Universal's Dark Universe saw The Mummy come back to life yet again on the big screen. It was the latest example of just how much sway the original Universal Monsters, such as The Mummy, Frankenstein, and even Dracula, still have with the movie-going public, as the studio continues to revisit these time-tested properties. A potent sign of their enduring legacy is a recent auction, which saw a poster from that last-mentioned 1931 classic selling for $525,800.
This poster actually dates back to the year of the film's release, and according to Bloody Disgusting's report, it was residing in the home of an Associate Member of the American Society of Cinematographers. It is claimed to be one of two examples of Dracula's 1931 press campaign to still exist, and because of its hefty cost, it's now the most expensive movie poster ever sold. A lot of history rides on the back of this very artifact, as most of the other posters made for the film exist only as reference images. And now, one lucky collector has it all to themselves to do as they wish.
Looking at the poster itself, it's not hard to see why Dracula's poster went for as much as it did. With the age of the poster increasing its collectible nature, the image of Bela Lugosi's watershed portrayal of the love-lorn vampire is as ubiquitous as it is striking. Lugosi's side-eye menacing stare is accented by the chaotic blue brush strokes that make up the backdrop of the poster. Of course, it's the way the film's title stands out that really brings it all home, as you'll see in the full image below.
Just look at how Dracula's title dominates the mid-to-bottom portion of the poster, bridging Bela Lugosi's menacing face with the credits at the bottom of the poster. It's the classic sort of art style that's been imitated many times over history, but has sadly fallen out of vogue for the newer sorts of marketing materials we've seen become prominent in modern times. Much like the films they were selling, they just don't make them like they used to anymore.
Generations of moviegoing fans who have fallen for Bela Lugosi's version of Dracula have something to celebrate today, as the beloved memory of their ghoulish anti-hero has been commemorated with a world record. While the future of the Dark Universe is in question over at Universal, it's nice to know that there's still mileage in the more classic variant of the monsters that were all the rage in the the earlier days of cinema. Then again, as any good horror fan would tell you, legends, and the monsters they recount through their various re-tellings, never die.
While there may not be any Dracula films scheduled in the foreseeable future, you can always drain some fun out of a new and upcoming film from our 2017 release schedule.
