Movies

DRACULA was originally a novel by Irish author, Bram Stoker, published in 1897. It tells the tale of a Transylvanian nobleman, Count Dracula who is a vampire with a fondness for the blood of young virgins.

The story of Dracula has been the basis for numerous films and plays with Bram Stoker himself writing the first stage adaptation which was presented in London a few months after his novel was published.

The first film to feature Count Dracula was a Hungarian silent film ‘The Death of Dracula’ released in 1921. More international fame came to the vampiric count with the 1931 Hollywood version of ‘Dracula’ starring Bela Lugosi which prompted several more sequels during the 1930s and ‘40s.

In 1958 the British movie company ‘Hammer Films’ added to the Dracula Legacy with their own interpretation starring Christopher Lee which built upon the earlier Hollywood movies and their visual style but with the bold addition of full colour and gallons of fresh, fake and very red blood!

Lee’s portrayal was overtly sexual and paid prominent attention to his vampire fangs, the delicious necks of his female victims and their heaving bosoms atop their low-cut nightgowns and dresses.

Christopher Lee continued throughout the 1960s and ‘70s to occasionally portray the count and his appearance and costume has been part of the inspiration for this new K&C Horror Stories figure alongwith a nod or two in the direction of the great Bela Lugosi who brought the count to the silver screen decades before.