Mark of the Vampire (1935)

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Top cast30

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Lionel Barrymore

Professor Zelin

Elizabeth Allan

Irena Borotyn

Bela Lugosi

Count Mora

Lionel Atwill

Inspector Neumann

Jean Hersholt

Baron Otto

Henry Wadsworth

Fedor Vincente

Donald Meek

Dr. Doskil

Jessie Ralph

Midwife

Ivan F. Simpson

Jan
(as Ivan Simpson)

Franklyn Ardell

Chauffeur

Leila Bennett

Maria

June Gittelson

Annie

Carroll Borland

Luna
(as Carol Borland)

Holmes Herbert

Sir Karell Borotyn

Michael Visaroff

Innkeeper

Eily Malyon

Sick Woman
(scenes deleted)

Guy Bellis

Ronnie - Englishman at Inn
(uncredited)

James Bradbury Jr.

Fourth Vampire
(uncredited)

Did you know

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Trivia
Throughout the film, Count Mora (Bela Lugosi) has an unexplained bullet wound on his temple. In the original script Mora was supposed to have had an incestuous relationship with his daughter Luna and to have committed suicide. After filming began, however, MGM deleted references to the crime (and any remaining references may have been deleted when 20 minutes of footage was removed after the film's preview). Because director Tod Browning's previous film, Freaks (1932), had been a box-office disaster, he was unable to object to any changes made by the studio.

Goofs
The character of Jan (pronounced as it would be in Prague as "yan") is referred to by the English pronunciation inexplicably by one character a few times before returning to pronouncing it correctly.

Quotes
[Last Lines]
Count Mora: This vampire business, it has given me a great idea for a new act. Luna, in this new act I will be the vampire. Did you watch me? I gave all of me. I was greater than any real vampire.
Luna Mora: Sure, sure, but get off your makeup.
Fourth Vampire: Yes, and help me with some of this packing.

Alternate versions
There is an Italian DVD edition of this movie, distributed by DNA Srl. The movie was re-edited with the contribution of the film history scholar Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available in streaming on some platforms.

Connections
Edited into Mondo Lugosi - A Vampire's Scrapbook (1987)

Soundtracks
Umrem Umrem
(uncredited)
Music by Jack Virgil

One of the Best Supernatural Films

This was one of the best vampire films of the classic black-and-white era. Essentially a composite remake of "Dracula" and an earlier film called "London After Midnight" with some bizarre twists, in terms of ghoulish settings and atmosphere, particularly the cemetery scenes, and Lugosi and Borland wandering in the night, this film is second to none. There is no doubt that Bela Lugosi was the classic Dracula of the early sound period. If I were to make a list of his best 10 films, this would be one of them along with the 1931 "Dracula", the 1943 "Return of the Vampire", the 1940 "The Devil Bat" and others. Carol Borland's role as "Luna"sets the standard for "Vampira" of the 1950s and "Elvira" of the 1980s as well as "Morticia" of the Addams Family on TV. She does an excellent job in the role of a "creature of the night". And of course, Bela Lugosi as Count Mora is without peer. The entire cast including Lionel Barrymore, Lionel Atwill, Elizabeth Allen, Jean Hersholt, and others do an excellent job.

10/10.

Dan Basinger