Right after the success of James Whale's "Bride of Frankenstein" (sequel to "Frankenstein", also directed by Whale), Universal Studios decided to make a sequel to their other horror classic film, Tod Browning's "Dracula". Story says that the studio chose Whale again for the project, but his script proved to be too outrageous and subversive that was immediately rejected. It would be Garret Fort, writer of the first "Dracula", who would give flesh to the sequel's screenplay and the experienced director Lambert Hillyer was set to direct it. Like "Bride", this sequel would be focused on a feminine version of the previous monster; it's name, "Dracula's Daughter".

The film starts right after the original ends, with Count Dracula killed by Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan), however, to his misfortune, he is arrested for the murder of the Transylvanian nobleman and sent to prison as nobody believes he killed an ancient vampire. Realizing that nobody will believe him, Van Helsing asks the help of his dear friend, Dr. Jeffrey Garth (Otto Kruger), a former student of his who has become a prominent psychiatrist. While this events happen, a mysterious woman steals Dracula's body and a new series of murders start, complicating Van Helsing's defense and Garth's investigation. To make things worse, Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden) arrives and her seductive charms will prove too strong for Garth to resist them.

Unlike "Frankenstein", where there was still material in the source novel to build up a sequel; in "Dracula"'s case things get complicated, as the monster is effectively killed at the end. However, Garret Fort builds up an original story of mystery, horror and even nods to screwball comedy. "Dracula's Daughter"'s themes of betrayal, deception, and the quest for redemption are dark indeed, but Fort manages to add some light-hearted moments that break the suspense in an appropriate manner. Another highlight is that the vampire's sex appeal is enhanced and explored even further than posterior sequels of the now-franchise.

Director Lambert Hillyer had a big experience directing many low-budget films, ranging from westerns to crime dramas, so he was used to work with similar budget constrains. The movie's strength is in its story, and Hillyer knew it, so he keeps a simple yet very effective style that, while nothing too impressive, manages to create the perfect atmosphere for the plot. With nothing more than his well assembled cast and Fort's excellent screenplay, he conceives a film that maybe won't be remembered as influential, but will surely tell its story properly and deliver what it promises.

The cast is vital in this film, as their job is what sets apart the film from other Universal sequels. Otto Kruger is a very good lead actor, with nice looks and an ease for this kind of characters. He has great chemistry with both Gloria Holden and Marguerite Churchill and his performance is one of the film's highlights. Holden portrays the seductive Countess with power and grace in a complicated role as her character is at the same time dominated by a strong sex appeal and a sad and tragic fate. Churchill is superb in her comedy role, and more than mere comic relief, she adds the touch of screwball comedy to the film, giving her energy and charm. And finally, Edward Van Sloan returns as the experienced Van Helsing, and while his role here is more as a spiritual guide to Kruger, he gives another fine performance.

The film's main weakness is without a doubt its low-budget, that not only forced the choice of Hillyer as a director, but it also made it have less production values than other sequels. In a way, this may had been of help, as Hillyer's style bends together perfectly with low-budget projects and also gave the film a look closer to crime melodrama, which was rising in popularity at the time. Sure, Bela Lugosi is definitely missed, but "Dracula's Daughter" makes up for his absence with a witty (and bold for its time) screenplay and a well-assembled cast.

Time has left this film unappreciated, but there is a lot in there to praise, and while nowhere near the best of the Classic Universal Horror films, "Dracula's Daughter" is better than many of the films of its time, and an essential viewing for any fan of Gothic horror. 7/10

A worthy sequel to the original classic, this film is actually better than it's predecessor in some ways. The addition of music -something sadly lacking in Dracula - helps to enliven things quite a bit, meaning that the film is not quite as dated as the original was. The opening scenes are excellent. I love it when films directly continue on from the previous instalment (the Hammer Dracula series did this). Film highlights include the moment where Bela Lugosi's rubber corpse is burnt on a huge fire in a graveyard! Just the kind of classic image we've come to expect from these Universal horror flicks.

After this excellent opening the film changes track and becomes the usual drawing-room horror that we're used to seeing in the 1930s. People talk, argue, and shout, and intrigue is everywhere. I found the love sub-plot between the Countess and the Doctor to be a little dull and I could have done without it. However to spice up the action there are a number of vampire attacks and the film's most memorable image, where a young girl strips for the Countess before being bitten. This sequence was pretty raunchy for its day and even lesbianism is implied, which we are more used to seeing in Hammer's Carmilla trilogy.

The actors range from being quite wooden (Otto Kruger) to rather good (Gloria Holden). However on hand are two regular horror actors who definitely add the element of fun to the film. Firstly there's Irving Pichel, playing an evil assistant (he looks devilish here) and then we have Edward Van Sloan (FRANKENSTEIN) as Van Helsing. Sloan is excellent when he's going on about vampires and the like and it's a pleasure to see him again. All in all it's a pretty good film but it sorely lacks the presence of a leading horror star (such as Lugosi). Apart from that it's atmospheric and has some great scenes to look out for. An above average sequel to a classic film.

In London, two policemen find the body of a man, Renfield, with neck broken and Dracula with a stake through his heart. They arrest Prof. Von Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) that tells that he did it and take him to the Scotland Yard. The inspector Sir Basil Humphrey (Gilbert Emery) asks Von Helsing who might defend him and the professor asks for the psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Garth (Otto Kruger). Meanwhile, the mysterious Countess Marya Zeleska (Gloria Holden), who is Dracula's daughter, compels the policeman that is in charge to take care of the bodies and takes Dracula's body with her to bury him with her assistant Sandor (Irving Pichel) before dawn, expecting to be released from the family's curse.

In Edinburgh, Jeffrey is hunting with friends and his assistant Janet Blake (Marguerite Churchill) comes to tell him that he has an appointment with the Scotland Yard to help his friend Von Helsing. When Von Helsing tells him about Dracula, Jeffrey believes that he is obsessed with the vampire and promises to help him. During the night, he goes to a party where he meets the Hungarian Countess and he tells his theories about the vampire blood thirsty that he believes is an obsession. Now, Countess Zeleska believes that Jeffrey can heal her and release her from her blood thirsty and she wants to bring him to her castle to spend the eternal life with her in Transylvania.

"Dracula's Daughter" is a great vampire movie, with the dramatic story of a vampire woman that wishes to be free from the curse of her father, Dracula. The plot is naive and funny, and the relationship between the annoying Jeffrey and the witty Janet is amusing. This is one of the best movies of Universal Studios in this genre. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Filha de Drácula" ("The Dracula's Daughter")