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Who is the best Dracula?

  • Bela Lugosi

    Votes: 7 17.5%
  • Christopher Lee

    Votes: 19 47.5%
  • Frank Langella

    Votes: 3 7.5%
  • Jack Palance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Louis Jordain

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • Gary Oldman

    Votes: 3 7.5%
  • David Niven

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Udo Kier

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • George Hamilton

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • Somebody not on this list

    Votes: 5 12.5%

  • Total voters
    40

MrRING

Android Futureman
Joined
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Who do you think is the best actor to play Dracula so far, at least the one who you like best?
 
I must admit, I was tempted to vote for Bela, but Christopher Lee wins on upper crust savagery points.

...

Louis Jordan?

"Open the door Richard!"

"There's nobody here, But us chickens!"

"Don't come cryin' on my shoulder."

(Must be another Louis Jordan) :p
 
I almost wrote in Klaus Kinski but Lee is the Sean Connery of Draculas.
 
like james bond, i think its a generational thing, Most people who grew up with hammer horror films will plumb for Christopher Lee likewise with Bela.

Personly i'm voting for the best current monster actor in holywood Gary Oldman. (I think hes either the brother or cousin of 'Big Mo' in eastenders, can't remember which).
 
Jack Palance deserves nil point!
 
While Christopher Lee has become a Dracula icon, I felt Gary Oldman portrayed the character with more understanding and sympathy. Bram Stoker intended Dracula to instil the horror of the unknown and the eroticism of the undead but he also wanted the character to have the desperate yearning for redemption and justification. Oldman's portrayal was quite moving.

Oh ...

And no nomination for David Carradine in Sundown: Vampires in Retreat? Not a serious vampire film but one or two nice touches and a definite look at evils redemption ... in amongst the Vampire Cowboy film!
 
'Big Mo' Laila Morse is Gary Oldman's older sister.
could i randomly nominate Max Schreck? Althoug hnot strictly Dracula Nosferatu was close enough to the story for the Widow of Bram Stoker to try and get the film stopped.
I believe Herr Schreck's performace is considered highly.
 
I like ol' Max S. in Nosferatu, but if I included him, I'd have to include Klaus Kinski for the remake, and I wanted to get to as many people who played Dracula memorably as I could.

BTW - just found a great site on Vampire films, if you are ever in the mood to find out something about one - VAMPYRES ONLINE
 
Louis Jourdan and Gary Oldman both managed to get the combination of eroticism and revulsion. Gary Oldman seemed to be playing Vlad Tepes where as Louis Jourdan was playing the character from the book. Max Shrek was the scariest, Bela Lugosi had the best accent but Christopher Lee is the one I think of when I think 'Dracula'.

I'll probably end up voting for Louis Jourdan.
 
For me, it's between Klaus Kinski & Gary Oldman. Klaus for oozing reptilean menace, and Gazza for the blue shades :)
 
Defenatly Mr. Lee but then Larns Henricson (sp.) in Near Dark's unforgetable.

'I fought in the civil war.'
'Witch side?'
'Let's just say we lost.'
 
Difficult choice. I nearly went for Bela. I nearly went for Oldman. But it had to be Lee. I saw an interview with him a few years ago now, where he was a charming, literate, well-spoken gentleman one minute, then he turned into the Prince of Darkness, Lord of Lies the next. It's the eyes. He's definitely got the eyes. Of course, the height, grace, elegance and dark chocolately voice help immensely; but predominately, it's the eyes.
 
Aunty Ivana is not on this list, so my vote goes to Christopher Lee!:p For me he has the exact amount of menace and the ability to shift from kind to cruel in a flicker, plus (like Niven) has subtle acting presence - what I mean is he does not need to overact to be mesmeric and have presence on screen.
 
I think Gary Oldman caught more of the homo-erotic undertones of the character though.
 
River_Styx said:
I think Gary Oldman caught more of the homo-erotic undertones of the character though.

Yea but some of the later Hammers have a desididly perverse love of squsing out erotisism form any body [sic] they can find (see Taste the Blood of Dracula - a bisexual vampire?)
 
I voted for Christopher Lee. For me, Dracula has to be sexy and mysterious, and Gary Oldman just didn't do anything for me, although he was very good in the role.
Max Shreck was terrifying in the role, but we can't comment upon his voice considering it was a silent film and I think Dracula has to have a smooth, deep voice like Christopher Lee.
BTW I saw Shadow of the Vampire the other day and Willem Dafoe did a very good job of portraying Shreck (as in Max, not as in the green troll ;)).
 
Christopher Lee it has to be.
However Willem Dafoe played a very good Count Orlov in Shadow of the Vampire. The makeup was so good it was difficult to tell it was him.
As a fan of Nosferatu I was not disappointed at all.

Does Count Orlov count as Dracula?
Max Schreck:vampire:
 
I voted Christopher Lee, if someone mentions Dracula I first think of him.
But, if some mentions Mr Lee I think first of Scaramanga and Lord Summer Isle. Dracula comes a poor third.
 
Nobody else likes Blacula?

You know you do really admit it!
 
River_Styx said:
Nobody else likes Blacula?

I say laughed myself giddy at it rather than liked....I saw it supporting 'The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires.'

Christopher Lee as Dracula (though he got some rubbish scripts)

Louis Jordan was pretty good in the BBC TV Dracula which was probably the first to stick closely to the book.

Denholm Elliot was a good Dracula too, in the 1968 TV version for the Mystery and Imagination TV series.
 
Mr. R.I.N.G. said:
I like ol' Max S. in Nosferatu, but if I included him, I'd have to include Klaus Kinski for the remake, and I wanted to get to as many people who played Dracula memorably as I could.

IMHO you wouldn't have had to include Kinski - mostly because he's crap, as is Oldman IMHO. I still think the original is still the best - if that's not a memorable performance, I dunno what is.
 
Christopher Lee, he also played Vlad Tepes in a documentary.
 
Timble said:
I say laughed myself giddy at it rather than liked....I saw it supporting 'The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires.'

Christopher Lee as Dracula (though he got some rubbish scripts)

Louis Jordan was pretty good in the BBC TV Dracula which was probably the first to stick closely to the book.

Denholm Elliot was a good Dracula too, in the 1968 TV version for the Mystery and Imagination TV series.

Isn't that the whole point?

Not forgetting Scream, Blacula Scream.
 
'Love At First Bite' also does a good piss-take of the Dracula genre. Great film :)
 
JerryB said:
'Love At First Bite' also does a good piss-take of the Dracula genre. Great film :)
Featuring the most suntanned Vampire ever.
typical line by George"are you biting me? that's kinky."
 
If we're going beyond Count Dracula into the domain of screen vampires i'm donning leather jacket and mirror-shades and opting for any of The Lost Boys. :cool: :vampire:
 
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