In the late '70s, Frank Langella starred in the hit Broadway play
Dracula, written by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. Langella's
charisma and the surreal, black-and-white sets designed by cartoonist
Edward Gorey were the chief outstanding features of the play, which was
otherwise undistinguished. While this film production of the play boasts
performances by stage veterans Lord Laurence Olivier and Donald
Pleasance, as well as Frank Langella as the suavest of counts, it was
neither a
critical nor a box-office
success, doubtlessly because expectations ran too high. One highlight
of this production is its skillful use of special effects. The standard
story of Bram Stoker's original novel is re-created here: the undead
count arranges to move from his home in Transylvania to Whitby, and once
there, a reign of terror begins. He is opposed by the canny Doctor Van
Helsing (Laurence Olivier), who eventually triumphs
