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Lon Chaney Jr, John Carradine, Martha O'Driscoll, Lionel Atwill, Glenn Strange ... see more see more... , Jane Adams (II) , Onslow Stevens , Ludwig Stossel , Skelton Knaggs , Dick Dickinson , Fred Cordova , Carey Harrison , Harry Lamont , Gregory Muradian , Beatrice Gray , Joe Bernard

This Universal "monster rally", an immediate sequel to House of Frankenstein, would seem to have been deliberately designed as the final entry in the studio's B-horror cycle. Onslow Stevens plays psyc... read more read more...hiatrist Dr. Edelman, who suddenly has a thriving business when two of Universal's "fright" personalities come calling. Count Dracula (John Carradine) wishes to be weaned away from his vampiric tendencies, while Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney), aka the Wolfman, wants to be cured of his werewolfism. Edelman does his best to help, simultaneously attempting to bring the Frankenstein monster (Glenn Strange) back to life. Unfortunately, Edelman inherits the madness, killer instincts and other antisocial habits of his celebrated patients. Only Lawrence Talbot manages to escape from Edelman's lab unscathed, ambling off into the sunset with heroine Militza (Martha O'Driscoll). Universal contract starlet Jane Adams, perennially cast as unfortunate young women with physical afflictions, plays Edelman's faithful hunchbacked nurse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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41% liked it

4,787 ratings

Critics

57% liked it

7 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 7 min.

Directed by: Erle C. Kenton

Release Date: November 1, 1945

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DVD Release Date: September 1, 1993

Stats: 184 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (184)

