Based on novel by Bram Stoker and the stage play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, Dracula is the story of a vampire who goes to Britain to stake claim on an estate while searching for fresh blood to feed on. Directed by Tod Browning, with additional work by Karl Freund, and screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film is an exploration into the vampire who lives in the night and drinks the blood of human as he is played by Bela Lugosi. Also starring Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan. Dracula is an entrancing and stylish film from Tod Browning.
The film is the simple story about this vampire who travels from his home of Transylvania in Hungary to modern-day London as he haunts for new blood to survive with the aid of a real-estate solicitor who becomes his slave. It’s a film with a simple premise where Count Dracula is this mysterious vampire living in the castle at Transylvania where he haunts its locals who stay far away from him. Upon his arrival to London, all hell breaks lose where the only person that can stop him is Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) who has been studying vampires. The film’s screenplay explores what Count Dracula wants as he targets a young woman named Mina (Helen Chandler) whom he wants to become his new bride. At the same time, he causes chaos in London as his new slave Renfield (Dwight Frye) is trying to do anything to help his master in the hopes he can get something in return.
Tod Browning’s direction is definitely stylish as it play into this conflict of the old world that is Transylvania and the new world that is London. Notably as there are rare moments where he moves the camera as he more prefers to create dazzling compositions that showcase the world that Count Dracula is in and what he tries to do. Most of the compositions are set in medium shots and close-ups with a few wide shots as Browning, with the aid of cinematographer Karl Freund, chose to maintain a simplicity into the action and drama that looms throughout the film. Especially as the moments where Dracula would bite someone would often be shown off-screen as it is more about the sound of horror rather than what is shown. Still, Browning maintains that mood in playing up the suspense as well as injecting some humor into the film to create a nice balance of chills and laughs. Overall, Browning creates a ravishing yet thrilling film about a vampire who haunts humanity in his thirst for blood.
Cinematographer Karl Freund does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography in the way he uses light and shadows to set a mood for some of the interiors at Dracula‘s castle as well as some of the nighttime scenes set in London. Editors Milton Carruth and Maurice Pivar do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s suspenseful moments. Production designers John Hoffman and Herman Rosse, with set decorator Russell A. Gausman and art director Charles D. Hall, do amazing work with the look of the interiors of Dracula‘s castle with its spider-webs and creatures as well as the more clean and posh look of the home of Dr. Seward. Costume designers Ed Ware and Vera West do nice work with the costumes from the cape and clothes that Dracula wear to the period dresses that the women wear. Sound recording supervisor C. Roy Hunter does terrific work with the sound from the way bats sound as well as a few creatures and such while much of the music in the film is mainly operatic pieces that is played for a scene in an opera house.
The casting by Phil M. Friedman is superb as it feature some notable small roles from Joan Standing as Nurse Briggs, Frances Dade as Mina’s friend Lucy, Herbert Bunston as Mina’s father Dr. Seward, and Charles K. Gerrard in a funny performance as the hospital attendant Martin who provides some funny one-liners. Dwight Frye is excellent as Renfield as an estates solicitor who becomes Dracula’s slave as he does whatever he can to help his master. David Manners is terrific as Mina’s beau Jonathan Harker who tries to make sense of everything while unsure about the myth of the vampire. Edward Van Sloan is fantastic as Professor Van Helsing as a man who studies the myth of the vampires as he suspects Dracula where he would eventually prove his worth against the vampire.
Helen Chandler is brilliant as Mina Seward as the young woman who is targeted by Dracula as she comes to term with her condition as well as be under the spell of the vampire. Finally, there’s Bela Lugosi in a phenomenal performance as the titular character who is this vampire that lurks and haunts his victims where Lugosi maintains this chilling presence that is crucial to the character as it is really the definitive performance of that character.
Dracula is a spectacular film from Tod Browning that features an incredible performance from Bela Lugosi in the titular role. Featuring some gorgeous visuals, an intriguing premise, and a great supporting cast, it’s a film that is definitely a monster movie that is quite riveting to watch as it also showcases what was done during the pre-Code era of American cinema. In the end, Dracula is a sensational film from Tod Browning.
Related: Nosferatu - Freaks - Nosferatu the Vampyre - Bram Stoker's Dracula
© thevoid99 2016
Directed, co-edited, and production designed by D.W. Griffith and written by Griffith, Tod Browning, Hettie Grey Baker, Anita Loos, Mary H. O’Connor, and Frank E. Woods, Intolerance is a multi-layered epic that cross-cuts different stories in different periods of time to display the concept of humanity. Set in periods from the contemporary world of crime in the early 20th Century, the story of Christ, a story around the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre in 1752 in France, and the fall of the Babylonian empire. Starring Vera Lewis, Ralph Lewis, Mae Marsh, Robert Harron, Lillian Gish, Constance Talmadge, Josephine Crowell, Margery Wilson, Frank Bennett, Elmer Clifton, Miriam Cooper, and Alfred Paget. Intolerance is a grand yet exhilarating film from D.W. Griffith.
