Count Dracula

**Count Dracula** is a vampire literary villain who is eponymous main-antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel *Dracula* and its 1931 Universal film adaptation in-which Dracula was played by Bela Lugosi (1882-1956).

## History

### Background

#### Halloween Horror Nights

*Following the Dracula's history as depicted in Halloween Horror Nights. However, the continuity of Universal Classic Monsters in Halloween Horror Nights events is of unknown canonicity status. The many depictions of the Dracula story featured at Halloween Horror Nights also may not be of shared continuity.*

#### Origins

Count Dracula is believed to have once been historic 15th century Walachian warlord, Vlad III Tepes (**Vlad the Impaler**), born under the cognomen of **Vlad Dracula**. He became a vampire and would portray himself as "**Count Vlad Dracula**", living in the *Castle Dracula*. Dracula had various brides who he likewise transformed into vampires.

By the 19th century, Dracula corrupted a man named Renfield into becoming his loyal servant with the promise of vampirism, prompting Renfield to begin eating live bugs and small animals in an effort to imitate his master's power. At some point, Dracula had a daughter named Countess Marya Zaleska.

##### Legacy in Blood

Count Dracula, his brides and Renfield hosted various mortal guests on the night of "The Calling". Dracula would seek out human women to become his immortal vampiric brides, while planning on torturing the men and those who refused for all of eternity.

##### Later history

In 1931, Universal Studios made the film *Dracula*.

Dracula might have been connected to an odd incident which occurred in the *Universal Palace Theater* during the showing of one of the Dracula film's remakes (possibly the Hammer Horror film of 1958, the Francis Ford Coppola adaptation of 1992, or a possible fictional film titled "Dracula: Legacy in Blood"). At the screening was a runaway bride holding a bouquet of roses. During the screening, she spoke the dialogue in the film word-for-word as if in a trance and was then found with all of the blood drained from her body while the flowers were "Frozen in time". It seems to be implied that the woman was hypnotized by a vampire to be their bride, and that this vampire may have been Count Dracula himself.

In the year 2010, the paranormal-investigation organization *Legendary Truth: The Collective* accidentally freed the God of Fear into Universal Studios Florida. Fear attempted to gain power and become freed, the "Legacy of Blood" Count Dracula along with one of his brides appeared on the Universal property as part of this event.

The black-and-white Universal film versions of Count Dracula and one of his brides were amongst the film monsters seemingly summoned in the haunted *Carey "Die"-In* theater of Carey, Ohio.

## Appearances

Dracula, based on his Bela Lugosi portrayal, sometimes makes live-appearances in the Universal parks.

### Beetlejuice’s Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue

Dracula was one of the monsters who joined Betelgeuse in this extinct attraction.

### Halloween Horror Nights

Dracula has made several appearances for Halloween Horror Nights.

#### Halloween Horror Nights: Ripped from the Silver Screen (HHN 19)

The tie-in story for Legacy in Blood implied that a vampire (possibly Dracula himself) claimed and drained a bride within the Universal Palace Theater.

#### Halloween Horror Nights: Twenty Years of Fear

##### HHN: 20 Years of Fear

Dracula and one of his Brides as they appeared in HHN 19 appeared in this Scarezone.

#### Halloween Horror Nights 31

##### Universal Monsters: Legends Collide

Dracula was a character in this house. " Universal Monsters: Legends Collide" in 2022 took place in the *Alucard Trading Company*, Alucard being Dracula's name backwards which he used as an alias while pretending to be his fictitious son in *The Son of Dracula* (1943).

#### Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store

The 2020 Tribute Store had a black and white photograph of Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the Bride of Frankenstein at Fright Nights.

### Sahara Traders

Dracula is referenced by the Museum of Antiquities having a brochure and poster for, "Transylvania Artifacts, Lore and Legends Collection", along with additional references to holding Transylvanian artifacts. The poster for the Transylvanian artifacts exhibit has an image of the historic Vlad the Impaler on it, as well as the pendant which Count Dracula wore in the 1931 film-adaptation and a boat used by Count Orlok (an analogue for Dracula) from *Nosferatu* (1922). A life-preserver from the, "Vesta" appears on a shelf. This was the name of the schooner which Dracula travelled to London on in the 1931 Universal version of Dracula.

### Universal Studios Classic Monsters Cafe

Count Dracula's likeness appeared inside of this cafe, along with an upside-down celebrity chair for him on the ceiling.

### Williams of Hollywood Prop Shop

A large photograph of Bela Lugosi as Dracula appeared in this shop.

## References

1. ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2022/06/the-williams-of-hollywood-prop-shop-closes-at-universal-studios-orlando/