November 5: 'Son of Dracula' Starts His Reign of Terror in 1943

There's no doubt as to the impact the Universal Classic Monsters had on the world of film history. From the moment "Dracula" hit the screen in 1931 until now, the release of these first horror films from the studio have influenced any and every creator, director, and producer who has worked in the genre. Most of the stars who portrayed these classic monsters are remembered for one specific role they played, though many of them traded off appearances in the sequels with their fellow acting colleagues. One of those movies was 1943's "Son of Dracula" starring Lon Chaney Jr., which was released 68 years ago today.

"Son of Dracula" was the second sequel to the hit film that launched the successful Universal Classic Monster machine, "Dracula." Critics and moviegoers haven't looked on the first sequel, "Dracula's Daughter," favorably over the years. Top movie reviewers and audiences felt "Son of Dracula" topped that one.

This sequel tells the story of the mysterious Count Alucard (Dracula spelled backwards) taking up residence in New Orleans. A woman obsessed with the occult and seeking everlasting life summons him there. While there, he takes the woman as his wife and must battle her boyfriend for her immortal soul. In contradiction to the title, Alucard is said to be the original Count himself at one point in the film.

By the time "Son of Dracula" hit theaters, lead actor Lon Chaney Jr. had already established himself as a staple of Universal Monster films. He had played the hairy beast in "The Wolf Man" and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man." Chaney Jr. even took on the role of Frankenstein's Monster in "The Ghost of Frankenstein." He also portrayed The Mummy in "The Mummy's Tomb." I would imagine taking on the role of Dracula or his son just seemed like a natural progression after playing all the other monsters at some point in his career.

Chaney appeared with a mustache in "Son of Dracula," which he never had in any of the other Universal Monster movies. You'd think a little extra facial hair would have fit in better on the Wolf Man than it would a guy who had been dead for 500 years. A vampire probably shouldn't be able to grow facial hair, right? Well, maybe he had it when he was turned, which would prove that he really wasn't the actual Dracula; Bela Lugosi's Count didn't have a mustache in the original 1931 film. I'm way overthinking this, aren't I?

Richard Siodmak directed "Son of Dracula." He is best known for his thrillers and Hollywood film noirs of the 1940s. His brother, Curt Siodmak, wrote "Son of Dracula" and had much heavier ties to the Universal Classic Monsters. Curtis also wrote "The Wolf Man," "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man," "The Invisible Man Returns, "The Invisible Agent," and "House of Frankenstein."

"Son of Dracula" was the first movie to show a bat-to-man vampire transformation onscreen. Universal's chief special effects artist John P. Fulton accomplished it. His work with Universal started on "The Invisible Man." He went on to win an Academy Award for his work on "The Ten Commandments."

"Son of Dracula" is worth a viewing because of its groundbreaking moments in Universal Monster history. You get to see the first time a bat turns into a man before your very eyes. It's also the first time Dracula was taken out of his Transylvanian element and brought to America. Plus it's a part of the Universal Classic Monster series. Just that should be enough of a reason for horror fans to see this film.

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Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.