Todd’s Serial Blog

DRACULA RETURNS: A UNIVERSAL SERIAL IN 13 CHAPTERS

Producer: Morgan B. Cox
Director: Lewis D. Collins
Photography: Gus Peterson
Script: Joseph Polland
Paul Huston
Barry Shipman
Music: Charles Previn
Make Up: Bud Westmore

Cast:

Larry Talbot: Lon Chaney, Jr.
Miliza Talbot: Martha O’Driscoll
Count Dracula: Bela Lugosi
Frank Raymond: Milburn Stone
Jack Halsey: Dennis Moore
Steinmuhl: Skelton Knaggs
The Frankenstein Monster: Glenn Strange
Kharis, The Mummy: Tom Tyler
Nina: Jane Adams
Inspector Krohl: Harry Cording
Hawkins: C. Montague Shaw
Miller: Edward Keene
Dr. Matthews: Bryon Foulger
Maleva: Maria Ouspenskaya

RECAP:

Miller of the World Peace Organization goes into the office of his colleague Hawkins, saying that he has just gotten word from their agent Raymond in Vasaria. It seems that Count Dracula has a secret path down from Frankenstein’s castle to receive a shipment of parts so that he can rebuild the castle’s equipment to power up the Monster and in turn power up the Springfield Death Ray. Raymond has found the entrance and he, Talbot, and Halsey are going to the castle that night. Hawkins says that it’s a relief to get some good news for a change.

CHAPTER TEN: THE MUMMY’S REVENGE

Raymond leads the two men to the mountain and after careful examination find the door, but it is very heavy and takes the three men all of their strength to open. Halsey comments that the doors weight must have been why Steinmuhl had the Frankenstein Monster with him. With the door now open the three men enter a large cavern and a trap door opens beneath their feet. They fall into a pit filled with water. The door snaps shut as Dracula emerges from the shadows laughing evilly to himself and commenting that that will take care of Talbot and his friends.

Dracula dispatches Steinmuhl and the Monster to return to the shipping office and steal the equipment they need. After they have left Dracula returns to the castle’s lab. The cavern is silent for a minute and then the trap door reopens. Talbot and Halsey call for help. Raymond says he didn’t fall into the pit and was unnoticed by Dracula. Finding a rope left near where the wagon was parked, Raymond passes it down and helps the two men out of the pit before re-closing it. Halsey says it’s lucky for them that Raymond had his relative’s invisibility formula. Talbot agrees.

Raymond sloughs off their gratitude and says they are alone except for Dracula and nows the right time to destroy the Springfield Death Ray. The other two men agree and head through the tunnel for the lab. Coming into the lab, the three heroes surprise Dracula who demands to know how they escaped the water trap. Halsey says “Wouldn’t you like to know.” Talbot demands to know where the Death Ray is. Dracula laughs indulgently and replies that if the two men will turn around they will see they are no position to demand anything. Talbot stays facing Dracula as Halsey makes a quick glance behind them.

Kharis is standing there. Halsey exclaims his surprise, believing that Kharis had gone down into a quicksand bog. Before either man can react, Kharis wraps a powerful arm around each of them and chokes the two men into unconsciousness. Dracula tells Kharis to put them in the dungeon. Kharis drags the men out of the room.

Dracula is chortling to himself when he stops suddenly and shoots quick glance to his right. He tells the empty room that he has heard him and knows that someone is there. When no reply comes, Dracula snatches up a beaker of liquid and tosses it in the direction of the Death Ray. The liquid hits something and splashes over it revealing a human form. Dracula heads for Raymond saying that he can see him.

Raymond evades Dracula and heads for the door, pushing aside the just returning Kharis. Dracula orders Kharis to get Raymond. Kharis shakes his head no and points to Ananka’s sarcophagus. Dracula says he will revive her later. Kharis shakes his head no again and advances on Dracula. Dracula grabs up a torch and lights it. Waving it in front of the sarcophagus, he sneers that Kharis will do as he is told or Dracula will burn up Ananka. Kharis bows his head in defeat and shambles out of the room.

Back at the hotel Miliza is getting ready for bed. There is a knock at her door. Opening it Nina enters and says she has Raymond with her and he has terrible news. Raymond says that Talbot and Halsey are Dracula’s prisoners. Milliza wants to head for the castle immediately but all talking stops when Kharis crashes through the outside window and advances on the three of them. Raymond jumps on the mummy but is easily thrown off. The two women back against a wall and scream as Kharis moves in for the kill.

NEXT WEEK-CHAPTER ELEVEN: STEINMUHL’S VENGEANCE