The Return of the Vampire (1943)

Director: Lew Landers
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch

Synopsis:
During the Blitz, a coffin is unearthed belonging to a vampire vanquished 25 years earlier. When an unsuspecting gravedigger removes the stake in his heart, the vampire revives and plots his revenge.

Impressions:
Terribly typecast as a Transylvanian tyrant, Bela Lugosi plays Not!Dracula in this fairly ho-hum vampire flick. He's not bad, but neither the story nor the characters are all that compelling. I suppose at the time there was the novelty of integrating current events into the vampire story, which I guess would be akin to Dracula 2000. There's really nothing here than hasn't been done better elsewhere, so unless you're a diehard Lugosi fan, there's not much reason to see this.

Rating:
Avoid It