Watching it nowadays, the 1931 film Dracula seems pretty tame. But in its time, the vampire film was a groundbreaker and a cultural phenomenon, as well as the savior of Universal Studios and a catalyst for the sensational career of a young & exotic Hungarian actor named Bela Lugosi.
At the time no one had ever seen a movie like it, and the film marked the beginning of an extremely lucrative legacy in horror for the small Southern California studio.
What remains of the film today are the films themselves and an occasional bit of memorabilia. Bela Lugosi’s Dracula cape recently sold at auction for 3 million dollars. For those of us with smaller budgets, Captain Hollywood’s Curiosity Shop features 2 sensational collectible items from the original Dracula legacy.
The first is the Dracula Collector’s Edition ring, a sensational replica of unparalleled accuracy. This ring was worn by Lugosi, and later Christopher Lee in early Dracula films, and the original was in the collection of Forrest Ackerman (Famous Monsters of Filmland Editor) for many years. The original is now tucked away in a collector’s closet, but this replica was cast from the original and is absolutely accurate in every way. Film fans and Universal horror buffs can get ahold of this incredibly accurate replica for about 50 dollars. The ring is beautifully & precisely rendered in metal alloy with the “D” bat crest and bat filigree mounted on a blood red resin stone. It comes in a sensational display box with a red drawstring faux velvet pouch for storage.
The second item available is an elegantly designed Bela Lugosi 1931 Dracula Film Display with actual film cells from the original 1931 Dracula motion picture. Three 35mm film cells are professionally double-mounted in an impressive display with a sensational companion image of Bela Lugosi at his most menacing. Also included is a detailed description plate, certification of authenticity, care instructions. Each set of 3 cells are hand-selected from pivotal points in the movie and feature key scenes and key characters, most notably Bela Lugosi himself.
With the advent of the digital film process, film cells are becoming coveted collectibles as film reels were regularly destroyed ages ago due to their extremely flammable nature and obsolescence. Today you can own a classic heirloom piece of the classic film Dracula to have and hold, and to pass on to future film fans.
