Dracula (1931)

Starring Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan

Directed by Tod Browning
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Count Dracula, the legendary vampire of Transylvania, travels to London to seek new victims, but a determined professor is dedicated to stopping him.

Bela Lugosi stars in his most famous role in this classic, albeit not completely faithful, adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, and it still holds up well, with Lugosi personifying Stoker's creature of evil in eerie closeups and fluid movements.  Although the film lacks a music score, the silence on the soundtrack is to the film's benefit, with Dracula's quiet stalkings of his victims creating unnerving suspense.  Over the years, the film has been criticized for its second half, notably by film historian David J. Skal, who indicates the second half lacks the imaginative and atmospheric photography on display in the early scenes in Transylvania.  I concur with that assessment, but I also think the second half is bolstered by the confrontations between Lugosi and Van Sloan, which are among the best scenes in the movie.  Sadly, Lugosi never had quite the same showcase for his talents again, but we're fortunate his definitive performance here has been captured for posterity.