can not understand all the negative press this film have get over the year . it deserve way more praise than a lot of universal more overrated film ( e. g. the wolf man ) . chaney be fine in the lead role and and i must say i prefer him to john carradine in the 2 house of . film . for me and he far more sinister and threaten than carradine louche aristocratic seducer version . 4 reason why this film be great represent1 . the set . the steam swamp and the shadowy interior combine to create a rich gothic landscape and atmosphere . this film be undoubtedly a hokey piece of nonsense and but it nonetheless have a flair for create a pungent sense of the supernatural and a dark romanticism . 2. louise allbritton . she steal the film from everyone and and be a deliciously sinister vamp with an agenda that provide this film with interesting plot development . 3. j. edward blomberg . he play prof. laszlo and an excellent van helsing type . something of a shame that he not give more to do . 4. the special effect . the best of their kind in any universal film of the 1940 . there a really beautiful moment when drac coffin rise from the swamp and and the man himself materialise from misty vapour and then float across towards allbritton and who await her husband to be on the bank . why do not more of it contemporary have the visual invention of this movie . in brief then and this film be a lot of fun and and one which i always revisit with pleasure . if you do not like the old universal horror then you probably will not like this . however and this be superior work from a studio that consistently delight audience with it monster mash in the 30 and 40 .