Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Josephina Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Cineanalyst Released on the heels of Universal's first monster-rally movie, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943), as well as the third film in the studio's Dracula series, "Son of Dracula" (1943), Columbia decided to make its own monster rally, which could've appropriately been titled, "Dracula Meets the Wolf Man." Adding to the studio and character crossovers, Bela Lugosi, the vampire of this film, "The Return of the Vampire," played the Frankenstein monster in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man," and the Wolf Man from that film played Dracula in "Son of Dracula." Additionally, director Lew Landers had directed the classic Universal horror film "The Raven," which starred Lugosi. At this point of B-production shockers of the 1940s, no studio was making vampire pictures that had really anything to do with Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula," though, and most of them are a far cry from the classic 1930s Universal monster movies, which began with Lugosi's "Dracula" (1931). Columbia's "The Return of the Vampire" is better in some ways than some of the contemporary Universal shockers, though.There are some interesting details for those who follow the genre. Lugosi's face isn't revealed until 23 minutes in--building up suspense in the meantime. In the first scene, we mostly just see his shadow (Stoker's Dracula casts no shadows. "Nosferatu" (1922) added shadows.). The vampire bites a child--something Dracula never did, although the female vampires would (although in film, Hammer's 1958 "Dracula" may've been the first to show one of the female vampires attacking children). The vampire is resurrected by the stake being removed from his heart. Perhaps, Universal wanted to pay Columbia back a bit for their borrowing from Universal's monster movies, and that's why they use this trick to bring Dracula back in the next year's "House of Frankenstein."I like that the second Van Helsing-type doctor, after her originally being a skeptic, is a woman this time. It's possibly the first time a leading actress wasn't a vamp or a victim in a vampire film. I'm less fond of seeing a werewolf fight with his fists and barely escape a scrape with two men, or to see him die from what one assumes is a normal bullet. But, at least, he wrestles with his good human nature and his evil wolfman enslavement, and he's the one who ultimately defeats the vampire, so it's a satisfying monster- rally finish. Plus, this vampire is triply strong; literally, it, apparently, takes three of his usual weaknesses--stakes to the heart, crosses, sunlight--to finish him off.Stylistically, there's a big emphasis on fog. It even follows the vampire inside, and it's constantly spread throughout the frequent graveyard scenes. They use an upward-tilted light to shine in Lugosi's face--reminiscent of Karl Freund's highlighting of Lugosi's eyes in the 1931 "Dracula." The narration is all over the place--beginning with a title card that introduces the milieu, followed by a voice-over that describes the story as based on the notes of a guy who dies after about 15 minutes into the film, which begs the question of who's narrating the rest of the movie. There's also a vampire book, as there had been in other vampire films, such as "Nosferatu," "Vampyr" (1932) and "Son of Dracula." The narrative begins with scientists, but turns to a religious surprise in the final act. There's a constant flow of believers in and skeptics of vampires, with characters changing roles, until, in the final shot, a character turns to the camera and breaks the fourth wall, asking, whether we believe in vampires.Here, vampirism becomes an allegory for German invasion, which is an interesting turn from Stoker's rather xenophobic novel about a foreigner stealing Englishwomen. The film begins with the swift killing of the vampire, coinciding with the end of WWI in 1918. He's resurrected after the Nazis of WW2 bomb the graveyard, among other things, digging up his coffin from its burial. I suppose, then, that when the character at the end turns to the camera, he's asking whether we believe Germans are vampires.(Mirror Note: A small mirror is used to confirm the vampire. Interestingly, the mirror shot shows the vampire's clothes, while not the reflection of his face. Most other movies are content with the confusion of whether vampire's clothes are also vampiric. Not so here.)

mikevonbach The reason this movie and films of this period are so good is because the film makers leaned on the story not effects.Somebody please tell Hollywood that the modern day public does not have the appetite for slop insane gore profanity every other word. Heck I'm no boy scout i can see rough language to convey artistic values when needed.It just seems that when these guys and gals but mostly men make movies they say feed em slop WHY? cause they love it.One other point my wife who watches films with me says that she love's the way the women Dress the Elegant gowns and hats. How much further can movie makers go to shock and horrify the people? I guess we will see. Americans buy cheap products from Walmart IE over sea's and complain about their neighbor being out of work.And pay to see movies that lower the moral fiber of the family.Than wonder Why they have to triple lock the doors at night. OK OK i will step down from the soap box have a good life.

