Dracula is dead, as is Renfield as this film continues straight after the ending of the original movie. We get to meet an enigmatic woman who wants to see the Count’s body at the scene of the crime as she claims she is his daughter.

Dracula’s Daughter is an interesting follow-up which isn’t some anaemic sequel but isn’t a classic film like its predecessor either.

Gloria Holden gives a great performance as the torn lead who is conflicted as she wants to break the curse of the Draculas and live a normal life but also really loves her vampiric activities.

And it’s here that the film steers into risqué (for 1936) territory with the lead luring women to ‘ahem’ model for her as a ruse to sink her teeth into them. There’s also the lesbian overtones regarding this as these young women must model topless (Lady Dracula says she’s working on head and shoulder portraits) for her. This is very subtly done due to the times and the puritanical censorship board of the day. Some critics picked up on it, some didn’t. Universal even highlighted this aspect when marketing the film. And so a long history of lesbian vampire films was born.

Again, the film is also a prime example of proto-Goth with more shadows and cheekbones than you could shake a crucifix at. The lead even speaks in the same accent as Germanic chanteuse Nico.

This film is worth 1 hour and 10 minutes of anyone’s time.

3 out of 5 stars