''Dracula's Daughter'' is a 1936 American
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
produced by
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
as a
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to the 1931 film ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
''. Directed by
Lambert Hillyer
Lambert Hillyer (July 8, 1893 – July 5, 1969) was an American film director and screenwriter. He is best known today for his many western features, his horror films ''The Invisible Ray (1936 film), The Invisible Ray'' and ''Dracula's Daugh ...
from a screenplay by
Garrett Fort, the film stars
Otto Kruger
Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974) was an American actor. Originally a Broadway matinée idol, he established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Saboteur (film), Saboteur'' (1942) and Dougla ...
,
Gloria Holden
Gloria Anna Holden (September 5, 1903 – March 22, 1991) was a British-born American film actress, best known for her role as '' Dracula's Daughter''. She often portrayed cold society women.
Early life
Holden was born in London, England. She ...
in the title role, and
Marguerite Churchill, and features, as the only cast member to return from the original,
Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as ''Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and '' Th ...
– although his character's name was altered from "Van Helsing" to "''Von'' Helsing".
''Dracula's Daughter'' tells the story of Countess Marya Zaleska, the daughter of
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
and herself a vampire. Following Dracula's death, she believes that by destroying his body, she will be free of his influence and live normally. When this fails, she turns to a psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey Garth (Kruger). The Countess kidnaps Dr. Garth's assistant, Janet (Marguerite Churchill), and takes her to
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
, leading to a battle between Dr. Garth and the Countess in an attempt by him to save Janet.
Ostensibly based on an omitted chapter from
Bram Stoker
Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
's 1897 novel ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' – published in 1914 as a
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
entitled "
Dracula's Guest
"Dracula's Guest" is a short story by Bram Stoker, first published in the short story collection '' Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories'' (1914). Scholars are divided on whether the story is the excised first chapter of the novel ''Dracula'' ...
"
– the film bears absolutely no resemblance to the source material. Modern sources maintain that the film was instead loosely based on ''
Carmilla
''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic fiction, Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. It is one of the earliest known works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 25 years. First published ...
'', an 1872 Gothic
novella
A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...
by
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (; 28 August 1814 – 7 February 1873), popularly known as J. S. Le Fanu, was an Irish writer of Gothic literature, mystery novels, and horror fiction. Considered by critics to be one of the greatest ghost ...
, which is often cited as the first published British work of fiction to deal with
lesbian
A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
relationships.
David O. Selznick
David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...
purchased the rights to the Stoker material for
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
, but Universal bought them in 1934, with the rights to revert to MGM if Universal did not begin production by October 1935, a date later extended to February 1936. Universal rushed the film into production in that month, with the script only partially completed, to meet this deadline.
The film was first assigned to
James Whale
James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fra ...
, but Universal production head
Carl Laemmle Jr. finally hired Hillyer as director.
While not as successful as the original upon its release, the film was generally well-reviewed. In the intervening decades, criticism has been deeply divided. Contemporary critics and scholars have observed the film's alleged lesbian overtones, which Universal exploited in some early advertising.
Plot
Having just destroyed
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
,
Professor Van Helsing is arrested by two
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy.
From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...
policemen, Sergeant Wilkes and Constable Albert, after they happen upon Dracula's body with a stake driven through its heart (as well as the broken-necked corpse of
Renfield
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. ) in the cellar of Carfax Abbey. Van Helsing is taken to
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...
, where he explains to Sir Basil Humphrey that he did indeed destroy Dracula, but because the vampire had already been dead for over 500 years, it cannot be considered murder. Instead of hiring a lawyer, Van Helsing enlists the aid of a psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey Garth, who was formerly one of his star students.