slayrrr666 "Return of the Vampire" isn't all that bad of a vampire film.**SPOILERS**Dr. Jane Ainsley, (Frieda Inescourt) manages to kill vampire Armand Tesla, (Bela Lugosi) during the first World War. Years later, when her son John, (Roland Varno) and his fiancée Nikki Saunders, (Nina Foch) are about to be married, the German Blitz on London uncovers his grave, allowing his return. The rest allows for him Tesla to form a plan to avenge his death on Jane, going after John and Nikki. As he gets closer and closer to fulfilling his plan of revenge, Jane fights back against the vampire.The Good News: One of Lugosi's few roles as a vampire, this one wasn't all that bad. The mood and atmosphere created in here is quite nice. The frequent fog-drenched landscapes spread throughout are excellent examples, and set-up some great set-pieces. The early attack in the graveyard is very creepy, and is quite effective. The shadows are also great at generating suspense, and the sequence in the bedrooms are the best, with some great images throughout. The vampire story is actually pretty nice, and it's a nice, clever twist to the traditional elements. The World War II story is a new idea that's brilliantly worked into the film and creates some nice action sequences as well. The initial scenes of the attacks are the best, and it keeps the story from being too clichéd. And when Lugosi is in full vampire mode, it's never a boring feat.The Bad News: There's only a few things wrong with this one, and there not that bad. The film is over so fast that it's hard to really get into it, and could've been stretched out a little bit more. That would've made out the vampire attacks a little more violent, as they're pretty much non-existent. They basically just find the victims after the fact, and it doesn't really show any attacks. The fact that the film really makes no sense is also a problem, and there';s many different examples of things of that don't make sense. Many of them spoil the film, so they can't be revealed, but there's too much in here that doesn't make any sense. But these don't really hurt the film all that much.The Final Verdict: A rather routine vampire film that's at times quite chilling, it rises above and becomes some decent. Anything with Lugosi as a vampire can't be bad, so give it a shot, it isn't all that bad.Today's Rating-PG: Violence

lugonian THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (Columbia, 1944), directed by Lew Landers, was the studios contribution to the horror genre made famous by Universal, acquiring many of its ingredients right down to the services of that studio's very own Bela Lugosi, whose legend began with "Dracula" (1931). By this time of this particular release, Lugosi's career had already reached a period of decline, having starred in a series of cheap imitations of classic horror tales for poverty row studios as Monogram and PRC. While THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE could very well be a pale imitation of a good horror film or a "Dracula" sequel featuring his twin brother accompanied by a werewolf instead of Mr. Renfield, this new idea of a vampire tale, though not entirely original, is actually a pleasant surprise. While it can't compare to the Universal products, this edition improves over their current distribution of program quickies and countless sequels.What a great way to start the evening for a Lugosi flick with its introduction during its opening credits consisting of a young girl fearfully walking back into the darkness as a shadowy figure lurks towards her before belting out a big scream through the super-imposed titles: "The imagination of man at times sires the fantastic and the grotesque. That the imagination of man soars into the stratosphere of fantasy is attested by ... "The Return of the Vampire," followed with this narrative: "This is the case of Armand Tesla, Vampire, as compiled from the personal notes of Professor Walter Saunders, King's College, Oxford. The following events took place in the outskirts of London, towards the end of the year 1918, that began on the night of October 15, particularly on a gloomy foggy night that was well-suited for a visitation by the supernatural" .... Enter Andreas, (Matt Willis) a werewolf, walking through the Priory Cemetery, entering the crypt of his master, Armand Tesla (Bela Lugosi), a 200 year-old vampire, who rests in his coffin by day, while living off the blood of his victims by night. Lady Jane Angsley (Frieda Inescort), a sanitarium director, and Professor Walter Saunders (Gilbert Emery), are assigned to investigate the latest female victim resting on a hospital bed with two marks on her neck. Learning of the history of Armand Telsa, a Romanian scientist, Saunders comes to realize he's the vampire in question who must be destroyed, especially after making his little girl, Nikki, his latest prey. Upon entering an abandoned cemetery, Saunders and Angsley come to a vault where they find a coffin with a breathing body inside. Saunders rids this rein of terror by striking a metal stake through his heart. The destruction of Armand Tesla immediately frees Andreas of his curse, transforming him from werewolf to human being. Twenty-three years pass where England is under another blitz, World War II. Saunders is killed in an airplane crash, Andreas is assistant for Lady Jane, while her concert pianist son, Johnny (Roland Varno) is engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Nicki Saunders (Nina Foch). All's well until the abandoned cemetery is bombed by warplanes, leaving many bodies scattered. Two laborers (Billy Bevan and Harold De Becker) are assigned to rebury the dead. In doing so, they remove the stake from a body of one that resurrects later that night, hence the title. Armand Telsa, under the guise of Dr. Hugo Bruckner, stalks once more, returning poor Andreas back into his werewolf slave ("I shall command and YOU shall obey!") and plans for his next mission to terrorize Lady Jane and have Nikki his future bride of the living dead.A neat little thriller that contains many effective scenes to rank this a truly good horror film of its day, from howling sounds of dogs around the cemetery to the vampire's call to his victims through the echoing of his whispers. The highlight where werewolf combats his evil master surpasses the battle between the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) and the Frankenstein monster (Bela Lugosi of all people) in FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (Universal, 1943). While there were further developments with the Universal monsters, THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE contained no sequels, though many imitations from other studios, including Universal itself, continued.Formerly available on video cassette and later placed to DVD, THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE had frequent cable TV broadcasts over the years, ranging from Turner Network Television (1992); American Movie Classics (1998-2000) and Turner Classic Movies (2006-07), usually during the month of October to commemorate Halloween. How appropriate, especially for Bela Lugosi, the Vampire King. (**1/2)