  • ajv2688
    October 18, 2010
    ajv2688
    A later universal monster movie which deserves a watching, it's very interesting and exciting. I know I enjoyed it.
  • MissMorganLeee
    November 9, 2008
    MissMorganLeee
    i really reall do not like this guy as dracula he is a worm compaired to bela lagousi!
  • sononothing
    November 6, 2008
    sononothing
    The classic Universal monster films end with House of Dracula, a film that has a misleading title because it isn't really Dracula's House. Dr. Edelman must be a renowned doctore because Dracula shows up wanting a cure, then the Wolf Man shows up wanting a cure and then Frankenste... read morein ends up being buried beneath the castle. yes, all three are in this and yes, it fails miserably. The only cool thing is a female hunchback, but other than that House of Dracula is a blah B-movie that doesn't really go anywhere.
  • matertenebraum
    August 12, 2007
    matertenebraum
    This moody, creepy horror flick begins on a castle atop a cliff overlooking the sea, a great setting, as a vampire bat flies in and creeps toward a sleeping doctor (Onslow Stevens). The bat changes into a man known as Baron Latos, in reality Count Dracula (John Carradine). He see... read moreks Dr. Edelmann's help to cure him of his vampirism. Eventually the good doctor also wants to help his hunchbacked nurse-assistant (Jane Adams), the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney), and Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange). But Dracula's trickery contaminates the doctor's blood, and he becomes a Jekyll/Hyde vampire himself. This is somewhat better than the prior year's "House of Frankenstein", being less episodic and more exciting visually. There's a hauting scene where Dracula tries to lure the second nurse (Martha O'Driscoll) into his world, where she is initially playing "Moonlight Sonata" on the piano, which soon gives way to terrifying music. Director Erle Kenton uses expressionistic shadows and eerie music to frame many sequences, including a wonderful montage sequence that the studio frequently used in their horror features. Two performers are of note: Stevens, with his wonderful voice, is at first sympathetic, then convincingly menacing. Adams, her beautiful face in alarming contrast to her twisted body, exhibits great pathos and sympathy. It all ends in a slam-bang climax, typical of 1940s Universal horror, a little abrupt, with footage borrowed from "The Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942). I hope Universal releases it soon on DVD (it was left out of their Double-Feature releases).
  • mjgildea
    November 16, 2006
    mjgildea
    Very possibly one of the most terrible and gimmicky movies ever made. But you love it like a retarded nephew.
  • hypathio7
    November 5, 2010
    hypathio7
    Such a cheesy mess! Really it is the House of Dr. Edelman. Carradine is Dracula, the complete gentleman, this time. He comes to the doctor's house to be cured of being a vampire. THE Dracula doesn't want to be a vampire anymore! He knows the doctor's beautiful blond nurse Mi... read moreliza from some time in the past and his blood lust makes him start avoiding the doctors treatments. Lon Chaney Jr. is a pleasure to see return as Lawrence Talbot who as always seeks a cure from turning into a wolf. Dr. Edelman (Stevens) also has a pretty, but hunchbacked nurse named Nina who he plans to help with a little cosmetic surgery. Not that it matters how, but Frankenstein's monster is uncovered too and the doctor's lab happens to have the necessary equipment to charge him up. Edelman is experimenting with some miracle plant that would make the hump removal safe and fix Talbot's brain gland problem. For Dracula Edelman thinks his own blood is the solution, except that Dracula reverses the transfusion once. Somehow Edelman is not turned into a vampire. Evidently 10cc's is not enough! Rather than having another vampire in the house, Edelman is tormented with a Jekyll and Hyde type of mad scientist duality. In his "Hyde" state he dreams of setting the Frankenstein monster loose and he upsets the villagers by killing a man. It is Dr. Edelman's house and he is the focus. All of the other classic monsters that are the selling point of this movie hardly get any screen time. And in a flash it is over.
  • Dracula787
    October 31, 2007
    Dracula787
    Just plain silly
  • kenscheck
    May 4, 2012
    kenscheck
    House of Frankenstein was two movies smashed together...a random pointless Dracula story, followed by a bad sequel to "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man"...this time it at least has only one plot line, concerning all these monsters ending up at a Mad Doctor's castle for his help. ... read moreWell Dracula and the Wolf Man come...the Monster just happens to be buried underneath for some odd reason. Despite the more consistent plot and a bit more Dracula...it still pretty much sucks. You want Lugosi, and Caradine, while not really terrible...is just no Lugosi. The pretty lady hunchback is about the only interesting twist this film has. Mostly it is more of the same from the previous Universal Monster Mish Mash. It was sort of the closure of the original run of the Universal Monsters. Many would return in the Abbott & Costello comedies, but this was their last true horror film.
  • zardoz3
    April 3, 2012
    zardoz3
    "House of Frankenstein" director Erle C. Kenton's atmospheric "The House of Dracula" qualifies as another monstrous mash from Universal Pictures in 1945. Although Dracula takes top billing, the Wolfman Lawrence Talbot and the Frankenstein monster both garner more screen time in t... read morehis better-than-average supernatural horror chiller than the infamous fangster. For the record, this represented actor John Carradine's second appearance as the immortal Carpathian count. Earlier, he had appeared in "House of Frankenstein." The urbane, skirt-chasing Carradine sports a trimmed mustache, wears a silk hat, and can shape-shift into an enormous bat. He has no trouble hypnotizing susceptible women, something that gets him into fatal trouble with his host. Carradine's performance lacks the menace that both Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee brought to Bram Stoker's protagonist. Carradine's Dracula dresses immaculately, but he seems far too trusting in his friendship with a religiously minded medical doctor who finds it difficult to believe that ordinary men can turn into extraordinary creatures. Meantime, Dracula behaves as if he hates his accursed existence, but he pursues a blonde female nurse without a qualm. On the other hand, Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr., of "Son of Dracula")is genuinely sympathetic. Dracula and the Wolfman, AKA Lawrence Talbot both seek out a brilliant medical researcher that they hope can help them with their unique afflictions. Actually, despite the title, the physician, Dr. Franz Edelmann, emerges as the protagonist. He ends up in the middle of a monster triangle and finds himself turned into a vampire before everything concludes in this final entry in the "Frankenstein" and "Dracula" franchises at Universal.