In Whitby, Sergeant Wilkes leaves the jail to meet an officer from Scotland Yard at the train station, placing Constable Albert in charge of the recovered bodies. Meanwhile, Dracula's daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska, enters the jail, mesmerizes Albert with her jeweled ring, and – with the aid of her manservant, Sandor – steals Dracula's body from the jail. After tossing salt on the pyre, the Countess ritualistically burns Dracula's body, hoping to break her curse of vampirism. However, Sandor soon begins to discourage her, telling her that all that is in her eyes is "death". She soon gives in to her thirst for blood. The Countess resumes her hunting, mesmerising her victims with her exotic jewelled 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 sees a pretty young woman, Lili, and follows her onto a bridge. The woman pauses at the railing looking despondent. Sandor promises her food, warmth, and money. She hesitates, but Sandor explains that he seeks her for his mistress. Lili returns with Sandor. Countess Zaleska initially resists her urges, but succumbs and attacks her. Lili survives the attack and is examined by Dr. Garth through hypnosis; she reveals enough information to let Dr. Garth know that it was Countess Zaleska who attacked her, but she suffers heart failure and dies. The Countess gives up fighting her urges and accepts that a cure is not possible; she lures Dr. Garth to
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
by kidnapping Janet Blake, his secretary, with whom he has a playfully antagonistic relationship, but now realises that he cares for her. Zaleska intends to transform Dr. Garth into a vampire to be her eternal companion. Arriving at Castle Dracula in Transylvania, 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 Scotland Yard policeman, who along with Van Helsing, has followed Dr. Garth from London.
Cast
Source:
Production

Universal originally did not hold the rights to "
Dracula's Guest
"Dracula's Guest" is a short story by Bram Stoker, first published in the short story collection '' Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories'' (1914). Scholars are divided on whether the story is the excised first chapter of the novel ''Dracula'' ...
", a chapter excised from
Bram Stoker
Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
's original novel, which was published in 1914, after Stoker's death, as a
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
, and which was the purported source material for the film. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executive
David O. Selznick
David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...
negotiated a contract in 1933 with Stoker's widow,
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
, to buy the rights to the chapter for an advance of $500 against a purchase price of $5,000. MGM's lawyers and executives were worried about the use of the word "Dracula" in the film's title, fearing that Universal would take legal action, although Selznick's contract with Stoker explicitly listed "Dracula's Daughter" as a possible alternative title. The project was code-named "Tarantula" in correspondence.
Universal bought the rights from MGM in 1934, but they would revert to MGM if Universal did not begin production by October 1935, a date later extended to February 1936. Universal rushed the show into production in that month, with the script only partially completed, to meet this deadline.
Modern sources report that the film was also loosely based on ''
Carmilla
''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic fiction, Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. It is one of the earliest known works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 25 years. First published ...
'', an 1872 Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan le Fanu, which is often cited as the first published British work of fiction to deal with lesbian relationships.
Selznick hired
John L. Balderston, who had previously worked on the 1931 ''Dracula'' and ''
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...
'', to write the screenplay. Balderston's screenplay involved tying up loose ends from the original film. In it, Von Helsing returns to Transylvania to destroy the
three vampire brides seen in ''Dracula'', but overlooks a fourth tomb concealing Dracula's daughter. She follows him back to London and operates under the name "Countess Szekelsky". She attacks a young aristocrat, and Von Helsing and the aristocrat's fiancée track her back to Transylvania and destroy her. The script included scenes that implied that Dracula's daughter enjoyed torturing her male victims, and that while under her control, the men liked it, too. Also included were shots of the Countess's chambers being stocked with whips and straps, which she would never use on-screen but whose uses the audience could imagine. Regardless of any objections that the
Production Code Administration
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, the mini-major Amazon MGM Studios, as well as the video streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Fo ...
(PCA) would have raised to many aspects of the scenario, Balderston's script could never have been filmed because Selznick's contract with Stoker expressly barred him from using any Bram Stoker characters that did not appear in "
Dracula's Guest
"Dracula's Guest" is a short story by Bram Stoker, first published in the short story collection '' Dracula's Guest and Other Weird Stories'' (1914). Scholars are divided on whether the story is the excised first chapter of the novel ''Dracula'' ...
". Selznick resold the rights to "Dracula's Guest" to Universal in October 1934
or September 1935
[Skal, pp. 196–98] for $12,500, which included the rights to Balderston's scenario.
[Curtis, p. 260] Horror film scholar
David J. Skal theorizes that this was Selznick's actual motivation in buying the rights in the first place, to profit from Universal's desire for a sequel by tying up the only obvious source material. A condition of the sale was that the rights would revert to MGM if Universal did not start production by October 1935, later extended to February 1936.
Director
Universal studio head Carl Laemmle, Jr. (nicknamed "Junior") wanted
James Whale
James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fra ...
