# Classic Drac



## RRguy (Jul 14, 2007)

I never really thought about it. Very observant, Spats.


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## tallula_g (Sep 19, 2006)

Wow, Spats I love that movie, my party is pretty much themed around it this year. I have read a really good book about Bela and I own, Bela Lugosi, Hollywood's Dracula DVD. In some of the documentaries about him it shows the cape that his son owns and the inside of it looks like a gold color, but it's hard to tell. You sound like my husband who is a stickler for details!! This year I am going to dress up as one of Dracula's brides from that movie. I have a white dress with long sleeves and a finger wave wig. On the Freaks DVD it says that Todd Browning put armadillos in the castle as a joke because he was from Texas. Who knows if it's true?


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## GrimmLeeFeindish (Aug 30, 2007)

That sounds pretty cool, I need to save this thread for future use. I dont think many people would appreciate the attention to detail that you have put into this but alot of fans of Bela and Dracula will love it. I hope to see pictures. What about fangs?

As a side note, I saw a guy at a halloween street party back in the 90's dressed as Dracula from the 1992 Coppola's version with Gary Oldman and it was an awesome costume. It didnt hurt that the guy looked kind of tall too. He had on the grey top hat, and suit that Gary wore when he was in England. It looked great, especially with the blue glasses. I would love to get that together one year. ( I have been a vampire the last 10 halloweens or so.)

Anyway, 
Please post pictures soon, should be really cool.


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

I'll post pictures after the party, which is the weekend before Halloween. That way it's at least in the archives.

As for fangs, no. Good question, too, and one I forgot to mention earlier.

Bela did not wear canines nor did he leave the tell-tale twin punctures on his victims. Those tropes appeared later in modern vampire cinema. Some claim it made Bela's Dracula scarier because it left the audience to speculate how one gains access to the jugular, ie, ...chewing?
One another note, I lucked out in rentals. Not only was I able to find a pique white vest and bowtie, but a pique front shirt as well, for that unpleated expanse of white front I was hoping for.


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## GrimmLeeFeindish (Aug 30, 2007)

Sounds cool Spats. I didnt think he wore fangs, but wasnt sure. One more question, what character is your avatar? Who is that?


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

My avatar is an original piece, my own illustration.


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## RRguy (Jul 14, 2007)

Nice work on the avatar, Spats. You should post some more of your art work.


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## webwari (Sep 7, 2010)

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but this is a fantastic writeup!

I've always wanted a Bela Lugosi Dracula costume myself, and finally had the courage to put one together this year. I've got just about everything sourced out and half of it on order. Total cost is looking like $250-300, but I plan to wear this for decades to come so I figure it'll be worth it. (Like the classic mad scientist costume I put together last year, I believe it'll look even better on me in 50 years!)

I recently watched the 1931 film in HD to see what would be required. 

So far the following are on their way:

6-button tailcoat and tuxedo pants - Former rental suit from eBay. Black tropical worsted wool, satin peak lapels. 
White satin backless vest - Lucked out and found a package deal where they threw it in with the tailcoat. 
Pocket watch and chain - Cheap made-in-china deal from eBay, with silver-tone chain. 
Monocle - One item where I chose to vary from the film slightly. I was afraid the ones I saw on a cord would look too cheap, so I ordered one on a thin silver-tone chain. 
Medallion - I wanted one in metal rather than plastic, and the best I found at a reasonable price is a 9-point star shape with a red gem in the center. It comes on a red ribbon that looks to be about an inch wide, but I will have a wider sash made to match the cape's lining. I had the option of gold tone or silver tone here, and chose to go with silver tone to match the other metals. 

Next on order is a plain-front wing collar shirt with barrel cuffs, probably pique but I may settle for microfiber, once I decide where to purchase from (the cheapest vendors don't have my size in stock unfortunately). Also, a set of silver-tone white studs. Included with the white vest and tails is a white pre-tied satin bowtie in the popular hourglass shape, but I will probably spring for a self-tie diamond point satin bowtie. Once I receive the pants I may also order braces (suspenders). 

Though there is reference to two puncture wounds on the necks of victims in the film, fangs are never pictured on screen. I don't believe I'll bother with those, since they always seem to get in the way of eating/drinking/speaking. For makeup, the popular look always seems to feature dark inset eyes, but in the movie they often use lighting to highlight the eyes, so I may have to experiment with that. I'll also be looking for a deep red lip stain. 

And finally, the the cape! This piece can make or break the costume, and most of what I find online is cheap costume quality. Luckily, my mom is a skilled seamstress and I will work with her to make something I can be happy with. The original cape from the film was put up for auction a few years ago by Bela Lugosi Jr., so there are pictures available online. 
Check out the video at reuters.com/video/2011/10/31/bela-lugosis-dracula-cape-up-for-auction?videoId=224062869&videoChannel=1004 

Since life isn't in black and white, I will opt for a red satin lining rather than the dove gray. Wool will likely be cost prohibitive given the size of the cape, so I will be on the lookout for a black woven polyester material that will drape nicely (I know of a fabric discounter nearby. The place is kind of a mess and is packed to the brim with rolls of fabric fresh off the boat from Asia, and it sells for much cheaper than typical retail prices. Another option is Jo-Ann Fabrics; they regularly have coupons good for 40% off a single cut of fabric). It looks to be a circular cape, almost floor length, and given that he is pictured holding it at 10 and 2 with some slack remaining it will have to be at least 3/4 or 4/5 of a circle, so it will probably be made of 3 or 4 wedge shaped panels stitched together. The tricky part will be getting it to hug the shoulders properly without needing to tie it closed. I was a little puzzled watching the film because they never show a clasp or cord holding it in place, but I found the scene where he enters the theater and removes the cape by simply sliding it off so it is apparent he just doesn't use any fastener. The footage of the original cape in the link above shows there is a cord at the collar that remained hidden in the film. I may add a button and loop closure on the inside, long enough to fasten while leaving the front open, that I can use if I am worried about it coming off. 

Also, I did notice a ring in the film, but never gave it much importance. I may go back and see if he wears it in every scene, and if so might get one also, given that I've gone this far to mimic the original. For shoes, I have a pair of polished black leather-soled cap-toes that will do the trick (though for shoe and/or formalwear snobs they are inappropriate given that they are open-laced derbies rather than closed-laced oxfords).


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## RRguy (Jul 14, 2007)

You ought to post pix of the costume here when you get it done. Also the mad scientist costume.


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