While there are competing theories as to why Universal took a decade and a half to allow Bela to officially play Dracula again, as well as why director Tod Browning wasn't invited back to direct the Dracula sequels, it's hard to miss the idea that this 1935 MGM film starring Bela as a vampire and directed by Browning was intended to be a Dracula film in all but name.

By 1935 American film standards, this is one creepy film, and it's still somewhat impressive today! Great sets, spooky ambient sounds and (in one particularly memorable scene) atonal organ music, incredible lighting, a few truly ambitious zooms and angles, and that one sequence where an animated Luna (the vampire daughter) descends from the window via bat wings is utterly breath-taking. Sure, the rubber bats are silly, but the rest of the film absolutely delivers.

However, presumably because MGM was fearful of a lawsuit, the end of the film totally usurps itself to prove that the two vampires we've been watching throughout this film are just actors posing as vampires in order to frame a murderer. Thus, Bela's Count Mora ISN'T Dracula. The problem is that this solution makes no actual sense whatsoever. Most of the shots where the vampires appear serve no purpose in hindsight if they are being performed entirely for the sake of one person who isn't present for the majority of those scenes. And how did one of the actors descend from the air on beating bat-wings? The ending utterly ruins an otherwise amazing film.

Adapted from Browning's earlier London After Midnight, that earlier film was produced back before movie-goers in America were ready to accept the idea of the supernatural in a film. Horror movies of the era would seem to be about a ghost or monster and ultimately end up having a real-world explanation. In 1935, that doesn't quite work anymore, especially when it leaves mile-wide plot holes in its wake.

Any true Bela fan should have deeply conflicted feelings about Mark of the Vampire. On the one hand, it's a beautiful film that is far more mesmerizing than Dracula (1931), and on the other, the ending utterly ruins the film. Additionally, while Bela is at his creepiest and most menacing here, he never speaks until the very end. If we were judging this film only on its best moments, it would probably come in at the top 5 on this list, but judging it as a whole, #12 is both far too good for it and an utter insult to its high points.


You can rent Mark of the Vampire on Youtube:

Produced by Monogram, a "Poverty Row" company synonymous with B films, The Invisible Ghost is atypical of their usual output, proving you don't need a big budget nor a big name studio to produce a quality film. There are no special effects, no elaborate sets with hidden passages and fancy electronics; just an old house, brilliantly expressive lighting, and some truly bold camera work.

More importantly to this list, Bela turns in one of his absolute finest performances here. While nowhere near as striking as in his master performances in White Zombie and Murders in the Rue Morgue (both coming later on this list), Bela turns in a far more complex performance here, playing the most downright lovable villain of all time. He is so warm, so charming, so utterly innocent and delightful. And his transitions into a cold-blooded murderer are deliciously nuanced and carefully considered. For some reason, he hams it up for the final two transformations, but the rest of the film is some of the finest acting he has ever done.

The plot itself is highly problematic, as are some of the other actors, but if you're looking for creepy ambiance and an outstanding Bela performance, you won't be disappointed with this outing. It's certainly Bela's finest moment on "Poverty Row".


The Invisible Ghost is streaming free on Youtube:

Probably the least well-known film to make the Top 10, this underrated gem is a masterpiece of mood, storytelling, and comedy/terror balance, all with Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and Bela Lugosi at its core.

Released as a vehicle for radio personality Kay Kyser, he's pretty much the only aspect of this film that isn't a total win, and if you only watch the first scene (in which he is positively obnoxious), I can't fault you for stopping there and dismissing this as a third-rate film. Once you get past that, the film is gold. When comedy and horror mix in a film of this era, the comedy is usually used to alleviate some of the horror. In this case, it's the exact opposite. The comedy causes you to let down your guard in time for some major suspense to catch you unaware.

The premise is essentially a variety show being put on in a spooky old mansion in the middle of a lightning storm in order to alleviate the tension that the only bridge back to town has just exploded and someone among the group just may be a murderer. It's a masterful mix of song, dance, humor, and horror, the likes of which I've never seen balanced so effortlessly anywhere else. Add to this elaborate sets, lighting, and special effects that surpass Universal at its very best. I am never ever actually scared by Golden Age horror movies, but this one left me...unsettled, at times.

Three Golden Age legends teamed up in a film with masterful pacing, progression, and mood/atmosphere. It's a film you just can't miss.



The only available streaming version of You'll Find Out is in Spanish, but it will still give you a taste of the film: