53 Dracula's Daughter ( 1936 )

This  was  Universal's  follow  up  to  Dracula   though  they  had  to  pay  MGM's  David  Selznick  through  the  nose  to  make  it  because  he  had  purchased  the  rights  to  an  excised  chapter  from  the  novel, the  only  obvious  source  material  for  a  sequel. In  the  event  the  finished  film  bears  little  relation  to  Stoker's  rejected  story line.  James  Whale  was  approached  to  direct  it  but  managed  to  evade  the  responsibility.

The  film  begins  just  after  the  climax  to  Dracula  with  Van  Helsing  ( Edward  Van  Sloan, the  only  returning  actor  from  the  first  film )  being  investigated  for  his  murder. The  action  then  switches  to  a  Countess  Zelaska  who  turns  out  to  be  Dracula's  daughter  and  a  most  reluctant  vampire  exploring  all  avenues  of  averting  her  fate  from  destroying  his  corpse  ( Bela  Lugosi  "appears"  in  the  form  of  a  wax  bust )  to  seeking  psychiatric  help  from  hero  Dr  Garth  ( Otto  Kruger ).

The  film  is  notable  for  strong  lesbian  overtones  which  were  noted  even  at  the  time.

Gloria  Holden ( as  Countess  Zelaska  )

Sex:   The  Countess's  predilection  for  young  female  victims  can  easily  be  interpreted  as  lesbian.  In  some  scenes  she  wears  a  very  tight  dress  accentuating  her  impressive  boobs

Death :  Killed  by an  arrow  through  the  heart  from  her  jealous  servant  Sandor

Gloria  really  didn't  want  this  role  and  her  obvious  diffidence  actually  adds  to  her  performance  as  the  unwilling  heiress  to  Dracula's  malevolence. Her  performance  was  a  direct  inspiration  for  the  novelist  Anne  Rice. She  was  not  a  lesbian  in  real  life  being  married  three  times. She  retired  in 1958  and  died  in  1991  aged  87.

Marguerite  Churchill  ( as  Janet  )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Marguerite  had  a  short  but  prolific  career  in  the  1930s  before  marrying  one  of  her  leading  men  George  O'Brien   after  which  she  more  or  less  retired. In  later  life  she  lived  in  Europe. She  died  in  2000  aged  89.

Nan  Grey   ( as  Lilli ) 

Sex : In  the  most  obviously  sexual  scene  in  the  film  Lilli  is  lured  to  the  Countess'  abode  on  the  pretext  of  modelling  for  a  painting. Lilli  strips  down  to a  vest-top  and  has  lowered  the straps  when  the  Countess  attacks  her.

Death :  Dies  in  hospital  as  the  trauma  of  re-living  the  encounter  under  Garth's  hypnosis  is  too  much  in  her  weakened  state. It  is  left  unclear  if  she  will  become  a  vampire  too.

 
Nan's  real  name  was  Eschal  Miller. She  was  only  17  at  the  time. She  worked  throughout  the  thirties  until  she  married  a  jockey. Her  second  marriage  was  to  singer  Frankie  Laine  in  1950  and  that  lasted  until  her  death  in  1993  aged  75.