How was John Carradine as Dracula ?

[Mikey]

I don't think i've ever seen a Universal Monster Movie with John Carradine as Dracula.

Thinking about it, it's kind of hard to imagine because I can't picture him as suave.

Was he a decent Drac ?

[Werewolf]

He was Dracula in Universal's House of Dracula. I didn't care for him in the part.

He had no charm, presense or menace. He looked and acted like a child's birthday party magician. Lon Jr was a better Drac and he wasn't all that great in the part.

[thunderbolt]

Did Lugosi just refuse the part? I just can't picture him as too busy at that point in his career.

[palitoy]

from IMDB

Bela Lugosi was slated for the role of Dracula, but the film was dependent upon the presence of Boris Karloff being released from the stage tour of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). Shooting was delayed, and John Carradine was cast instead of Lugosi, who had a prior engagement: ironically, playing Karloff's "Jonathan Brewster" role in another touring company of "Arsenic and Old Lace."

Carradine's Dracula never really did it for me.

[madmarva]

Carradine also played Dracula in House of Frankenstein, which followed Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman and preceded House of Dracula.

Carradine wasn't great or really even memorable in the part, but he did somewhat favor the description of Drac from the novel, but that's about it.

The Wolfman storyline in both films was more compelling. It was great to see Lugosi back as Dracula in Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein.

[Bruce Banner]

I always liked John Carradine as Dracula. His gaunt appearance seemed to suit the character rather well.
And the piano scene in House of Dracula will always be one of my favourites.

[Mikey]

He had no charm, presense or menace. He looked and acted like a child's birthday party magician. .

In the still photo's i've seen I can imagine that

[palitoy]

The Wolfman storyline in both films was more compelling.

Yeah both those ralleys are pretty much Lon's movies although Karloff and Naish added a lot of flavor to the first one.

My favourite monster (Frankenstein) is pretty much a prop in both!

[mightyquinn]

HOF would have been great without Dracula in it. Carradine had a pretty good vampire stare, but that's about it. Great performance by Karloff and loved Strange as the monster.

[MIB41]

What was truly lacking from Carradine's Dracula was any vocal quality that would suggest he was from the character's homeland. Carradine sounded more like a broken down old man than a flamboyant vampire that had traveled the world in search of "fresh blood". And it didn't help that his dialogue was not well written. I found it particularly amusing that he would enter a doctor's mansion at 4 in the morning and wake him to a casual conversation about the living dead and asked to be walked to the lower levels of his home. Huh... common sense might tell you to RUN LIKE H*LL!

[Godzilla]

I think the magician analogy is best for me. He's ok, but nothing special.

[Goblin19]

Having just plowed through all the Universals with my sons, I can safely say that Carradine was woefully miscast, though I like him as an actor. I remember not liking him in the part when I rewatched these in my twenties and these viewings confirmed that.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I heard Caradine did a pretty decent Dracula on stage, and wore make up with a big droopy mustache to match the novel's description of Drac.

But his Universal work is pretty bland. He basically does nothing in HOF. Karloff pulls the stake out of him, and he's on screen for maybe 7 minutes, and the sun gets him when his coach crashses. Whoppity-do.

HOF and HOD would have been sure classics with Lugosi back as Drac. Like Brian said, they are mostly Wolfman movies (and for that they are worth watching of course) but even in HOD Dracula seems an afterthought.

Chris

[mightyquinn]

What was truly lacking from Carradine's Dracula was any vocal quality that would suggest he was from the character's homeland. Carradine sounded more like a broken down old man than a flamboyant vampire that had traveled the world in search of "fresh blood". And it didn't help that his dialogue was not well written. I found it particularly amusing that he would enter a doctor's mansion at 4 in the morning and wake him to a casual conversation about the living dead and asked to be walked to the lower levels of his home. Huh... common sense might tell you to RUN LIKE H*LL!

Could you imagine inviting Lee's Dracula in for a nightcap!! BLOODBATH!!!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yeah, Lee was barely hospitable to Harker in the first film, just enough to get him in the door. But you could tell he was an evil SOB from the start!

Chris