Though predictably formulaic like all of Universal's 1940s horror output, "Son of Dracula" isn't a bad way to pass eighty minutes if you enjoy this type of movie. The story (co-written by Curt Siodmak, director Robert's brother) is silly and erratic, but moves quickly and doesn't give you a chance to lose interest. Not a great fit for the Dracula role, Lon Chaney (Jr.) at least seems to have been aware of his limitations, and the events of the film tend to flow *around* him...almost in spite of him at times. There's no shortage of strong performances from the rest of the cast, however: Louise Allbritton as the morbid Southern belle who offers herself up as Dracula's new consort, Robert Paige as Allbritton's increasingly desperate fiancé, and Frank Craven as the shrewd town doctor whose dark suspicions about Dracula are confirmed. Still, the film fails to conjure any real sense of menace; the viewer never feels that the fabric of existence is being threatened (as in the films of Val Lewton, made for Universal's direct rival RKO during this same period), or that the town may not survive Dracula's visit. Fun but insubstantial B-grade monster movie hijinks, designed to be breezily forgotten when the running time is up.
It's not clear what the unnamed Deep Southern location was supposed to contribute to the film's overall appeal; it would have worked just as well minus the swampy backdrop. Still, "Son of Dracula" was handsomely photographed by George Robinson, and is a good-looking film despite its numerous shortcomings. A minor but competent entry in Universal's horror sweepstakes. (By the way, the character that Chaney portrays is definitely Dracula himself and not the count's male offspring. The title "Son of Dracula" presumably was intended to avoid or minimize confusion with Columbia's "The Return of the Vampire," also released in late 1943; in that film, Bela Lugosi plays a distinctly Dracula-like bloodsucker named Armand Tesla.)
It's not clear what the unnamed Deep Southern location was supposed to contribute to the film's overall appeal; it would have worked just as well minus the swampy backdrop. Still, "Son of Dracula" was handsomely photographed by George Robinson, and is a good-looking film despite its numerous shortcomings. A minor but competent entry in Universal's horror sweepstakes. (By the way, the character that Chaney portrays is definitely Dracula himself and not the count's male offspring. The title "Son of Dracula" presumably was intended to avoid or minimize confusion with Columbia's "The Return of the Vampire," also released in late 1943; in that film, Bela Lugosi plays a distinctly Dracula-like bloodsucker named Armand Tesla.)