, fresh from his great success with ''
Bride of Frankenstein
''Bride of Frankenstein'' is a 1935 American Gothic science fiction horror film, and the first sequel to Universal Pictures' 1931 film ''Frankenstein''. As with the first film, ''Bride of Frankenstein'' was directed by James Whale starring ...
'', to direct ''Dracula's Daughter''. Whale was waiting for
Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during Classical Hollywood cinema, the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she perf ...
to finish shooting ''
Magnificent Obsession'', so she could begin work on Whale's ''
Show Boat
''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the per ...
''. Wary of directing two horror films in a row, Whale instead convinced Laemmle to buy the rights to a mystery novel called ''The Hangover Murders''. Laemmle agreed only after extracting a promise from Whale that he would direct ''Dracula's Daughter'' next. Whale completed work on the film, ''
Remember Last Night?'', on September 14, 1935. ''Magnificent Obsession'' completed filming on October 29. With Dunne freed up, Whale went to work on ''Show Boat''. Laemmle replaced him with
A. Edward Sutherland
Albert Edward Sutherland (January 5, 1895 – December 31, 1973) was a British-born film director and actor. Born in London, he was from a theatrical family. His father, Al Sutherland, was a theatre manager and producer and his mother, Julie Rin ...
, who was best known for his work on comedies. Sutherland had as little interest in ''Dracula's Daughter'' as Whale did, and soon left the studio, so Hillyer came on to direct.
Universal script
A treatment by John L. Balderston was submitted to Universal in January 1934, and may have been presented to MGM earlier. Another short treatment by
Kurt Neumann was rejected by Universal.
The earliest screenplay for the Universal film was written by
R. C. Sherriff and submitted in July 1935.
It began with three scenes set in the 14th century and centered on the Dracula legend. It then switched to the present day, focusing on two engaged couples who visit Transylvania. The men explore the ruins of Dracula's castle. One is later found, insane, and the other goes missing. Professor Von Helsing is summoned, and he tracks the missing man to London, where he is in thrall to Dracula's daughter, the Countess Szelinski (sic). When she attempts to flee with her thrall to the Orient by ship, Von Helsing and three others book passage on the same ship. During a violent storm, Von Helsing destroys Dracula's daughter, and with her hold over the men broken, the scenario closes with a double wedding. This version was submitted on August 28, 1935, to the
British Board of Film Censors
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films
A film, also known as a movie ...
, which rejected it, saying in part "''Dracula's Daughter'' would require half a dozen ... languages to adequately express its beastliness". On September 10, Sherriff met with BBFC representatives and submitted a revised scenario two days later. This scenario was passed, but because its details were not recorded by the BBFC, how much it differed from the original or how much if any of that scenario was retained in the final script is unknown.
Universal submitted Sheriff's first draft to the
Production Code Administration
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, the mini-major Amazon MGM Studios, as well as the video streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Fo ...
(PCA) on September 5, 1935, and encountered stronger resistance from PCA head
Joseph Breen
Joseph Ignatius Breen (October 14, 1888 – December 5, 1965) was an American film censor with the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America who applied the Hays Code to film production.Staff report (December 8, 1965). Joseph I. ...
than it had from the British censors. Breen reported back that the script "contains countless offensive stuff which makes the picture utterly impossible for approval under the Production Code". A second draft was submitted on October 21, but it, too, was rejected, with many of Breen's objections centering on the 14th-century scenes in which Dracula himself appeared. Whether this submission was the same submission that the BBFC had previously passed is unclear. A third Sheriff draft was submitted three days later, and Sherriff's fourth and final draft was on November 10. All remained unacceptable, and Whale biographer James Curtis suggests that Whale, who had no interest in the project and feared that his commitment to it might cost him control over the filming of ''Show Boat'', encouraged Sherriff to submit ever more wildly unacceptable versions in hopes of getting himself off the film.
On January 14, 1936, producer E. M. Asher advised Breen that the Sherriff script was not going to be used and that a new script would be put together from scratch.
Screenwriting duties were then assigned to
Garrett Fort,
[Skal, pp. 198–99] who submitted a draft in January 1936, and a second draft in February. Asher, Fort, and Universal executive Harry Zehner meet with Production Code officials in February, during which Universal was asked that the scene in which Lili poses for Marya be written so that no suggestion was made that Lili was nude, or that no indication was made of a "perverse sexual desire on the part of Marya or of an attempted sexual attack by her upon Lili".
