MARK OF THE VAMPIRE On Blu-ray From Warner Archive

 

During the last few years the Warner Archive Collection has been releasing a number of fantastic restorations of classic Hollywood horror films. Now they've brought out on Blu-ray Tod Browning's somewhat controversial MARK OF THE VAMPIRE, made by MGM and released in 1935. 

MARK OF THE VAMPIRE is a sound remake of the legendary now-lost silent LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT, also directed by Tod Browning. But it's also something of a semi-remake of Browning's 1931 DRACULA. In fact there are times where Bela Lugosi (as the notorious "Count Mora") appears even more impressive than he did as Bram Stoker's famed creation in the earlier Universal production. For M ARK OF THE VAMPIRE, the MGM production design department gave Universal a run for their money when it came to cobwebs, fog, and other on-set creepy accouterments. The atmosphere that MGM, Browning, and cinematographer James Wong Howe conjured up for this film is quite impressive. 

The overall cast is impressive as well, with Lionel Barrymore hamming it up mercilessly as the Van Helsing-like Professor Zelen. (It has to be said, though, that Barrymore's approach is very entertaining.) There's also Lionel Atwill, Holmes Herbert, Donald Meek, and Leila Bennett once again doing her scared maid routine. 

Joining Bela as a presumed creature of the night is Carroll Borland as the spooky Luna. This was Borland's only major film role, but her presentation here still has an effect on pop culture nearly 90 years later. (When I wrote a blog post a few years ago listing my favorite all-time movie vampires, Borland's portrayal as Luna made the cut.) 

MARK OF THE VAMPIRE only runs a tight 60 minutes--MGM made some major edits to it before its general release. As Greg Mank points out in his wonderful book HOLLYWOOD CAULDRON, these cuts were for the better--the movie doesn't have the snail-like pacing that Browning's 1931 DRACULA has. 

Mank has also pointed out that MARK OF THE VAMPIRE might have gone down in classic horror film history as one of the greatest examples of that genre--except for the ending. This climax negates almost everything that the viewer has already seen, and it raises more questions than answers. The back of this Blu-ray's disc cover calls the ending "a startling twist"--there's plenty of monster movie fans who would call it something else. 

MARK OF THE VAMPIRE had first been released on DVD earlier this century as part of a box set called the HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS OF HORROR COLLECTION. On this new Blu-ray, MARK OF THE VAMPIRE looks magnificent, with increased sharpness and detail. The sound is much more bolder and distinct as well. 

Other than a few MGM short subjects (which have nothing in common with the film), the only major extras have been carried over from the DVD release: an audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman, and the original trailer. The trailer is beloved by film geeks, since it features Lugosi, in full costume & makeup as Count Mora, giving his all in promoting the film. One could even say that this trailer gave Bela more of a showcase than most of the full-length films he starred in. 

I'm happy that Warner Archive decided to present MARK OF THE VAMPIRE on Blu-ray with all the visual splendor that it deserves. I did, however, hope that a 60 minute black & white movie might have gotten some new extras to go along with it, such as a newer commentary, or at least a still gallery (some of the greatest images of Bela ever were taken during the making of this film). In the end, we all must be judges of this eerie conspiracy.