When Universal began to take advantage of having the junior Lon Chaney under contract, they tried to shape him into the new horror superstar by casting him in various monster roles. THE WOLF MAN, of course, was his signature role. From there, the studio cast him as the Frankenstein monster and the living mummy, and even gave him a series of horror/crime pictures under the combined Inner Sanctum title. He was also cast as the king of vampires in SON OF DRACULA, pictured here. Fans and critics generally agree that the film is quite good, but that Chaney was miscast. His all-American every-man qualities ill fit the role of a stately European Count. He gives it a good try, though, and the film remains one of the fine examples of 40's Universal horror. The plot concerns Dracula's arrival in bayou country, in order to marry a young woman who has contacted him. Her real intentions, however, are to have Dracula convert her into the undead and then she'll destroy him to inherit the world with another man she plans to put the bite on! Thus, a blend of the horror films of the previous decade and the new breed of crime thrillers currently all the rage! The film sports some wonderfully moody photography, enhanced by the swamp settings. Most worth a look.
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