The 1931 Universal horror film starring Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula was Dracula.
Directed by Tod Browning, Dracula was adapted from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel through the successful stage play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. Lugosi had already played the vampire on Broadway, and his deliberate speech, formal costume, and hypnotic screen presence became the defining image of Dracula for generations.
The film follows Count Dracula as he travels from Transylvania to England and preys on living victims. It was produced during the early sound era, making its pauses, dialogue, and eerie atmosphere central to its effect. Universal also produced a Spanish-language version on the same sets, filmed at night with a different cast and crew.
Dracula became a major commercial success and helped establish Universal’s cycle of classic monster films. It is often confused with later Lugosi appearances, but he played Dracula in only one additional Universal feature, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, released in 1948. The 1931 film entered the National Film Registry in 2000.