Katherine Caldwell is an occult-obsessed southern girl who's awaiting Hungarian Count Alucard (Dracula) to arrive at her father's plantation home in the small town of Dark Oaks. Her father dies on the arrival of Alucard, and she starts sneaking around to meet with him, while her fiancée Frank follows her around. Soon enough she's secretly marries Alucard and soon becomes one of the undead when there's a confrontation between Frank and Alucard. Local doctor Brewster begins to suspect something is not quite right about Count Alucard and questions Katherine's intentions.<br /><br />Well, this is the first Universal Dracula film that I've watched and it might be a superfluous sequel to the original. Otherwise there's no doubting that this atmospherically Gothic and noir-like b-grade presentation breaths a touch originality in its curiously morbid premise and makes great use of some neatly handled effects involving seeping mist, bat transforming and an emerging coffin from the bottom of a dank swamp. Now that final note was one haunting scene. What it wants to be is nothing but simple fun. Which it gladly fits right into without any problems.<br /><br />Hitting you straight away is Lon Chaney Jr.'s tubby representation of Dracula. Since I haven't seen the other films, it's hard for me to compare him with the likes of Bela Lugosi and John Carradine. I don't mind Chaney Jr. in the creepily stern role, but he does lack that sensually dominating presence and deadly suave one would associate with Dracula. He brings his own little touch to the landmark character with mixed results, but this didn't spoil the film for me in any shape. The rest of the performances were very well rounded and Louise Allbritton is admirably good in her selfishly sly performance of Katherine Caldwell. The perverse sub-plot involving her character is a compelling idea that's fleshed out nicely. Frank Craven is solid as Dr. Brewster and Robert Paige is sympathetically able as the heroine Frank. Curt Siodmak (story) and Eric Taylor (screenplay) cooked up a dark and moody awe from this tragically nightmarish and complex romance tale filled with dreaded suspense and strangely eerie twists. The opening question is not much of a mystery and it isn't played as one either. The smooth flowing script is tightly conceived and the pacing is judge to perfection. These refreshing aspects do go down well with Robert Siodmak's stylishly spooky treatment and surreal set-up in directing many effective moments and visions. Crisp photography and a broodingly cracking music score are handled with precise timing in depicting the film's right vein as well.<br /><br />I really enjoyed myself with this Universal outing and now I look forward into getting amongst the rest of their Dracula features.