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: In Washington at the Office of the World Security Council, Hawkins enters the office of Miller. He is carrying the latest report from their agent, Frank Raymond. Hawkins tells Miller that Raymond tracked Count Dracula to the office of Dr. Matthews where he revealed that he did in fact have possession of the Springfield Death Ray. When Matthews couldn’t help him get it powered, Dracula had the man killed and stole a jar of tanna leaves. Before signing off, Raymond said that Dracula was heading for the home of a Larry Talbot in Visaria.

CHAPTER TWO: THE MUMMY AWAKENS

Suddenly Steinmuhl screams. Everyone turns and sees that where Talbot had fallen now stands the Wolf Man, growling and ready to spring. Miliza cries that Steinmuhl’s blow must have damaged the surgery Edelmann had performed and caused Talbot to revert back to a werewolf. Dracula wastes little time and changes into a bat so he can fly away out the open window. Steinmuhl fires several ineffective gunshots at the approaching werewolf before jumping out the window himself.

The Wolf Man turns his attention to Miliza. She backs into a corner away from him as he slowly pads toward her, growling. Suddenly his legs tense to spring at her. Miliza screams in terror.

Before the Wolf Man can make his leap at Miliza, a log from the fire in the hearth suddenly lifts up into the air and floats in front of the werewolf. The floating fire drives the Wolf Man out the door which closes after he has left the house. The log is returned to the hearth and the open window closes by itself. Miliza faints.

When she comes to, Miliza finds herself laying on the couch while a heavily bundled man stands over her. He apologizes for startling her earlier with the burning log but he didn’t have time to make his presence known before that. The man introduces himself as Frank Raymond, an agent for the World Security Council. Raymond had been tracking Dracula for sometime because of the Springfield Death Ray. He had tried to get there before Dracula but had been delayed on the road.

Miliza asks about the floating log and Raymond takes off his glove revealing that he is invisible. He explains that he is related to Jack Griffin, who invented the original invisibility formula and had caused a short lived reign of terror some years earlier. Raymond is the only one who knows the formula and uses it to fight tyrants like Dracula. Raymond says that now that Miliza is all right he will get back after Dracula, but Miliza tells him that the more immediate danger at the moment, her husband has become a werewolf and he has to be found before he kills someone. Raymond reluctantly agrees and the two set off to find the Wolf Man before it is too late.

Elsewhere Dracula and Steinmuhl break into the Scripps Museum. Going to the Egyptian wing, Dracula brews up a tea made from the stolen tanna leaves, telling Steinmuhl the story of how Kharis was made a living mummy for trying to revive his beloved Princess Anaka with the sacred leaves and now guards over her body to this day.

Dracula gives the fluid made from nine leaves to Kharis, the Mummy. Kharis awakens and climbs out of his sarcophagus. Dracula tries to exert his will on Kharis, but the preternatural being is immune to the vampire’s power. Kaharis flies into a rage and trashes several glass cases. Dracula then tells Kharis that he and he alone has possession of the sacred tanna leaves. If Kharis will obey him, Dracula promises to revive the Princess Ananka. Kharis slowly nods his agreement.

Just then Dr. James Halsey enters the room, he had been working late and came to investigate the noises coming from the Egyptian exhibit. Seeing only Dracula and Steinmuhl, Kharis having been in a corner out of sight, demands to know what they are doing there. Dracula orders Kharis to take care of this meddling fool. Kharis comes up behind the startled archeologist and strangles him into unconsciousness, then tosses him aside. Dracula disdainfully steps over Halsey and tells Kharis to come with him. Kharis picks up the sarcophagus containing Princess Ananka and follows the vampire.

Back in the woods, Miliza and Raymond have succeeded in tracking Larry to a cave. They have been lucky, no one has been hurt yet. They enter the cave to look for Larry. As they make their way into it’s interior, the sounds of shuffling feet and growling make them realize that the Wolf Man has circled around behind them. The Wolf Man steps into a shaft of moonlight and jumps on Raymond. The two grapple, but Raymond is no match for the lycanthrope. The werewolf throws Raymond to the ground and prepares to move in for the kill.

NEXT WEEK-CHAPTER THREE: THE MONSTER LIVES