The Return of Bela

THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE-1944-While World War 2 still raged Columbia had wanted to release their own vampire tale featuring Dracula and starring Bela Lugosi. Unfortunately Universal blocked the attempt to use the character's name. That didn't stop them from making this unusual horror tale, sometimes referred to as "the unofficial sequel to DRACULA".

During World War One a strange case of anemia causes Dr. Ainsley (Frieda Inescourt) to call in Professor Saunders to investigate the patient. He figures out that it's the work of a depraved Romanian scientist/now vampire named Armand Tesla (Lugosi) and his werewolf servant Andreas (Matt Willis). After Tesla kills the patient and sets his (its ?) sights on a little girl, the medical duo discover his coffin and drive a stake through his heart killing him and thereby releasing Andreas from his hairy servitude.

This part of the narrative is actually told in flashback 20 years later by Dr. Ainsley to Sir Frederick (Miles Mander) of Scotland Yard just after Prof. Saunders has been killed in a plane crash. Frederick concludes that the doctor's tale is basically nonsense and he plans to open up Tesla's grave and charge the doctor with murder! Andreas is now cured and working with Dr. Ainsley. However before Sir Frederick can act, a German air raid blows open Tesla's coffin and two unwitting gravediggers pull the stake out of him! Tesla rises from the grave, makes Andreas his hirsute servant once more and plots revenge against Dr. Ainsley. He assumes the identity of Dr. Hugo Bruckner and crashes the engagement party of Ainsley's son (Roland Varno) to Nikki (Nina Foch), granddaughter of Prof. Saunders. Tesla sets his fangs on Nikki. Eventually with the help of Andreas and another timely air raid Tesla is put to rest again. Final scene has Sir Frederick asking the audience a question.

RETURN is another nice underrated little film. Lugosi is extremely sinister in the title role and the addition of the werewolf slave is a welcome surprise. This was made by journey man Lew Landers who in 1931 had directed Lugosi (and Karloff) in THE RAVEN. Some critics consider THE RAVEN (his first film) his best film as his career was prolific but undistinguished but they usually forget RETURN. He later made MASK OF DIJON with Erich Von Strohiem, some Jungle Jim entries, then went into TV.

This is quite a highlight in Lugosi's career considering that the same year he starred in two Monogram cheapies VOODOO MAN and ONE BODY TOO MANY. It's also the last time Lugosi had top billing a major studio production.

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