Plot: What’s it about?
Armand Tesla (Bela Lugosi) is a vampire who has survived for centuries, feeding off the English villagers he comes across. But when a pair of scientists manage to stake his cold heart, he is taken out of action and placed in a sealed tomb. While he is not totally destroyed, the stake has left him helpless and after two decades of entombment, the future looks bleak for Tesla. As World War II unfolds however, a misguided German explosive gives him another chance, freeing him from his tomb by sheer accident. He quickly reclaims his werewolf assistant Andreas (Matt Willis), assumes a new identity, and sets his usual plans into motion. Of course, this involves getting vengeance on the family that put him inside that tomb, but if he can obtain the heart & soul of the targeted young woman, it will be much more than simple revenge. But his plan won’t roll out without a hitch, as the family intends to battle him and as time passes, Andreas comes to question his master’s wishes. Can Tesla put his stamp of vengeance on the family once and for all, or will they somehow manage to return him to the tomb once more, perhaps forever this time?
As Universal owned the rights to the Dracula character at the time, Columbia’s The Return of the Vampire is not a technical sequel, though it seems like one. Bela Lugosi returns and plays the same basic role, with the sole change in name, from Dracula to Armand Tesla. While this movie doesn’t break much new ground, it does provide an entertaining experience and some new twists, including the vampire’s werewolf assistant. Yes, that might seem like a cheap reason to include another monster, but the premise is not wasted here and in truth, is put to far better use that could be expected, if you ask me. This is where The Return of the Vampire earns its stripes, with an in depth look at the relationship between these two monsters, as well as the inner turmoils that plague them both. Although it does fall into some of the usual cliches, even then it handles things well enough and in the end, is a fun, old fashioned vampire picture. I recommend this movie to anyone interested in classic era horror cinema, even though Columbia’s disc is bare bones. It might not be as well known as Universal’s Dracula, but it makes for an interesting, highly worthwhile sequel, even though the connection is unofficial.
He might look like Dracula, behave like Dracula, and even sound like Dracula, but as this was a Columbia production, he simply couldn’t be Dracula. But even though he isn’t called by that name, we all Bela Lugosi is simply returning to the role that made him famous. Not that we should find that to be bad, as Lugosi is terrific here and thanks to some new twists, the role seems fresh and that gives him some room to shine even more. Lugosi is even more refined, snobbish, and pompous here as he was in Dracula, which is just how it should be, given that his upper class take on the character has defined it for so many folks. Then again, if you didn’t like his work in Dracula, you probably won’t change your mind here, as he plays up those aspects quite a bit. Other films with Lugosi include The Devil Bat, Ninotchka, The Dark Eyes of London, Son of Frankenstein, and of course, Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla. The cast also includes Frieda Inescort (A Place in the Sun, Foxfire), Nina Foch (The Ten Commandments, Spartacus), Matt Willis (Strange Voyage, The Yearling), and Miles Mander (Apache Trail, The Scarlet Claw).
Video: How does it look?
The Return of the Vampire is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. I know this isn’t a high profile, blockbuster movie, but its time to give this some kind of restoration, as the materials are in lackluster condition. I mean, the print has nicks and debris throughout, sometimes light and other times rather thick, not too impressive. I don’t expect a full scale overhaul, but some cleaning work would have been welcome, to be sure. Aside from that, the image is good and has smooth, consistent contrast levels, which means no detail is sacrificed. I wish it was cleaner, but even in the current state, it looks solid for a 1944 picture.
Audio: How does it sound?
I wasn’t all that impressed with the audio here, but given that the film was released in 1944, I think some slack is deserved. On the good side, the material has little as far as serious problems, as even age related issues are limited to minor instances. I found the music to have minimal distortion and sound effects are well presented, while dialogue stays clean throughout. But then on the bad side, time has taken some toll on the materials, with a little more hiss than I’d like, as well as some harshness in a few scenes. Even so, for a movie from 1944, I’d say this sounds good and I think most fans will agree. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
