Dracula

     "Dracula" was Universal's first horror movie with sound, and it was first released in February of 1931.  Bela Lugosi instantly became a superstar with his unforgettable turn as the legendary Count Dracula.  "Dracula" was so successful that it helped launch a long-running series of horror movies for the studio.  "Dracula" opens with a bang, as Jonathon Harker rides through the fog-shrouded Borga Pass in the Carpathian Mountains.  Upon arriving at Count Dracula's castle, a Gothic creepiness is firmly established and stays throughout the rest of the movie.  Combined with Lugosi's definitive Count, and with the outstanding set design, it's easy to see why "Dracula" set the prototype for all creature-features to follow- lots of cobwebs, foggy cemeteries,  creaking doors, and strangely enough, armadillos.  In this day and age, it's almost hard to understand the effect "Dracula" had on movie-going audiences.  But truly nothing like this had ever been seen before, and it terrified audiences all over the world. Lugosi set the prototype for all vampires to come.  This is the iconic vampire that we all grew up with.  From Bela Lugosi's magical portrayal of the Count came the Hammer films, Sesame Street's The Count, even Count Chocula.  It's an unforgettable role.  Count Dracula has been the most portrayed character in motion picture history.  "Dracula" ranked #79 on Bravo's list of the 100 Scariest Moments in Movie History.