Mark Of The Vampire (1935)

After an aristocrat (Holmes Herbert) is found dead with two small wounds on his neck, the attending doctor (Donald Meek) and the murdered man's friend (Jean Hersholt) suspect it is the work of a vampire. Namely the Count (Bela Lugosi) or his daughter (Carroll Borland) who live in a nearby castle. Directed by Tod Browning (FREAKS), this is a loose remake of his 1927 silent film LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT. All the proper elements are in place: the atmospheric B&W cinematography of James Wong Howe, the detailed art direction by Cedric Gibbons and the gowns by Adrian. But Lugosi is given very little to do until the very end. The film's ending is either very clever or a cheat depending on how faithful you want your horror films to be to the genre. I was rather let down myself but have to admit it was different than your usual vampire movie. Whatever one thinks, it remains a curiosity of the genre. Apparently some 20 minutes were cut from the film before it was released. With Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan and Lionel Atwill.