The Return of the Vampire Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Lew Landers
USA 1943

Bela Lugosi rises from the crypt in this blood-curdling horror classic! In 1918, Armand Tesla (Bela Lugosi), a 200-year-old Hungarian Vampire, prowls the English countryside, feeding from the jugulars of the villagers. But Tesla’s reign of terror is interrupted when a pair of scientists, Lady Jane (Frieda Inescort) and Sir John Ainsley (Roland Varno), drive a railroad spike through his heart. The "un-dead", Tesla remains safely entombed for two decades until the impact from a stray Nazi bomb accidentally releases him. Along with his werewolf servant Andreas Obry (Matt Willis), the resurrected vampire now plots vengeance on the family that put a halt to his nocturnal feasting.

***

He looks like Dracula, talks like Dracula and dresses like Dracula; but since the movie rights to Dracula were controlled by Universal, Bela Lugosi's character name is Armand Tesla in Columbia's Return of the Vampire. Bringing the Old Legend up to date, the film contrives to have the blood-sucking Tesla rise from his coffin when his tomb is blasted open during the London Blitz. Making up for lost time (he's been interred since WW1), Tesla enlists the aid of talking werewolf Andreas (Matt Willis), who brings him provisions and seeks out new victims. The next soft white neck on Tesla's list belongs to the lovely Nicki Saunders (Nina Foch), but not if Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort), who knows what the mysterious stranger is really up to, has anything to say about it. Incidentally, the girl playing Tesla's victim in the opening credits is an unbilled Jeanne Bates.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 11th, 1943

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Review: Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:09:16.318
Video	1.33:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 21,986,278,731 bytes Feature: 20,404,463,616 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1606 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1606 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentaries: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Shout! Factory 1.33:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 21,986,278,731 bytes Feature: 20,404,463,616 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Commentary from Author / Film Historian Lee Gambin • Commentary from Author / Film Historian Gary Don Rhodes • Commentary from Author / Film Historian Troy Howarth • Silent Version of Return of the Vampire (8:20) • Imager Gallery (5:14) • Theatrical Trailer (1:06) Blu-ray Release Date: February 19th, 2019 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 12

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Shout! Factory bring another 1940's horror - The Return of the Vampire - to Blu-ray. The one-hour-nine-minute, 1080P transferred, film easily fits on a single-layered Blu-ray offering a max'ed out bitrate. It has a few speckles and light surface scratches - on persistent vertical scratch in a scene - but the grain texture is rich and appealing. Contrast can flicker occasionally. There is some stock war footage that is identifiable from the adeptness of the feature production visuals. Frankly, it looks quite strong, overall.

The film's audio is transferred in a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel (24-bit). Often un-credited Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Night Editor, And Then There Were None) did the often bombastic score - perhaps more famous as the composer of a popular 'Concerto for Guitar'. The dialogue is fully audible, clear and consistent. Effects have some depth. There are optional English subtitles on this Region 'A' Blu-ray.

Shout! Factory load this Blu-ray up with three separate commentaries. In short, there may have been some co-ordination (ex. Howarth tells us what Gambin's commentary will reference). Lee Gambin looks at the werewolf aspects of The Return of the Vampire, Gary Don Rhodes is the author of Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers and can dish out oodles of Bela information while Troy Howarth does an excellent job detailing the production, lives of the stars (including Bela's unfortunate times in Hollywood) and much more. All three have impressive value and I gained appreciation for the film by listening. Prior to the rise of home video technology, short 8mm versions of popular films were created and offered at retail for home use. There is an 8-minute, silent version included. There is also an old trailer, and a stills gallery of posters and 8X10 glossies.

The Return of the Vampire has many of the horror conventions of the eras that genre fans love; fog-drenched graveyards, a werewolf, Bela as a Dracula-esque blood sucker! The Blu-ray transfer is bordering on excellent and the presentation offers three enjoyable commentaries to enhance appreciation... and it has a nice cover to boot. A valuable 'B' starter to a Friday night Double Feature with anything from the Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection !