First off, I've seen this film several times and enjoy it and Lorre's performance as Gogol.
I've often speculated that what if Lon Chaney Sr hadn't died in 1930 and had continued in talkies.
This vehicle was tailor made for Chaney's grasp of bizarre characterizations and he would have been outstanding in the role!
Yeah, yeah, you people will have a feeding frenzy on my inert carcass for even so much as suggesting such a scenario.
It's no concern of mine!
It's a reasonable enough question, but Lon Chaney had been dead for nearly 5 years at that point.
I always wondered how Dracula would shaped up with Lon Chaney. He was originally hired for the role by Todd Browning. I love Bela Lugosi and his performance, but I can't help but wonder how the film and character may have been seen differently.
It was just a "what if" scenario about Chaney.
As for Dracula, Chaney would have been outstanding. As it was, in my opinion, Lugosi's performance was as wooden as a cigar store Indian.
Lon would have given Dracula much more depth and character.
While on the subject of "what ifs", could you imagine if Sergio Leone had set his sights on Steve McQueen and not Eastwood. And suppose McQueen had accepted!
The mind boggles!
I've never understand how David Lean could have passed over Don Knotts to play Lawrence in "Lawrence of Arabia"...
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