HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2
D: Terence Fisher
Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough,
Melissa Stribling, John Van Eyssen, Carol Marsh
The first Hammer Dracula movie, with Christopher Lee in the title role and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. So get out the garlic and keep a crucifix handy, and it can't hurt to have a few sharp wooden stakes within reach, either. What's striking about this version is the elegance of its set design and costumes, and Lee's iconic performance as the count. Bela Lugosi might've set the vampire standard in 1931, but Lee took it over with this film, adding the fangs and bloodshot eyes to go with his own sinister grace, and paving the way for numerous Dracula movies to follow. For a generation of moviegoers, at least, Dracula will always be Christopher Lee.
Christopher Lee
(1922-2015)