Set in four different periods of time, the film plays into some of the darkest moments of humanity as it cross-cuts from period to period to showcase the impact of intolerance. Among these stories involve the fall of the Babylonian empire in the hands of priests conspiring with Cyrus the Great of Persia where a young woman tries to help Prince Belshazzar maintain his rule. The second involves the story of Jesus Christ and the events that led to his crucifixion. The third is set in 1752 France as it plays into the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre where Catholic royals tried to wipe out Protestant Huguenots. The fourth and final story is set in the 20th Century as it relies on a young woman and a young man whose lives are ruined by a mill owner who tries to help his sister in her charity work in an attempt to do something good.
The screenplay takes in this back-and-forth cross-cutting narrative where each segment is often joined by an image of a woman (Lillian Gish) rocking a baby cradle which plays into the plight of intolerance. The stories about Jesus Christ and the St. Bartholomew’s massacre are the shortest as the latter would include a couple of characters who would become victims of this prejudice involving religion. The segment about the fall of Babylonia starts off with this mountain girl (Constance Talmadge) who is an individual that doesn’t want to do anything until she encounters Prince Belshazzar (Alfred Paget) whom she would worship and later fight for him against Persians though both of them are unaware of priests conspiring against the prince over him favoring the god Ishtar over Bel-Marduk.
The segment involving a young woman (Mae Marsh) whose life of simplicity and innocence is shattered by aging women reformists who want to clean up the world only to make a mess of things for her and her entire life that includes her husband (Robert Harron). It all plays into the idea of what people are willing to do to change things just because they don’t agree with a certain philosophy nor willing to share something despite difference of opinions and ideals. Things go into chaos as it leads to conflicts where many would suffer because of this as the script doesn’t try to go into anything heavy-handed though its narrative is at times a bit jarring due to how repetitive it can be.
D.W. Griffith’s direction is very vast not just in his presentation but also in the way he is able to capture moments that are exhilarating in its set pieces and drama. Much of it involves very extravagant shots to display the vastness of some of the period settings in the film as he and art director Walter L. Hall would do the set design for the film. That approach to large visual pieces would come into play for the scenes set in Babylon where it would include some lavish costumes designed by Griffith and Clare West as well as the settings during the final days of Jesus Christ and at the St. Bartholomew massacre. The usage of wide and medium shots are very prevalent in the film as Griffith isn’t just maintaining a look in time where things were big and new but also a world that is just evolving as everyone just wants to live together and love each other. Yet, there are those that don’t buy into that and ruin it for everyone.
The direction would also have these moments with some unique tracking shots and lavish crane shots to play into the action as well as scenes that are intimate and dramatic which involves the sequence set in the early 20th Century. With the aid of cinematographer G.W. Bitzer and some special effects work by Hal Sullivan, each segment would have a different look as the scenes set in France are often shot in green while most of it is shot in a mixture of sepia, black, and white. Some of it would include red and blue tints to play into some of the moments of the action as Griffith would edit the film with James Smith and Rose Smith to play into the intensity in some of the conflicts and heightened drama that occurs. Sullivan’s effects would come into play for the film’s ending as it has an air of sentimentality that Griffith wanted to show in a world that can be very cruel but also would have moments that are hopeful. Overall, Griffth creates a sprawling yet powerful film about the concept of intolerance.
The film’s music by Joseph Carl Breil and Julian Carrillo, with additional music by Joseph Turrin for its 2002 restoration, is among one of the film‘s highlights in terms of its diversity from bombastic orchestral arrangements for some of the more lavish scenes to the usage of harpsichord pieces for the scene set in France. Turrin’s pieces are more focused on synthesized orchestral music that adds some weight to the drama as well as moments where things do get really tough.
The film’s amazing cast includes a massive ensemble as it features appearances from Lillian Langdon as the Virgin Mary, Bessie Love and George Walsh as a married couple in the Jesus Christ segment, Frank Brownlee as the brother of the mountain girl in the Babylon segment, Carl Stockdale as King Nabondius of Babylon, George Siegmann as Persian leader Cyrus the Great, Tully Marshall as the corrupt High Priest of Bel-Marduk, Josephine Crowell as Catherine de Medici, Frank Bennett as Charles IX of France, Max Davidson as a neighbor of the young woman in the modern story, Tom Wilson as a kind-hearted police officer, Lloyd Ingraham as a trial judge, Ralph Lewis as the governor, and A.W. McClure as prison pastor. Howard Gaye is excellent in the role of Jesus Christ who displays the sense of mercy and grace that would raise the ire of those who saw him as a freak. Alfred Paget is fantastic as Prince Belshazzar of Babylon as the segment includes a wonderful performance from Seena Owens as the Princess. Yet, it is Constance Talmadge who is brilliant in her dual role as the Mountain Girl who fights for Belshazzar and in a smaller role as Princess Marguerite of Valois in the St. Bartholomew’s massacre sequence.
