one of the good latter day entry in universal famed horror series and son of dracula be a short and fast pace flick with some nifty special effect and a surprise end . it also mark lon chaney and jr. sole appearance a the count while chaney be the only actor to portray all four of universal major horror figure frankenstein monster and the mummy and dracula and and of course the wolfman and for which he be most famous . some say he be miscast a the transylvanian vampire while he be too big and bulky and or not debonair enough . personally and i think he do just fine and particularly during the final scene when he find his coffin ablaze and rail at robert paige frank stanley and yelling put it out . put it out . he exude real menace and great strength and his voice a roar of anger and pain . speaking of robert paige and he certainly earn his paycheck a the tormented frank . the script put him through the wringer and both emotionally and physically . he be engage to marry kay caldwell ( louise allbritton ) and only to find out she have fall under dracula spell even before the count arrive on the scene . frank go from disbelieve suitor to infuriate killer to hound victim to incarcerate suspect to willing vampire wannabe and then back to normal . there be the requisite discussion about the undead and explanation of dracula mysterious power and and they become more mysterious every time theyre explain . i have never be clear and for example and on how kay become a vampire while it appear to me that she shoot dead before dracula ever bite her on the neck . oh well . and then there be a befuddle conversation between professor brewster and professor laszlo ( the vampire expert ) a to why kay fell under dracula spell in the first place . it decide it be because she be amorbid . that right and operator and she be morbid . sound good to me . the special effect include a fake bat that get more screen time than it should and but some of the cooler image include the first ever bat to man transformation and as well a a great scene in the swamp and where dracula coffin rise to the water surface and then dracula himself floats across to the other side where kay be wait . it really well do for the time and very atmospheric and eerie and with appropriately spooky music . son of dracula be very enjoyable and be a good example of why the universal horror series be so fondly remember . the actor and writer and and production crew have these character and film down to a t and they rarely disappoint .