MovieChat Forums > Count Dracula (1978) Discussion > Question about Dracula DVD

Question about Dracula DVD

posted 21 years ago by Gary-161
8 replies | jump to latest

There is a scene about half way through this production that has always puzzled me. The vampire hunters are searching a crypt in London(?) looking for the count. There are several coffins of earth around. Suddenly Jonathon Harker points and exclaims "My God, look over there!" They all look around and the camera pans to where they are looking but then the scene ends. We don't see what they're looking at and the next scene in which they all appear they are sipping tea and nothing is mentioned about what had startled Jonathon.

Can anyone shed light on the mystery? Did the BBC cut out a bit?

[–] TorontoJediMaster 20 years ago

That's always puzzled me too.

My theory, is, as at the same time this is happening, Dracula is attacking Mina, it's a little red herring thrown in to give the audience a false start.

[–] Gary-161 20 years ago

Another bit that puzzled me is Jonathon Harker's return home from castle Dracula after suffering a nervous breakdown and apparent amnesia. Suddenly he recognises the coach driver that has transported Mina and himself to their front door. "It's the Count! It's Dracula!" He exclaims, as if recovering his memory. But he doesn't go on to warn anyone or reCOUNT his experiences.

Hey, this message board is really hotting up.

[–] TorontoJediMaster 20 years ago

I don't think it was that he'd forgotten anything. I thought that he'd simply felt he had hallucinated the whole experience.

When Mina is helping him to the door, he stammers "I thought I'd dreamt it all!".

As to why he didn't warn anyone, as soon as they get inside they learn of the deaths of Lucy and Mrs. Westenra. Jonathan likely forgot, or felt it wasn't the time to go into it all. As well, he also probably thought that his experiences weren't connected to the death of Lucy.

[–] Gary-161 20 years ago

Well, he did see a map of England whith 'Whitby' circled in the castle so he might have put two and two together.

Helsing talks to Quincy about the 'undead' but doesn't mention Dracula, so Jonathan obviously hadn't spilled the beans by then. After they despatch Lucy, there is a scene where they are all sitting around the table and Van Helsing mentions Jonathan's account of his memoirs. Better late than never!

[–] TorontoJediMaster 20 years ago

Jonathan did see the map, with Whitby circled, but I don't think he would have connected it with Lucy's death.

Mina was the only one who came close to seeing Dracula at Whitby. And even then, it was so brief she must have thought she imagined it. (As she didn't say anything to Lucy). She had no way of knowing that was the Count.

Jonathan had no idea of what Mina had seen. Even then, did he even know exactly what Dracula was? He probably didn't even know what was real in his experiences in the Castle. He clearly had thought it had all been his imagination. Plus, when they were told about Lucy's death, Jonathan probably felt that there were more pressing things to deal with then his possible hallucinations.

As for Van Helsing, he had no clue that his ideas of what killed Lucy was related to Jonathan's experiences.

In the book, it wasn't until after Lucy had been staked, that they all compared notes, and realized Dracula was the vampire behind Lucy's death.

[–] eugene1001us 17 years ago

Apparantly the BBC never filmed the "result". In the novel the crypt was protected by hundreds of rats. Again in the novel both John Seward and Quincy Morris (who were old friends and avid hunting partners as well) brought hunting dogs, along with them. The dogs were set loose and either killed or scattered all of the rats so that Van Helsing and Jonathan could "purify" the "earth boxes" at Carfax.

This is the "missing scene", though regrettably never filmed.

"I am bound to this earth. I make it my domain".

Dracula

[–] night_is_silent 17 years ago

Thanks for the info. I just watched the DVD last night and that "LOOK!" scene left me puzzled.

[–] kmiv 16 years ago

Weird that they couldn't come up with a less peculiar solution than to leave in the "LOOK!" line with no payoff. Still, neat show - it gave me the chills years ago when I saw it on PBS and it gave me chills the other night.