Before the era of home video formats, people simply had to rely on written reviews of "Son of Dracula," almost all of which were negative. In particular, Lon Chaney, Jr., has endured years of abuse for his performance as Dracula (or his son, depending on your opinion). But now the film is readily available and the truth is easy to see: it's pretty good. Not brilliant, but pretty good. Chaney's performance is actually one of his best for Universal; certainly his most atypical. Chaney excelled at characters who were out of control and childlike, but his Dracula is supremely in control, and seething with menace. It is his iciest, most restrained performance. Those who still berate Chaney for his "lack of range" should be forced to admit that he played Dracula far more effectively than Bela Lugosi could have played Lennie. Interestingly, the rest of the cast is equally "miscast:" doomed hero Robert Paige was normally a musical leading man, while femme fatale Louise Albritton was usually a blonde comedienne. Both are quite effective in the horror genre. Frank Craven does well as the folksy doctor who is forced to take on the Van Helsing role (though J. Edward Bromberg is the official Van Helsing surrogate). This is one of the most unusual Universal horror films, in that it is more horror noir than melodrama--fitting, given that it was directed by noir master Robert Siodmak. It also represents the only time Dracula, or any relation thereof, is seen outside of Europe. "Son of Dracula" contains one of the creepiest scenes in any Universal horror film, the one involving "Queen Zimba" (played by the delightfully ancient Adeline de Walt Reynolds), and the most downbeat ending. All in all, "Son of Dracula" is one of the most interesting Universal efforts from its second horror cycle, and the fact that it has endured such a bad rap over the decades is totally unfair.

Having already appeared as The Wolf Man, The Mummy AND Frankenstein's Monster, Lon Chaney dons a black cape to play yet another classic Universal horror character, Count Dracula (NOT his son, as the title would have us believe). Travelling under the oh-so-clever pseudonym of Count Alucard, Dracula arrives in America, the guest of occult obsessed beauty Katherine Caldwell (Louise Allbritton), who intends to marry the vampire and gain immortality.

For much of its running time, Son of Dracula is quite a shambolic affair, the sloppy plot seemingly going nowhere slowly. Eventually, the story gets a little more interesting, as Katherine's sinister intentions become clearer, but, even then, Chaney's lacklustre turn as the Count drains proceedings of much of its lifeblood. Where the film does succeed is with several well-crafted scenes of the macabre—the best being Dracula's silent glide towards Katherine across a swamp—and with its enjoyable special effects, including cinema's first transformation from man to bat, some atmospheric shots of Dracula in mist form, and a few hilarious rubber bats on wires.