THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (1943)

Director: Lew Landers

Writers: Griffin Jay, Kurt Neumann, Randall Faye

Producer: Sam White

Cast: Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Matt Willis, Miles Mander, Nina Foch, Gilbert Emery, Roland Varno, Leslie Denison, William Austin, Ottola Nesmith, (and uncredited cast) Jeanne Bates, Sydney Chatton, Harold De Becker, Billy Bevan, Sherlee Collier, Donald Dewar, Frank Dawson, Jean Fenwick, Stanley Logan, Nelson Leigh, Olaf Hytten, Audrey Manners, George McKay, Marianne Mosner, Clara Reid 

In 1918 London, England, the vampire Armand Tesla (Bela Lugosi) is at large. Professor Walter Saunders’ (Gilbert Emery) young granddaughter Nikki (Sherlee Collier) has become one of Tesla’s victims. Saunders and his medical colleague Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) track down Tesla to find him at rest in a crypt, drive a spike through his heart, and bury him in an unmarked grave. Twenty-three years later during World War II, a German air raid bombs the graveyard where Tesla was buried. Tesla’s coffin is unearthed by an explosion and discovered by two civil defense workers (Billy Bevan and Harold De Becker). They remove the spike from Tesla’s chest and rebury him. Tesla soon returns to life and seeks revenge. 

The Flashback Fanatic movie review

During Universal Pictures’ B-movie horror heyday of the ’40s, Columbia Pictures decided to compete with their own take on contemporary horror. While The Return of the Vampire has some of the tropes and stylistic trappings that Universal had established, it is most interesting for its peculiar deviations from them.

Of course, casting Bela Lugosi in the title role just screams Universal style horror. The first horror film of the sound era was Universal’s Dracula (1931) starring Lugosi. He had starred in many more horror film roles for Universal over the years including the recent Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). Columbia must have wanted some of that moneymaking monster mash action, so they got Lugosi to play a Dracula-styled vampire along with a werewolf slave to do a lot of his dirty work. That may sound pretty derivative, yet for all the aping of the Universal style, there are interesting variations that probably were meant to keep Universal’s lawyers from claiming any sort of plagiarism.

While most of the ’40s Universal Pictures horror films occurred in modern times, they often seemed to be striving for a timeless feeling that was isolated from the concerns of World War II. Columbia’s The Return of the Vampire takes place in London, England, and its characters are dealing with the dangers and intrigue of the war. 

An odd variant on the vampire killing technique is the use of a metal spike, which is supposed to have been preferred by the Romani people, rather than a traditional wooden stake being driven through the monster’s heart. 

Most Bela Lugosi fans are happy that the actor most identified with the Dracula character gets another full-blooded vampire part to play here. The character of Armand Tesla is certainly a vampire in the image of the Dracula role Lugosi portrayed in the classic Universal film. This Columbia Pictures movie is one of Lugosi’s classier productions of the ’40s. Lugosi gets top billing and is certainly the major selling point of the film. This production does well by Lugosi giving him plenty of screen time, dialogue, and that most impressive vampire accessory of fog that he even brandishes indoors. In many scenes Lugosi’s face seems to be radiant with evil glee. His hypnotic whispers from afar are also a very nice touch. 

The object of Tesla’s lust is the late Professor Saunders’ granddaughter Nikki. This was the first film role for 19-year-old Nina Foch who is playing a character that would have to be about a decade older. Foch gives a nice performance in a very limited role. She would return to horror the following year as the title character of Columbia’s Cry of the Werewolf (1944). 

Matt Willis plays Armand Tesla’s underling Andreas. Tesla’s evil vampire influence turns him into a werewolf. In his werewolf form, Andreas is similar to the furry, fanged, bipedal creatures Universal pioneered in Werewolf of London (1935) and, most famously, in The Wolf Man (1941). However, Andreas is quite talkative and intelligent in his monstrous state and capable of carrying out Tesla’s orders. Willis’ performance ranges from dread of Tesla’s potential to corrupt him again to evil enthusiasm when under Tesla’s control. Willis’ ability to speak so clearly with a mouthful of fangs is quite impressive. In more variations from the standards established by Universal’s Wolf Man character, silver is not required to wound this werewolf and full moons are not needed for his transformations. 

The Return of the Vampire has another quite unique innovation from the Dracula formula. Initially, it seems that this film’s stand-in for Dr. Van Helsing will be Professor Saunders. However, once the time shifts to the ’40s, the female doctor Lady Jane Ainsley replaces Saunders as the main protagonist. It is her burden throughout most of the film to convince the skeptical Sir Fredrick Fleet (Miles Mander) of Scotland Yard that there is a vampire at large in London. Frieda Inescort brings a mature beauty, determination, and intelligence to her role in a film that does not have much time to develop any character depth. 

Despite the film’s familiar horror situations, it is distinguished by its theme of recurring evils often conflicting with each other. It was Armand Tesla’s scholarly obsession with the occult that led to his becoming a vampire. Ironically, Tesla’s published text on the occult arm his foes with the knowledge they need to combat him. Not only does the evil vampire Armand Tesla return to life, but also the recurring evil of war is responsible for his unearthing and then repeats to provide something of a deus ex machina element in the climax. Tesla’s return again exerts the evil influence over the reformed Andreas to turn him back into the vampire’s werewolf minion. Tesla’s return also allows him to prey again on the now adult and beautiful Nikki Saunders. Ultimately, these recurring evil forces swirl inward upon each other. 

It seems that many horror films may have succeeded in the ’40s because they could vent audience fears and anxieties with make-believe menaces to distract from real world concerns about the war. Contrarily, The Return of the Vampire is set in wartime London beset by German air raid bombings. The heroine Lady Jane is even involved in activities to help fellow doctors escape Nazi oppression. Rather than distract its audience from contemporary concerns about the war, The Return of the Vampire’s action occurring in the midst of war may have given them reassurance. If the recurring evil of the supernatural could be overcome, perhaps the recurring evil of world war could be defeated as well.