Fort's February draft, as revised by
Charles Belden in March 1936, seems to be the version used to shoot the film, which was viewed and passed by the PCA in April. Fort is the only contributor to the screenplay to receive screen credit, along with Stoker.
Casting

''Dracula's Daughter'' was Gloria Holden's first starring role, and reportedly she was extremely displeased at having been assigned it. Like many actors, Holden looked down on horror films. She had also seen
Bela Lugosi
Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...
struggle over the years since ''Dracula'' was made to free himself from
typecasting
In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...
, and feared that the role would lead to the same fate for her. Critic Mark Clark believes that, ironically, Holden's disgust for the role may have led to the quality of her performance: "Her disdain for the part translates into a kind of self-loathing that perfectly suits her troubled character".
Initially, Lugosi and
Jane Wyatt
Jane Waddington Wyatt ( ; August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such as Frank Capra's '' Lost Horizon'', but is likely best known for her role as homemaker and mother Margaret ...
were set to star in the film. Universal also announced that
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...
and
Colin Clive
Colin Glenn Clive (born Clive-Greig; 20 January 1900 – 25 June 1937) was a British theatre and film actor. Known for portraying individualistic, tumultuous characters which often mirrored his personal life, he is most famous for his role as ...
, who had starred together in ''Frankenstein'' and ''Bride of Frankenstein'', would appear,
[Rhodes, p. 219] and that
Cesar Romero
César Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost 60 years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lover (stereotype), Latin lovers, historical ...
would play Dr. Garth with Lugosi playing
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
and Wyatt playing Lili, who was eventually played by actress
Nan Grey because Grey was a blonde, giving contrast to her and actress
Gloria Holden
Gloria Anna Holden (September 5, 1903 – March 22, 1991) was a British-born American film actress, best known for her role as '' Dracula's Daughter''. She often portrayed cold society women.
Early life
Holden was born in London, England. She ...
who had black hair.
[Mank, p. 365] According to ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', Universal had sought
Herbert Marshall
Herbert Brough Falcon Marshall (23 May 1890 – 22 January 1966) was an English stage, screen, and radio actor who starred in many popular and well-regarded Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. After a successful theatrical career in the Un ...
for the role of Sandor, before casting Pichel.
None of them appeared except, after a fashion, Lugosi, in the form of a wax bust molded in his image for use in Dracula's coffin. Some sources report that Lugosi was paid as much as $4,000 for his abortive involvement, but the only confirmed record of any financial arrangement is a letter in which Lugosi consents to the use of his likeness at no cost to create the wax bust.
Shooting
Shooting on ''Dracula's Daughter'' began on February 4, 1936, rushed into production before Fort had completed the script, because of a deadline clause in Universal's option of the property from Selznick. The script was not finalized until shooting had been underway for three weeks.
The film was completed on March 10. Despite studio orders that the film be shot on a seven-day-per-week schedule,
filming ran seven days over its schedule and $50,000 over budget, with the final cost of the film tallied at $278,380.
''Dracula's Daughter'' was the last in the first cycle of
Universal Horror films that reached back into the 1920s. Publicly, Universal said it was because a British ban on horror films would cut too deeply into the revenue such films could generate. In truth, the cycle was suspended because, just before filming on ''Dracula's Daughter'' had wrapped, the Laemmle family had lost control of Universal. Because of cost overruns on a number of pictures, Junior Laemmle was forced to borrow $1,000,000 on November 1, 1935. The money came from
J. Cheever Cowdin, head of the Standard Capital Corporation, and from
Charles R. Rogers. When the loan was called in March of the following year, Universal was unable to repay it. Standard assumed control of the studio on March 4 and Rogers replaced Junior as head of production. Rogers did not like horror films, and he shut down production on them following the release of ''Dracula's Daughter'' to focus on fare like
Deanna Durbin
Edna May Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born American soprano and actress, who moved to the U.S. from Canada with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1 ...
musicals. Universal did not return to the horror genre for three years, when it released ''
Son of Frankenstein
''Son of Frankenstein'' is a 1939 American horror film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The film is the third in Universal Pictures' ''Frankenstein'' series and is the follow-up to the 1935 ...
'' in 1939.
Other production aspects
Makeup artist
Jack Pierce and special effects supervisor
John P. Fulton worked together closely, especially on Holden's make-up design. They combined special lighting with a greyish-green make-up for Holden's final scenes, creating a pallor that contrasted with the more normally flesh-toned make-ups of the others in the scene.
