Dan Curtis' Dracula 1974 A CBS TV Movie that loosely adapts Bram Stoker's novel, screenplay by Richard Matheson, directed by Dan Curtis. It was filmed in Yugoslavia and England. Simon Ward, Nigel Davenport and Fiona Lewis are among the English cast.
Jack Palance plays Dracula, he'd worked with Dan Curtis on the 1968 Canadian TV movie The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. That's packed in a four disc DVD set of Dan Curtis films along with Dracula, The Picture Of Dorian Gray and The Turn Of The Screw. I was most interested in watching Dracula again, since it was the first disc in the box I watched that first. I had seen Dracula when it was new and I don't remember ever seeing it since. I have a vague idea that I enjoyed it but remember nothing of the movie when watching it again. I read that there are two versions of the movie, one for US TV and a second for European theaters. The MPI DVD collection I have has the TV version. There's a 2014 MPI Blu-ray that's got the Euro version. I don't think it would be worth 15 bucks to buy the Blu-ray. I can't imagine there's going to be much different in a version that's supposed to be "slightly gorier" according to the Wikipedia page for the movie.
The adaptation changes a good bit of the book and not necessarily for the better. Poor Jonathan Harker doesn't survive the movie. I'm not always keen on films that kill off the main character. I wasn't as interested in the Dracula is Vlad the Impaler plot element.
The Wikipedia says Dan was first to use the idea of Dracula finding and pursuing a woman he believes is the reincarnation of an old love. Others have used that plot element in their Dracula movies. Dan had also used that plot element in his 1966 TV show Dark Shadows. Another program I hope to get around to soon.
Despite the changes to the story I thought it was alright. It's a fairly well made movie with plenty of nice scenery and sets. Much better production values than most TV movies. The cast is good and Jack is entertaining as Dracula. I would watch it again someday.
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