Comparison of the two versions of 1931's Dracula

On September 29th, 1930 - Production began on Tod Browning’s Dracula.



On October 10th, 1930 - George Melford’s Spanish Language version began it’s production.



This would be the last time Universal would shoot a foreign language version of a film.

Over the years there’s been a belief that the Spanish version is technically superior to the English language version. In truth, the English version has 43 camera moves, while the Spanish has only 37. The English version has 28 camera pans, while the Spanish only has only 13.

The Spanish version is 29 minutes longer, but it just makes the movie more slower paced, without adding much to the story.



Both versions have one scene that the other doesn’t have. In the Spanish version, there is no killing of a flower girl. Without this scene, it doesn’t make sense when another victim is referenced later on.



The English version doesn’t have the killing of Lucy, which leaves people to assume that she’s still out there preying on young children.



The Spanish version uses some shots from footage filmed for the English version. This creates a goof, when they show 2 different trios of Dracula’s brides, giving him 6 brides in the Spanish version.





In my opinion, a lot of the scenes are better staged in the English version. When Renfield meets Dracula in the castle, Dracula is more menacing towering over him. In the Spanish version, they end up face to face compressed into the same shot.



For the reveal of the cross, in the English version Van Helsing brakes Dracula’s mind control through sheer will, as opposed to the Spanish version, where it’s peek a boo style to avoid Dracula’s control while bringing out the cross.



Cutting away from Renfield as he creeps towards the maid in the English version is a lot creepier than the fly gag that was left in the Spanish version.



The descent down the stairs is a lot smoother in the English version. In the Spanish version,  you get an awkward start and stop as he sets her down, and then picks her up.



The book “Tod Browning’s Dracula” is a good account of the making of the two versions of Dracula.



Both movies are available on DVD/Blu ray.