Dracula's Death
Encyclopedia
Dracula's Death — or Drakula halála, sometimes translated as The Death of Drakula — is a 1921 Hungarian
horror
movie, currently believed to be a lost film
, that was written and directed by Károly Lajthay
. The film is notable because it marks the first screen appearance of the vampire
Count Dracula
, though recent scholarly research indicates that the film's plot does not actually follow the narrative of Bram Stoker
's novel Dracula
. After originally opening in Vienna in 1921 and enjoying a long and successful European run, the film was later re-edited and re-released in Budapest in 1923. This second theatrical run, coupled with the fact that scholars are only now uncovering reliable information about the film, may explain why the Internet Movie Database erroneously lists the film's original release date as April 1923.
The film is about a woman who experiences frightening visions after visiting an insane asylum where one of the inmates claims to be Count Dracula
(here following the Hungarian
spelling Drakula), and she has trouble determining if the visions were real or merely nightmares.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
movie, currently believed to be a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
, that was written and directed by Károly Lajthay
Károly Lajthay
Károly Lajthay was a Hungarian film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed 17 films between 1918 and 1944. He also appeared in 13 films between 1916 and 1920....
. The film is notable because it marks the first screen appearance of the vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
, though recent scholarly research indicates that the film's plot does not actually follow the narrative of Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
's novel Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
. After originally opening in Vienna in 1921 and enjoying a long and successful European run, the film was later re-edited and re-released in Budapest in 1923. This second theatrical run, coupled with the fact that scholars are only now uncovering reliable information about the film, may explain why the Internet Movie Database erroneously lists the film's original release date as April 1923.
The film is about a woman who experiences frightening visions after visiting an insane asylum where one of the inmates claims to be Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
(here following the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
spelling Drakula), and she has trouble determining if the visions were real or merely nightmares.
Cast
- Paul Askonas as Dracula
- Lene Myl as Mary Land
- Carl Goetz as funnyman
- Aladár Ihász as the funnyman's assistant
- Dezsö Kertész as George
- Lajos Réthey as the fake doctor
- Elemér ThuryElemér ThuryElemér Thury was a Hungarian film actor. He appeared in 14 films between 1912 and 1944.He was born in Mezőtúr, Hungary and died in Budapest.-Selected filmography:* Utolsó bohém, Az * Rablélek...
as Doctor