship however, then does not present a problem.


 * Other than Zeleska's victims possessing the trademark puncture wounds upon their throats, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Marya is actually a vampire (other than her say so). She exhibits none of the traditional vampire characteristics such as bearing fangs, transforming into a bat, or even hypnosis. To accomplish this latter feat, Marya used a ring to bewitch her intended targets.

Quotes

 * Marya Zeleska: Possibly there are more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in your psychiatry, Mr. Garth.

....
 * Marya Zeleska: Sandor, look at me. What do you see in my eyes?
 * Sandor: Death.

....
 * Jeffrey Garth: You know, this is the first woman's flat I've been in that didn't have at least twenty mirrors in it.

....
 * Lady Esme Hammond: Sherry, Marya?
 * Marya Zeleska: Thank you, I never drink... wine.

....
 * Lili: Why are you looking at me that way? Will I do?
 * Marya Zeleska: Yes, you'll do very well indeed. Do you like jewels, Lily? It's very old and very beautiful, I'll show it to you.
 * Lili: I think I'll pass tonight. I think I'll go if you don't mind... Please don't come any closer!

....
 * Marya Zeleska: Her pulse is weak Doctor Garth... growing weaker. All your skill can't help her now. She's under a spell that can be broken only by me... or death.

....
 * Jeffrey Garth: Where's Janet?
 * Marya Zeleska: Safe... so far.
 * Jeffrey Garth: If you've harmed her.
 * Marya Zeleska: You're not in London now Doctor Garth with your police. You're in Transylvania in my castle.

....
 * Marya Zeleska: Be thou exorcised oh Dracula, and thy body long undead find destruction throughout eternity in the name of thy dark unholy Master. In the name of the oh holiest and through this cross be the evil spirit cast out until the end of time.

Keywords
Birds; Bow and arrow; Brook's Book Shop; Butler; Carfax Abbey; Carriage; Castle; Castle Dracula; Chelsea; Coachman; Coffin; Corpse; Countess; Crucifix; Doctor; Dogs; Dracula; England; Essex; Gunshot victims; Hospital; Hypnosis; Innkeeper; Inspector; London; Marya Zeleska's ring; North Yorkshire; Nurse; Occult; Police constable; Priest; Professor; Psychiatrist; Purfleet; Rats; Romania; Scarborough; Scholar; Scotland; Scotland Yard; Sergeant; Servant; Smoking; Socialite; St. Mary's Hospital; Surgeon; Transylvania; Vampire mesmerism; Vampires; Whitby; Whitby Jail; Wolves