Margery Wilson and Eugene Pallette are terrific as a couple who would endure tragedy due to the St. Bartholomew’s massacre while Vera Lewis is brilliant as a former socialite who aids a group of reformists to clean up the city unaware of the damage she had caused. Sam De Grasse is superb as the socialite’s brother who would create a pay cut for the saw mill he runs as well as do things to ruin the lives of ordinary people. Miriam Cooper is fantastic as a woman in the modern story who would be the lover of a crime boss as she becomes integral to the film’s story while Walter Long is amazing as the crime boss. Lillian Gish is incredible in her small but mesmerizing role as the woman rocking the cradle as she is the link to all of the stories. Finally, there’s Robert Harron and Mae Marsh in remarkable performances as the young man and young women in the modern-day story as they both struggle to find good as the former would briefly turn to crime as the latter would display a sense of innocence into her performance as someone that just wants to be good.
Intolerance is a spectacular film from D.W. Griffith. Armed with a great cast, dazzling technical work, and a wondrous music. The film is definitely the true definition of an epic in terms of its vast visuals and compelling stories that play into the themes of humanity and its dual sides of good and bad. Even as it manages to create offbeat narrative structures to showcase how far the world has and hasn’t come in terms of doing good for a world that is often very complicated. In the end, Intolerance is a phenomenal film from D.W. Griffith.
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Tod Browning and written by Tod Robbins, Freaks is the story of a trapeze artist who marries a midget in order to gain his inheritance as a group of circus freaks seek revenge on the woman. Based on Robbins’ short story, the film explores the world of the circus sideshow and its performers as they become the focus of the film. Starring Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova, and Henry Victor. Freaks is a strange yet compelling film from Tod Browning.
At a circus, the midget Hans (Harry Earles) is in love with the trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) as he hopes to woo with presents and such. Though Hans’ friend Frieda (Daisy Earles) is suspicious of Cleopatra’s intentions for Hans, Cleopatra and Hans’ love affair becomes news to the people in the circus as they wonder what is going on. Also suspicious is a circus performer in Venus (Leila Hyams) who had just broken up with the strongman Hercules (Henry Victor) who is having an affair with Cleopatra as she overhears about Hans’ inheritance.
During a wedding celebration for Hans and Cleopatra where many of Hans’ friends attend the dinner along with Hercules, things go wrong when Hans becomes sick while Cleopatra berates the freaks at the dinner. Upon learning about what really happened to Hans and what Cleopatra and Hercules are planning. Venus along with the clown Phroso (Wallace Ford) and the freaks decide to take action for their friend.
The film is essentially the look into the life of circus performers who aren’t considered normal as one of them is played for a fool as his friends along with some other circus performers discover a scheme concocted by a gold-digging trapeze artist. While the first half of the story is about these group of people who work and live their life in the circus, there’s a little bit of prejudice in the way the freaks are treated though most of the performers treat the freaks like normal people with a few exception. The fact that someone like Cleopatra despises freaks and only wants Hans for his money just makes her a despicable person that would drive the film’s second half which becomes a revenge story of sorts by the film’s third act.
Tod Browning’s direction is quite extraordinary for the way he presents the world of circus life where he has his camera fixated on these people through a lot of group shots in the frame. He also creates shots that are lively such as the wedding dinner party scene where it’s definitely a joy to watch until Cleopatra becomes disgusted by their partying ways. The film has a unique opening where it involves a man showing people the world of freaks where he tells the story of a particular freak that leads to the main narrative. While a lot of the shots are straightforward, Browning’s direction does get more engaging in the third act in the way he sets up the suspense of the freaks making their move to stop Cleopatra and Hercules where it’s very unsettling but the payoff is definitely satisfying. Overall, Browning creates a mesmerizing yet thrilling film that explores the world of circus freaks.
Cinematographer Merritt B. Gerstad does wonderful work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from many of the film‘s vibrant shots in the daytime exterior and interior settings to the eerie climax during the rain involving the freaks‘ thirst for justice. Editor Basil Wrangell does excellent work with the editing by creating some offbeat rhythmic cuts to play with the film‘s action and conversations along with some suspenseful cutting styles for the film‘s climax. Art directors Cedric Gibbons and Merrill Pye do superb work with the set pieces such as the circus and wagons the circus people live in.
The film’s ensemble cast is incredible for the array of people that are hired for the film as many of the circus freaks that appear in the film are real circus freaks as they’re just full of life and just fun to watch. Notable performances include Henry Victor as the conniving Hercules while Daisy Earles is wonderful as Hans’ real friend Frieda who is suspicious about Cleopatra’s intentions. Wallace Ford is excellent as the friendly clown Phroso while Leila Hyams is terrific as the kind Venus as they both would help out the freaks in their act to stop Cleopatra. Harry Earles is great as the very charming Hans as he tries to deal with the reaction over his love affair with Cleopatra. Finally, there’s Olga Bacalanova who is brilliant as the scheming gold-digger Cleopatra as she displays a sense of charm in the way she tries to woo Hans while being very evil in her schemes with Hercules.
Freaks is a marvelous film from Tod Browning that explores the world of circus freaks. The film is definitely one of the most fascinating films of the pre-Hays code era for taking on a subject that seemed to be controversial at the time yet has a story that is very engaging. It is also a film that allows the audience to find humanity in a group of freaks while rooting for them in their endeavors. In the end, Freaks is a unique yet offbeat film from Tod Browning.
© thevoid99 2012
