USA, 1935
60m
35mm film, black and white, 1.37:1
mono, English
An American horror film directed by Tod Browning.
Plot Summary
Count Mora is greatly feared in his native land, the villagers surrounding his castle believing him to be a vampire. When he appears to kill Sir Karell Borotyn and to turn his attentions to his daughter, Irena, vampire expert and hypnotist Professor Zelen steps in to protect her. But is everything exactly as it seems, and indeed are any of these people who they really claim to be…?
Credits
* = uncredited
Crew
Tod Browning's production
Copyright MCMXXXV [1935] in U.S.A. by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents. Controlled by Loew's Incorporated
Producer: E.J. Mannix *
Screen Play by: Guy Endore and Bernard Schubert
Adaptation: Guy Endore *
Additional Dialogue: H.S. Kraft, Samuel Ornitz, John L. Balderston *
Story: Tod Browning *
Original Fictionalisation: Edwin V. Burkholder *
Assistant Director: Harry Sharrock *
Photographed by: James Wong Howe
Film Editor: Ben Lewis
Music: Herbert Stothart *, Edward Ward *
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Western Electric Sound System
Gowns by: Adrian
Make Up: Jack Dawn *
Art Director: Cedric Gibbons
Associates: Harry Oliver, Edwin B. Willis
Cast
Lionel Barrymore (Professor Zelen)
Elizabeth Allan (Irene Borotyn)
Bela Lugosi (Count Mora)
Lionel Atwill (Police Inspector Neumann)
Jean Hersholt (Baron Otto von Zinden)
Henry Wadsworth (Fedor Vincenté)
Donald Meek (Dr J. Doskil)
Jessie Ralph (midwife) 1Ralph is credited on-screen as a “midwife” but is clearly seen in a graveyard as a gypsy apparently collecting firewood. Another actress, Louise Emmons is actually playing the midwife in the opening scenes.
Ivan Simpson (Jan the butler)
Franklyn Ardell (Barney the chauffeur)
Leila Bennett (Maria)
June Gittelson (Annie the maid)
Carroll Borland (Luna Mora)
Holmes Herbert (Sir Karell Borotyn)
Michael Visaroff (innkeeper)
Alternative Titles
Vampires of Prague – early title
Das Zeichen des Vampirs – Germany
Links
Remake of
London after Midnight (1927)
Extracts included in
Fade to Black (1980)
Vincent Price's Dracula (1982)
References
Periodicals
- Castle of Frankenstein no.4 p.7
- Castle of Frankenstein no.17 p.60
- Fangoria vol.7 no.63 (May 1987) pp.48-49, 67 – illustrated interview with Carroll Borland (Queen Mother of the vampires by Roy Kinnard)
- Filmfax no.46 (August/September 1994) p.12 – illustrated book review (Cinema sourcebook by David J. Hogan)
- Filmfax no.72 (April/May 1999) p.43 – illustrated article (Mark of the Vampire by Anthony Slide)
- Legend no.28 (1999) p.38 – soundtrack review (CD Reviews by Graham Watt)
- Monsters from the Vault no.2 p.7 – review
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.2 no.16 (May 1935) p.55 – credits, synopsis, review
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.46 no.542 (March 1979) p.59 – credits, synopsis, review (by Tom Milne)
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.46 no.543 (April 1979) p.256 – illustrated article (Guy Endore: Printing the Legend by Tom Milne)
- Photon no.23 (1973) pp.36-45 – illustrated filmography (Tod Browning – a filmography by Bill Nelson)
- Shivers no.44 (August 1997) pp.48-51 – illustrated article (That weird feeling by Jonathan Rigby)
- We Belong Dead no.30 (Winter 2021) pp. 5-11- illustrated article (London After… No, the remake… Mark of the Vampire: Re-examining a horror classic by Matthew E. Banks)
Books
- After Dracula: The 1930s Horror Film by Alison Peirse pp.127-152, 173-174
- The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror (2nd edition) p.63 – illustrated review, credits
- Censored Screams: The British Ban on Hollywood Horror in the Thirties by Tom Johnson pp.103, 106, 118, 137, 138, 163; 192-193 – notes; credits
- Cinematic Vampires by John L. Flynn pp.45-47
- Dracula in Visual Media: Film, Television, Comic Book and Electronic Game Appearances, 1921-2010 by John Edgar Browning and Caroline Joan (Kay) Picart pp.119-121
- English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby pp.25, 62
- Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby p.185
- Golden Horrors: An Illustrated Critical Filmography, 1931-1939 by Bryan Sennp.264-276
- Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991-1992 p.232 – review, credits
- Hollywood Cauldron: Thirteen Films from the Genre's Golden Age by Gregory William Mank pp.89-120
- Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.248
- Horrorshows: The A-Z of Horror in Film, TV, Radio and Theatre by Gene Wright p.189-190 – credits, review
- The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide by Stephen Jones p.19 – credits, review
- Recovering 1940s Horror Cinema: Traces of a Lost Decade by Mario DeGiglio-Bellemare, Charlie Ellbé and Kristopher Woofter (eds.) pp.272, 281
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.290 – credits
- Sound Films, 1927-1939: A United States Filmography by Alan G. Fetrow p.406
- Top 100 Horror Movies by Gary Gerani pp.28-29 – illustrated credits, synopsis, review