Heinz Roemheld composed the score
[Mank, p. 357] and
Albert S. D'Agostino
Albert S. D'Agostino (December 27, 1892 – March 14, 1970) was an American art director. He was nominated for five Academy Awards in the category Academy Award for Best Production Design, Best Art Direction. He worked on 339 films between 1 ...
redressed
Charles D. Hall's set of Dracula's castle and created new sets, including a London bridge, the moor where Dracula's body is burned, and Countess Zaleska's apartment.
Critical response
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' gave ''Dracula's Daughter'' a solid, albeit somewhat tongue-in-cheek, review upon its release, citing the film's "blood-curdling events" and noting that "Gloria Holden is a remarkably convincing bat-woman" in concluding that the film is both "quite terrifying" and "a cute little horror picture".
''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' also praised the production and Holden's performance in particular. Despite critical approval, ''Dracula's Daughter'' did not have the same box office success as the original.
Later reviews of ''Dracula's Daughter'' are sharply split. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'', reviewing the film following its video release, called it "one of the most satisfying vampire pictures ever made". Describing director Hillyer's visuals as "lush, evocative, and suffused with just the right gothic chiaroscuro" and noting that "Gloria Holden, as the reluctant vampire protagonist, absolutely drips patrician eroticism", ''EW'' concludes that this film is better than Lugosi's original ''Dracula''.
Ryan Cracknell of Apollo Movie Guide, while echoing the praise for Holden's performance, nonetheless found that the film "doesn't hold up so well today". Citing what he sees as slow pacing and "long bouts of over-the-top dialogue", Cracknell compares the film to "reading a textbook – not the most exciting thing in the world, but it does provide insights into and perspectives on the foundation of early horror movies and how many similarities carry over into movies half a century and more later". Michael W. Phillips, Jr., concurs, calling the film "a marked improvement on the original film,
utstill a bit of a snooze, relying too much on forced comedy and not enough on suspense or fright".
Phillips again praises Holden's performance and also Pichel's portrayal of Sandor, but finds the rest of the cast weak.
Influence
Horror author
Anne Rice
Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of Gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Bible fiction. She is best known for writing ''The Vampire Chronicles''. She later adapted t ...
has named ''Dracula's Daughter'' as a direct inspiration for her own
homoerotic
Homoeroticism is sexual attraction between members of the same sex, including both male–male and female–female attraction. The concept differs from the concept of homosexuality: it refers specifically to the desire itself, which can be tempor ...
vampire fiction. She named a bar in her novel ''
The Vampire Lestat
''The Vampire Lestat'' (1985) is a Vampire literature, vampire novel by American writer Anne Rice, the second in her ''The Vampire Chronicles, Vampire Chronicles'', following ''Interview with the Vampire'' (1976). The story is told from the poin ...
'' "Dracula's Daughter" in honor of the film. Author
Ramsey Campbell
Ramsey Campbell (born 4 January 1946) is an English horror fiction writer, editor and critic who has been writing for well over fifty years. He is the author of over 30 novels and hundreds of short stories, many of them winners of literary awa ...
, under the
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
"Carl Dreadstone", wrote a novelization of the film also entitled ''Dracula's Daughter'' that was published in 1977. A
juvenile fiction
Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...
version, written by Carl R. Green, William R. Sanford and Howard Schroeder, was published in 1985. Some observers have suggested that the film served as an inspiration for ''
Sunset Blvd.'', noting similarities between the outlines of each film.
Michael Almereyda
Michael Almereyda (born April 7, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He studied art history at Harvard University but dropped out after three years to pursue filmmaking. He acquired a Hollywood agent on the strengt ...
's 1994 film ''
Nadja'' has been described as an "unofficial remake" of ''Dracula's Daughter''. Universal's 2024 film ''
Abigail
Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death (1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's third wife, after Ahinoam and Saul's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later married to ...
'' was initially mooted as a new version of ''Dracula's Daughter'' but bears no similarity to the 1936 film and Dracula is not named on screen.
Lesbian implications

The
lesbian vampire
Lesbian vampirism is a Trope (literature), trope in early gothic horror and 20th century exploitation film. The archetype of a lesbian vampire used the fantasy genre to circumvent the heavy LGBT censorship, censorship of lesbian characters in the ...
has long been a trend in literature, dating back to such works as
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...
