Count Dracula is undoubtedly the world’s most iconic vampire, first appearing in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula and subsequently featuring in countless films and TV shows. While most people know the basics—his Transylvanian castle, ability to turn into a bat, and pursuit by Abraham Van Helsing—here are 10 intriguing facts you may not know about this infamous vampire.
10. The First Adaptation Came Before the Novel’s Publication
Before Dracula hit shelves, Stoker staged a theatrical adaptation of his novel on May 18, 1897, at London’s Lyceum Theatre, where he was a business manager. The performance, intended to secure the copyright for stage adaptations under 18th and 19th-century British law, occurred eight days before the book’s release. The play, pieced together hastily from the novel, lasted six hours with only two paying attendees, not surprising since it was advertised just 30 minutes before it began. Stoker’s boss, Henry Irving, reportedly called it “dreadful.”
9. Nosferatu (1922) Was Nearly Destroyed
The German silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror by F. W. Murnau is one of the earliest Dracula adaptations, though Murnau did not secure the rights from Stoker’s estate. To avoid copyright issues, he renamed Dracula to Count Orlok. After Bram Stoker’s death, his widow Florence discovered the film and sued, winning the case and demanding all copies be destroyed. Though the studio went bankrupt and couldn’t pay, a few prints survived, preserving this now-classic horror film.
8. Lapse in Copyright Boosted Dracula’s Popularity
After her legal battle with Nosferatu, Florence Stoker tried to strike a film deal for Dracula with Columbia Pictures. However, it was discovered that Bram hadn’t completed the process for U.S. copyright, meaning the book had entered the public domain. This prevented Stoker’s family from controlling adaptations or earning royalties in the U.S., but it allowed filmmakers to freely create numerous versions, which dramatically increased Dracula’s fame. Today, Dracula holds the Guinness World Record for being the most portrayed literary character in film and TV.
7. There Are Many Quirky Adaptations
With hundreds of Dracula adaptations, some have taken unusual turns. One example is Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966), where the vampire battles the famous Western outlaw over his girlfriend. Other eccentric versions include Dracula’s Dog (1977), about a vampire Doberman, and Dracula 3000 (2004), which sets the story in the year 3000 aboard a spaceship named after the Demeter, a nod to Nosferatu.
6. Vlad the Impaler May Not Have Inspired Dracula
While Vlad the Impaler is often credited as the inspiration for Dracula, Stoker’s notes don’t mention the infamous Transylvanian prince. Though some scholars point to Vlad as a potential influence, others suggest Stoker’s boss, actor Henry Irving, may have inspired the character, given their shared theatrical flair and egotism. Dracula’s physical description—sharp nose, thick brows, and high forehead—also resembles Irving. Additionally, Dracula might have drawn inspiration from figures like Countess Elizabeth Báthory, known for allegedly bathing in blood, or Jack the Ripper and Oscar Wilde, though none of these connections are definitive. Stoker’s imagination likely played a key role, with biographer Harry Ludlam attributing the novel to a nightmare Stoker had about “a vampire king rising from the tomb to go about his ghastly business.”
5. Bran Castle Probably Wasn’t Dracula’s Inspiration
When searching for “Dracula’s Castle” online, Bran Castle in Transylvania often comes up. However, there’s no evidence that Bram Stoker knew about it. Despite this, Bran Castle leverages its Dracula connection, suggesting Stoker may have seen an illustration from Charles Boner’s Transylvania: Its Product and Its People (1865). A more likely influence is Slains Castle in Scotland, as Stoker frequently visited Aberdeenshire while writing Dracula. His wife recalled his fascination with the area’s atmosphere, often spending hours outdoors. They once stayed at a hotel near Slains Castle, which shares features with Stoker’s description of Dracula’s lair, including an octagonal room.
4. Bela Lugosi Was Buried in His Dracula Cape
Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of Dracula in 1931 remains legendary. After his death on August 16, 1956, he was reportedly buried wearing one of his Dracula capes, though this wasn’t his request. His family thought it fitting. His son, Bela George Lugosi, explained that while Lugosi didn’t ask for this, it seemed appropriate. Lugosi Jr. kept another cape, which went to auction in 2011 for $1.2 million but didn’t sell. The family later decided to donate the cape to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in 2019, ensuring its preservation for public viewing.
3. Count Dracula Was Originally Called Count Wampyr
In early drafts of Stoker’s novel—then titled The Un-Dead—the vampire was named “Count Wampyr,” which didn’t have the same menace. Stoker changed the name after discovering “Dracula” in William Wilkinson’s An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia (1820) while visiting a library in Whitby, a location featured in the novel. He learned that “Dracula” meant “devil” in Wallachian, which he noted down. Although Vlad the Impaler is associated with the name due to his title, Voivode Dracula, Stoker’s choice seems more influenced by its devilish connotations than by Vlad himself.
2. English and Spanish Versions of Dracula Were Filmed Simultaneously
The famous 1931 Dracula, directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi, had a lesser-known Spanish-language version filmed at the same time. Directed by George Melford and starring Carlos Villarías as Conde Drácula, this version was shot on the same sets but with different actors. It was common in the early days of sound cinema to film multiple versions for different language audiences. The Spanish version had a smaller budget and shorter production time, but it ended up being 29 minutes longer, with more scenes and extended dialogue. Rediscovered in the 1970s and fully recovered in Cuba in the 1990s, Drácula is now part of the U.S. Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.
1. Icelandic and Swedish Translations of Dracula Differ from the Original
In 2017, it was discovered that the Icelandic version of Dracula, Makt Myrkranna (Powers of Darkness), was not a direct translation. Researcher Hans Corneel de Roos found that translator Valdimar Ásmundsson significantly altered the text when it was serialized in 1900, turning the sometimes slow-paced original into a more action-packed, humorous version. Further investigation revealed that this version was based on the Swedish translation Mörkrets Makter, published in 1899. It remains unclear whether Mörkrets Makter reflects an early draft of Dracula or simply a reimagining by its translators.