    "House of Dracula" adopts a sympathetic attitude toward these three larger-than-life creatures. Kenton and scenarists Dwight V. Babcock, George Bricker, and Edward T. Lowe, Jr., have both Dracula and Lawrence Talbot soliciting help from the kindly Dr. Edelmann (Onslow Stevens)who lives in a sprawling castle at the edge of the sea. Skeptical about the supernatural, Edelmann doesn't believe that people can shape-shift into animals, but he believes in God. Instead, he argues that it is the individual and their psychotic disposition that turns them into monsters. He performs blood tests on Dracula and eventually comes up with a cure, but he is too late to save the old bloodsucker. Dracula is the earliest to depart because he tries to take advantage of Dr. Edelmann's sexy nurse Miliza Morelle (Martha O'Driscoll of "Forty Little Mothers"), while Talbot desperately seeks a cure for his Lycanthropy. Actually, Dr. Edelmann diagnoses Talbot and insists that the poor fellow Ironically, the medical hero-Dr. Edelmann-succumbs to villainy as he tries to help Dracula with a blood transfusion that corrupts his own blood and turns him into a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde monster.

    The problem with "House of Dracula" is the problem that assailed each "Dracula" entry. The filmmakers don't provide continuity. Nevertheless, despite the obvious lack of continuity, Kenton and his scenarists have forged interesting situations and "House of Dracula" doesn't wear out its welcome. Dracula's demise is really cool, but the misguided vampire has only himself to blame. "Tarantula" lenser George Robinson's black & white photography enhances this creepy yarn set primarily in a huge castle in Europe. The action clocks in at a lean and mean 67 minutes.
  • RCMerchant
    January 25, 2009
    RCMerchant
    No classic-but lots of fun! Count Dracula (John Carradine) calls upon A doctor to help cure him of Vampirism. I dunno why-he seems to have so much fun fucking people over and just being an all around sneaky,back stabbing (as well as neck bitining) s.o.b. Also seeking help is Larr... read morey Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) aka the Wolfman. Larry really does want help....he is constantly bemoaning his fate to every body within earshot. Fed up with waiting for the doc to get around to finding a cure-he jumps into the ocean(?) where he finds the Frankenstien Monster (Glenn Strange)comatose in a cave. The Countgets his due by being dragged into the sun...but not before he infects the good doc with his blood,which has him turning into a Mr.Hyde type of semi vampire...who,of course,brings the monster back to reek havoc.
    Yeah...it's got a comic book plot...but so what? The gangs all here,and Onslow Stevens is a stand-out as the Doc gone loco-laffing like a lunatic,jumping over walls,and being over the top .And Jane Nigh as the huncback(yet beautiful!) assistant nurse is wonderful!!! Trivia:Look for breif clips from BRIDE of FRANKENSTIEN in the dream secquence,and Lon Chaney from GHOST of FRANKENSTIEN getting klled in the finale!
    This was the second to last outing for the Universal Monsters,coming after HOUSE of FRANKENSTIEN (which featured Karloff as a mad doc and Carradine as Drac)and before ABBOT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTIEN (in which Lugosi reclaimed the throne as King of the Vampires.)

    Good Creature Feature fun!

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff, Variety

A nifty thriller for the chiller trade. Full Review

Tim Brayton
October 31, 2009
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

At least the weirdness gives it a surprising, fresh edge that might as well pass for good by this point in the cycle. Full Review

Cole Smithey
September 30, 2007
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Lon Chaney lives!

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
January 1, 2006
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

There's no mystery here, no suspense or atmosphere. Full Review

May 24, 2003
Film4

This becomes just a silly excuse to provide audiences with cheap scares. Full Review

Ken Hanke
July 30, 2002
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

A lot of fun and an OK end to the studio's glory days. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Carol Cling
March 19, 2004
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

Derek Adams
June 24, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

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