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There are no characters more popular and commonplace during the Halloween season quite like Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster. One is a vampire out for blood, the other is the combination of dead body parts brought back to life. Since their creation in the 1800s by authors Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, Dracula and Frankenstein have haunted the imaginations of millions, and with the innovation of film, they have become more prominent staples of popular culture than ever. Being such iconic and yet very unique figures, one can’t help but wonder what would happen if the two were ever to interact. Many have attempted to answer this question over the years, and the subject of today’s discussion, the classic “Dracula and Frankenstein”, is the product of one of those attempts.
As she looks for her sister Joanie, who had gone missing after joining a community of hippies in Venice, California, young Judith discovers the maniacal Dr. Durray, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein and a mad scientist himself, and his lackey Groton, a literally axe-crazy man whom Judith learns is the murderer of her sister. It turns out that the deceased Joanie, along with Groton’s countless other victims, have been used as subjects for Durray’s experiments, and things take an even more terrifying turn with the arrival of the notorious vampire himself, Count Dracula. Dracula shows Durray the original Frankenstein monster, the one his ancestor created several decades prior, and convinces the mad scientist to bring him to life once again. The doctor agrees, hoping to use the monster for purposes of vengeance, and what comes of this resurrection is a monster mash unlike anything the world has ever seen before.
For those who are fond of classic horror cinema, the character of Groton may come across as very familiar. That’s because the actor playing him is none other than the legendary Lon Chaney, Jr. The son of silent era icon Lon Chaney, the so-called “Man of a Thousand Faces” who had appeared in such horror classics as “The Phantom of the Opera” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, it did not take long for the younger Chaney to follow in his father’s footsteps. Although Chaney has had his fair share of non-horror roles in such films as “High Noon”, it’s his role as the titular character of 1941’s “The Wolfman” that has allowed Chaney to cement his status in the world of cinema, a role he continued to play in countless appearances that followed.
With the Halloween season so close, there’s no better time for a monster movie, and there’s nothing quite as perfect for viewing than “Dracula and Frankenstein”. Those who have longed to see two of cinema’s greatest monsters go head to head will not be disappointed, and those eager to see how it all goes down can find the film here and witness the action in all its violent glory.
