A former actor with experience in vaudeville and the carnival and circus circuit, Tod Browning became a director during the Silent Era and would become one of the first great directors of the burgeoning horror film genre (even being dubbed by the trade papers of his day as “the Edgar Allan Poe of the cinema”). He rose to fame with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1920’s for several films starring the “Man of a Thousand Faces” Lon Chaney, including The Unholy Three (1925), the holy grail of lost silent films London After Midnight (1927) and The Unknown (also 1927). Following Chaney’s death in 1930, Browning would work with Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi on what would become the first modern American horror film of the sound era, Dracula (1931); the two would reunite four years later on Mark of the Vampire. Previously released on DVD as part of the Hollywood Legends of Horror boxset by Warner Bros., the movie debuts on Blu-ray as part of the Warner Archive Collection.
The Production: 3.5/5
In the Czech countryside estate of Sir Karell Borotyn, the master is found dead with two tiny pinprick marks on neck and his body drained of blood; Baron Otto von Zinden (Jean Hersholt) and village Dr. Doskin (Donald Meek) believe it’s the work of a vampire, while Inspector Neumann (Lionel Atwill) is unwilling to entertain any possibility of the supernatural. However, when Count Mora (Bela Lugosi) and his daughter Luna (Carroll Borland) set their sights – and fangs – on Sir Karell’s daughter Irena (Elizabeth Allan), vampire expert Professor Zelen (Lionel Barrymore) arrives at the estate to help. What happens next is an investigation into the dark goings on, with a surprising revelation on the death of Sir Karell.
Made after shocking America with the controversial Freaks (1932) and the disappointing drama Fast Workers (1933), Tod Browning’s Mark of the Vampire – a loose remake of the famously lost film London After Midnight, although the source material for that film (Browning’s short story “The Hypnotist”) is uncredited here – returned the director to the genre where he made his mark. As one of the handful of horror movies Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made during the 1930’s, the proceedings bear the hallmarks of the polished style that came to define the studio during its golden age; the contributions of longtime MGM chief production designer Cedric Gibbons and legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe are a huge plus here in creating the eerie atmosphere. While the film breezes along at a nice pace, it’s worth noting that about 10 to 15 minutes were cut from the film prior to wide release, some of it being comedic material while some footage helped to explain some details that are not completely cleared up in the final cut; sadly, that footage has not resurfaced and – barring a future discovery somewhere – is likely lost to the sands of time. However, the one Achilles heel of the movie is that the comedic material comes off as strained and forced most of the time rather than actually funny; the twist ending may also be off putting for those as well (but I certainly won’t reveal that here). A mixture of horror and comedic elements that doesn’t completely jell but not a total waste either, Mark of the Vampire is nonetheless an effectively done and atmospheric movie that’s absolutely worth a second look.
Top billed here, Lionel Barrymore – MGM’s grand gent of the 1930’s – capably holds his own as the vampire expert brought in to investigate the death of Sir Karell; Barrymore would return to the genre the next year, reteaming with Browning on The Devil-Doll. As the leading lady here, Elizabeth Allan is suitably vulnerable as the daughter of the dead Sir Karell; after MGM replaced her as the leading lady in both The Citadel (1938) and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), she returned to the UK in 1938 after a successful lawsuit against the studio. Bela Lugosi casts a memorable impression – despite not having any dialogue until the final scene of the movie – as Count Mora while Carroll Borland (as Mora’s daughter Luna) created an iconic look for the female vampire with her performance here; Jean Hersholt – as Baron Otto – and Lionel Atwill – as the vampire skeptic Inspector Neumann – equally are solid as well. Rounding out the cast here are Donald Meek as Dr. Doskil, Leila Bennett as the hysterical maid Annie, Henry Wadsworth as Irena’s lover Fedor, Holmes Herbert as Sir Karell, an uncredited Egon Brecher as the coroner, Michael Visaroff as the innkeeper and uncredited appearances by Robert Greig, Torben Meyer and Christian Rub in bit parts; although billed as a midwife, Jessie Ralph appears as the woman gathering firewood in the cemetery at the beginning of the film.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The film is presented in its original 1:37:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new HD transfer created for this release. Film grain, gray scale and fine details appear to be faithfully represented with minimal cases of nicks, scratches, tears or dirt present. This release is by far the best the movie has ever looked on home video, easily surpassing the previous transfer in the Hollywood Legends of Horror DVD boxset.
Audio: 5/5
The film’s original mono soundtrack is presented on a DTS-HD Master Audio track for this release. Dialogue, sound mix and brief music score (under the direction of Edward Ward and featuring stock music by Domenico Savino, both of whom went uncredited) are presented faithfully and clearly with only minimal cases of clicking, flutter, crackling, popping, hissing or distortion present. Again, this release is likely the best the movie will ever sound on home video and surpasses the film’s previous DVD release within the Hollywood Legends of Horror boxset.
Special Features: 3/5
Commentary by genre historians Kim Newman and Stephen Jones – Originally recorded for the 2005 Hollywood Icons of Horror DVD boxset, Newman and Jones goes over details on the movie’s production, including what was cut from the film prior to its premiere.
A Thrill for Thelma (18:00) – This fourth entry in MGM’s short film series Crime Does Not Pay features the titular character’s obsession with the “easy way” of life leading her to a life of crime.
The Calico Dragon (7:57) – The Academy Award nominated Happy Harmonies cartoon by Rudolf Ising features toys acting out a fairy tale in which they come across the titular beast.
Theatrical Trailer (2:00)
Overall: 4/5
Although not along the same heights as Dracula or Freaks, Mark of the Vampire is still a solid film in the career of Tod Browning and representative of the few excursions Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made into the horror genre. Warner Bros. continues its impressive work in bringing classic movies out on Blu-ray here, with an impressive HD transfer that has the movie looking its best on home video while also carrying over the legacy commentary while adding two new special features here. Very highly recommended and absolutely worth upgrading from the previous DVD release.
Mark of the Vampire (blu-ray)
$21.13 $18.52
Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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