's 1797 poem ''
Christabel'' and
Sheridan Le Fanu
Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (; 28 August 1814 – 7 February 1873), popularly known as J. S. Le Fanu, was an Irish writer of Gothic literature, mystery novels, and horror fiction. Considered by critics to be one of the greatest ghost ...
's 1872 novella ''
Carmilla
''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic fiction, Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. It is one of the earliest known works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' (1897) by 25 years. First published ...
''. ''Dracula's Daughter'' marked the first time that the trend was incorporated into a film. The lesbian implications of ''Dracula's Daughter'' were of great concern to the Production Code Administration. PCA head Breen took special notice of the scene between the Countess and her model, Lili, writing: "This will need very careful handling to avoid any questionable flavor".
[Breen, quoted in Worland, p. 126] The day before the scene was to be shot, Universal's Harry Zehner asked Breen to read a draft of the scene. In response, Breen wrote:
The present suggestion that ... Lili poses in the nude will be changed. She will be posing her neck and shoulders, and there will be no suggestion that she undresses, and there will be no exposure of her person. It was also stated that the present incomplete sequence will be followed by a scene in which Lili is taken to a hospital and there it will be definitely established that she has been attacked by a vampire. The whole sequence will be treated in such a way as to avoid any suggestion of perverse sexual desire on the part of Marya or of an attempted sexual attack by her upon Lili.
Gay film historian
Vito Russo
Vito Russo (; July 11, 1946 – November 7, 1990) was an American LGBT activist, film historian, and author. He is best remembered as the author of the book '' The Celluloid Closet'' (1981, revised edition 1987), described in ''The New York Ti ...
noted in his book ''
The Celluloid Closet'' that Universal highlighted Countess Zaleska's attraction to women in some of its original advertising for the film, using the tag line "Save the women of London from Dracula's Daughter!" He further cited Countess Zaleska as an example of the presentation of the "essence of
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
as a predatory weakness". Some reviewers of the day picked up on and condemned the lesbian content, including the ''
New York World-Telegram
The ''New York World-Telegram'', later known as the ''New York World-Telegram and The Sun'', was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966.
History
Founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr. as ''The Evening Telegram'' in 1867, the newspaper began ...
'', which noted the Countess's tendency to wander around "giving the eye to sweet young girls". Other reviews missed it entirely, including the aforementioned ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', which advised "Be sure to bring the kiddies".
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' describes the encounter between the Countess and Lili as "so hot it's impossible to imagine how it ever got past '30s censors"
whereas ''
Time Out London
''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 333 cities in 59 countries worldwide.
In 2012, the London edition becam ...
'' finds only a "subtle suggestion" of lesbianism. Horror scholar Skal notes that the scene has come to be seen as a "classic 'lesbian' sequence, although of a decidedly negative stripe". The scene between Countess Zaleska and Lili was included in the
1995 documentary film adaptation of Russo's book.
Another lesbian-tinged scene which has received less critical attention comes when the Countess is holding Janet captive. Described as "the longest kiss never filmed", Countess Zaleska "hovers lovingly over Janet ... hovers ... and hovers ... slowly descending to kiss the recumbent Janet..." until interrupted by the arrival of Dr. Garth.
A 1998 article published by ''
Bright Lights Film Journal
''Bright Lights Film Journal'' is an online popular-academic film magazine, based in Oakland, California, United States. It is edited and published by Gary Morris.
Originally a print publication established in 1974, it was discontinued in 1980 t ...
'' said "Gloria Holden in the title role almost singlehandedly redefined the '20s movie vamp as an impressive Euro-butch dyke bloodsucker", but draws an implicit comparison between Countess Zaleska's seeking to cure her vampirism through psychiatry and the former position of mainstream psychiatry of homosexuality as a mental illness. Zaleska's cruising the streets of London is seen as parallel to
cruising for sex
Cruising for sex or cruising is walking or driving about a locality, called a cruising ground, in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety. Published: 11-14-2007 Published: 9-21-2005 Article from NYT about a ...
(although that tends to be a gay male activity) and as suggesting "society's image of the lesbian as soulless predator", but the conclusion is that "Holden's striking, masklike face and haunting, luminous eyes
rethe intoxicating essence of transgressive lesbian power".
