Pauline Adamek
Drácula, the 1931 Spanish-language film, is a notable adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel. It was produced by Universal Pictures and released concurrently with the more famous English-language version starring Bela Lugosi. Directed by George Melford, this film has garnered attention for its unique approach and behind-the-scenes story.
Pictured above: Poster for the 1931 Spanish-language version of Drácula.
This special version of the classic film is seldom screened. Over three spooky nights this Hallowe’en, LA Opera will be presenting Spanish Drácula with Live Orchestra at the United Theater on Broadway in DTLA. There will be three screenings, taking place on October 25, 26 and 27, 2024, and the audience is invited to attend in costume. Purchase tickets here.
From the press release:
This Halloween, LA Opera‘s hugely popular annual celebration of horror and live music at the breathtaking United Theater on Broadway features a rare treat for movie and music lovers of all ages: the rarely seen 1931 Spanish-language Dracula. As the film plays out on the silver screen (with English subtitles), audiences will hear a striking, newly commissioned soundtrack score by Academy Award-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla (The Last of Us, Brokeback Mountain), who’ll also star as a featured performer. The score will be played live by the magnificent musicians of the LA Opera Orchestra under the baton of Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados.
In addition to composer and featured guitar soloist Gustavo Santaolalla, special guest artists performing with the LA Opera Orchestra will include violinist Javier Casalla, accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman, foley artist Joanna Fang and foley mixer Blake Collins. The orchestrator is David Campbell.
About Drácula: The Spanish Version
Drácula is a 1931 Spanish-language American horror film directed by George Melford. The film is based on both the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and its 1924 stage adaptation by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. The film’s storyline follows the eponymous vampire Conde Drácula as he travels from Transylvania to England to prey upon new victims. The film stars Carlos Villarías as Drácula, alongside Barry Norton, Pablo Alvarez Rubio, and Eduardo Arozamena.
Drácula was made as part of Hollywood studios’ attempts to make films for foreign-language audiences. By 1930, Universal had focused primarily on developing Spanish-language films for the foreign market. Filming began on October 10, 1930, where it was shot on the same sets as Tod Browning’s (English language) production of Dracula. Director Melford watched the footage of the same day and applied what he saw to film his own version.
Drácula: The Spanish Version was released in Cuba in 1931 and for a long time was forgotten. It received greater attention after a print for the film was found in New Jersey. A screening at the Museum of Modern Art in 1978 led to a popular home video release on VHS in 1992. Critical reception to this film often compared the two versions of Dracula with some critics weighing the pros and cons of both based on the explicitness of the Spanish version with its costumes and scenes, the film’s length, and the performance of Carlos Villarías as Conde Drácula.
Because Drácula’s production coincided with the transition from silent pictures to “talkies,” when limited sound technology existed, the film was released without an original musical score and few sound effects. In other words, it offers a rich opportunity for composer Gustavo Santaolalla to put his own creative stamp on the timeless tale.
About Gustavo Santaolalla:
A two-time Oscar-winning multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and composer, Gustavo Santaolalla is recognized as one of the most highly acclaimed and prolific contemporary Argentine musicians in the world. He began composing for television and film in 2000. He has written music for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel and Biutiful, Walter Salles’ Motorcycle Diaries and On the Road, and Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, for which he received his first Oscar for Best Original Score and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, “A Love That Will Never Grow Old,” co-written with Bernie Taupin. The following year, Santaolalla received his second Oscar for Best Original Score for Babel.
In 2013, he created the music for The Last of Us, one of the most successful video games in history. Following the 2020 release of its sequel, The Last of Us II, he was invited to score the HBO series based on the beloved video game. HBO’s The Last of Us was released in 2023 and Santaolalla earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score).
Performance Dates, Times and Address:
There will be three presentations of Drácula with Live Orchestra at the United Theater on Broadway, in DTLA, located at 929 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015:
- Friday, October 25, 2024, at 8pm
- Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 8pm
- Sunday, October 27, 2024, at 2pm
Tickets:
Tickets begin at $44.50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012). For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email LAOpera@LAOpera.org.
More information about the presentation is available at LAOpera.org/Dracula.
About LA Opera:
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies.
In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects initiative offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reaches people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. Learn more at LAOpera.org.
About the United Theater on Broadway:
This magnificent Spanish Gothic movie palace (most recently known as the Theatre at Ace Hotel) is located in the historic United Artists building in downtown Los Angeles. Built in 1927 for the maverick film studio, the theater stands as monuments to a group of seminal American artists pushing out on their own.
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