SGM Month of Halloween, Revisited: October 27

"The Return of the Vampire" (1944)

From the back of the box: “In 1918, Armand Tesla, 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 and Sir John Ainsley, 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 accidently (sic) releases him. Along with his werewolf servant Andreas Obry, the resurrected vampire now plots vengeance on the family that put a halt to his nocturnal feasting.”

The haiku review
Tesla bides his time
A railroad spike halts his blood
He will rise again

Star of the film: Despite Lugosi’s everlasting mightiness, this one goes to Matt Willis, portrayal of the werewolf Andreas; when he kills a scientist decoy for Tesla’s disguise, his malicious glee is infectious.

Watch for: The clever interweaving of World War II into the storyline, including its momentum & conclusion; it’s a little deus ex machine, but not so intrusive that it takes away from the denouement.