Reboot
In April 2023, it was reported that Universal Pictures was developing a film for Universal Pictures, with
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (born February 19, 1978) is an American director, writer, actor, and musician. He is a founding member of the punk band Link 80 and co-creator of the filmmaking collectives Chad, Matt & Rob and Radio Silence Productions, Rad ...
and
Tyler Gillett attached to co-direct, from a script co-written by Stephen Shields and
Guy Busick. The project was stated to be a modern-day adaptation of an older character, similar in approach to ''
The Invisible Man
''The Invisible Man'' is an 1897 science fiction novel by British writer H. G. Wells. Originally serialised in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a s ...
'' (2020) or ''
Renfield
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. '' (2023).
The project was originally titled ''Dracula's Daughter''.
It was released as ''
Abigail
Abigail () was an Israelite woman in the Hebrew Bible married to Nabal; she married the future King David after Nabal's death (1 Samuel ). Abigail was David's third wife, after Ahinoam and Saul's daughter, Michal, whom Saul later married to ...
'' on April 7, 2024. Manohla Dargis wrote in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' that in press releases of the film several vampire films were name-checked, with ''Dracula's Daughter'' not being among them and that the final film had very little similarity to Hillyer's film.
See also
*
Vampire film
Vampire films have been a staple in world cinema since the era of silent films, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptat ...
References
Bibliography
*
* Bansak, Edmund G. and Robert Wise (2003). ''Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career''. McFarland. .
*
* Brunas, Michael, John Brunas & Tom Weaver (1990). ''Universal Horrors: The Studios Classic Films, 1931-46''. McFarland.
* Clark, Mark (2004). ''Smirk, Sneer and Scream: Great Acting in Horror Cinema''. McFarland. .
* Curtis, James (1998). ''James Whale: A New World of Gods and Monsters''. Boston, Faber and Faber. .
*
* Johnson, Tom (1997). ''Censored Screams: The British Ban on Hollywood Horror in the Thirties''. McFarland. .
* Keesey, Pam (1997) ''Vamps: An Illustrated History of the Femme Fatale''. San Francisco, Cleis Press. .
* Mank, Gregory W. (1999) ''Women in Horror Films, 1930s''. McFarland. .
* Melton, J. Gordon (1994). ''The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead''. Detroit, Visible Ink Press (a division of Gale Research, Inc.). .
* Rhodes, Gary Don (1997). ''Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers''. McFarland. .
* Hoppenstand, Gary, and Ray Broadus Browne (1996) ''The Gothic World of Anne Rice''. Popular Press. .
* Robertson, James Crighton (1993). ''The Hidden Cinema: British Film Censorship in Action, 1913–1975''. Routledge. .
* Russo, Vito (1987). ''The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies (revised edition)''. New York, HarperCollins. .
* Senn, Bryan (1996). ''Golden Horrors: An Illustrated Critical Filmography of Terror Cinema, 1931 & 1939''. McFarland. .
* Skal, David J. (1993). ''The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror''. Penguin Books. .
* Tudor, Andrew (1989). ''Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie''. Blackwell Publishing. .
* White, David Manning (1975). ''Popular Culture''. Ayer Publishing. .
* Worland, Rick (2007). ''The Horror Film: An Introduction''. Blackwell Publishing. .
* Rhodes, Gary D., Weaver, Tom, et al. (2017) ''Scripts from the Crypt: Dracula's Daughter''. BearManor. .
External links
*
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The Universal Dracula series
{{Lambert Hillyer
1936 films
1936 horror films
1930s American films
1930s English-language films
1930s LGBTQ-related films
1930s supernatural horror films
American black-and-white films
American LGBTQ-related films
American sequel films
American supernatural horror films
American vampire films
Bisexuality-related films
Dracula (Universal film series)
Films about hypnosis
Films about nobility
Films about psychiatry
Films directed by Lambert Hillyer
Films scored by Heinz Roemheld
Films set in castles
Films set in London
Films set in Transylvania
Films set in Whitby
Films with screenplays by John L. Balderston
Films with screenplays by Garrett Fort
American gothic horror films
Lesbian-related films
LGBTQ-related horror films
Universal Pictures films
Lesbian vampire media
English-language horror films
Saturn Award–winning films
Films based on Carmilla