History Main / ClassicalMovieVampire

The stock portrayal of vampires for years, [[NewerThanTheyThink but no older than cinema]], the Classical Movie Vampire was first developed from Creator/BelaLugosi's [[Theatre/Dracula1924 stage portrayal]] of {{Dracula}} before being [[TropeCodifier codified]] by his performance in the [[Film/Dracula1931 1931 film version]] made by [[Franchise/UniversalHorror Universal Pictures]]. Several aspects of Lugosi's Dracula became iconic enough that practically every male vampire in popular culture from then until TheSeventies was like this, although nowadays it's pretty much a DeadHorseTrope, aside from deliberate parodies or homages.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Creator/BelaLugosi "You read this in my voice, didn't you? Bleh!"]]]]

This type of vampire will be easily recognized by his slicked-back hairstyle (usually featuring a VillainousWidowsPeak), his [[WickedCultured sinister yet gentlemanly]] personality, his [[AwesomeAnachronisticApparel elegantly outdated wardrobe]] (consisting of white tie and tails, with a [[EvilWearsBlack black]] OminousOperaCape and HighCollarOfDoom), his [[SoftSpokenSadist calmly menacing]] demeanor (although with the occasional [[LargeHam dramatic]] [[FlourishCapeInFrontOfFace flourish]]), and of course his thick Eastern European accent (liberally peppered with VampireVords). Often his eyes will be [[AllInTheEyes framed in a beam of light]]. While in [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Bram Stoker's original novel]] Dracula is described as having a long mustache (and, later on, a pointed beard), the Classical Movie Vampire tends to be clean-shaven.

This type of vampire will be easily recognized by his slicked-back hairstyle (usually featuring a VillainousWidowsPeak), his [[WickedCultured sinister yet gentlemanly]] personality, his [[AwesomeAnachronisticApparel elegantly outdated wardrobe]] (consisting of white tie and tails with a [[EvilWearsBlack black]] OminousOperaCape and HighCollarOfDoom), his [[SoftSpokenSadist calmly menacing]] demeanor (although with the occasional [[LargeHam dramatic]] [[FlourishCapeInFrontOfFace flourish]]), and of course his thick Eastern European accent (liberally peppered with VampireVords). Often his eyes will be [[AllInTheEyes framed in a beam of light]]. While in [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Bram Stoker's original novel]] Dracula is described as having a long mustache (and, later on, a pointed beard), the Classical Movie Vampire tends to be clean-shaven.

* In ''Masked Mayhem'', one of the ''ComicBook/AdventureTimeGraphicNovels'', hipster vampire girl Marceline dresses as a {{Bifauxnen}} example at a fancy-dress party.
* ''Comicbook/{{Hellboy}}'' and ''Comicbook/{{BPRD}}''. The series likes to borrow from every vampire tradition imaginable, but the classic movie vampires show up ''The Sleeping and the Dead'', ''1946'', and ''1947''. Mignola also came up with an explanation for why Hellboy doesn't encounter these types of vampires more often: Vampires used to be a real epidemic in Europe, but humanity got too good at fighting back. So, in 1774, the heads of the European vampire families agreed to bide their time and go into hiding until humanity collectively forgot about them.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Silverblade}}'', Jonathan's version of {{Dracula}} is this: complete with evening dress and opera cape. Justified as he was an actor from Hollywood's golden age of horror, and his transformations are limited to becoming characters he has portrayed on the screen. (The version of Dracula seen in the comic comes from a film titled ''Dracula '57'', which Jonathan admits was never one of his favourite films.)

* Dracula himself in ''Comicbook/TheTombOfDracula''. His only minor departure from the trope is his mustache.
* Vlad Magnus, the BigBad of ''ComicBook/VonHerlingVampireHunter''. His design borrows elements of Lugosi, Christopher Lee and Frank Langella.

A SubTrope of OurVampiresAreDifferent. A SuperTrope to VampireVords (about the way this character type usually speaks, an exaggeration of the way Lugosi really spoke English). A SisterTrope to LooksLikeOrlok. Contrast FeralVampires.

This type of vampire will be easily recognized by his slicked-back hairstyle (usually featuring a VillainousWidowsPeak), his [[WickedCultured sinister yet gentlemanly]] personality, his [[AwesomeAnachronisticApparel elegantly outdated wardrobe]] (consisting of white tie and tails with a [[EvilWearsBlack black]] OminousOperaCape and HighCollarOfDoom), his [[SoftSpokenSadist calmly menacing]] demeanor (although with the occasional [[LargeHam dramatic]] [[FlourishCapeInFrontOfFace flourish]]), and of course his heavy Eastern European accent (liberally peppered with VampireVords). Often his eyes will be [[AllInTheEyes framed in a beam of light]]. While in [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Bram Stoker's original novel]] Dracula is described as having a long mustache (and, later on, a pointed beard), the Classical Movie Vampire tends to be clean-shaven.

Occasionally, elements of the Classical Movie Vampire are also taken from Creator/ChristopherLee's more monstrous portrayal of the Count in Film/HammerHorror pictures. In such cases, the vampire will be over six feet tall and have both [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] and prominent [[FangsAreEvil fangs]]. Also, Lee's version (particularly in the early films) hardly spoke at all, emphasizing his towering physicality.

Occasionally, elements of the Classical Movie Vampire are also taken from Creator/ChristopherLee's more monstrous portrayal of the Count in Film/HammerHorror pictures. In such cases, the vampire is over six feet tall and has both [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] and more pronounced fangs. Lee's version (especially initially) hardly spoke at all, emphasizing his towering physicality.

In a MonsterMash, this is the type of vampire you should generally expect to see (although other kinds of vampires may also show up). Sometimes referred to as "[[Film/TheFullMonty The Full Lugosi]]" or as "[[AKindOfOne draculas]]."

This type of vampire will be easily recognized by his slicked-back hairstyle (which usually features a [[VillainousWidowsPeak widow's peak]]), his [[WickedCultured sinister yet gentlemanly]] personality, his [[AwesomeAnachronisticApparel suavely outdated wardrobe]] (consisting of white tie and tails with a [[EvilWearsBlack black]] OminousOperaCape and HighCollarOfDoom), his [[SoftSpokenSadist calmly menacing]] demeanor (albeit with the occasional [[LargeHam dramatic]] [[FlourishCapeInFrontOfFace flourish]]), and of course his heavy Eastern European accent (liberally peppered with VampireVords). Often his eyes will be [[AllInTheEyes framed in a beam of light]]. Note that while in [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Bram Stoker's original novel]] Dracula is described as having a long mustache (and, later, a pointed beard), the Classical Movie Vampire tends to be clean-shaven.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Creator/BelaLugosi "You read this in my voice, didn't you? Bleh!"]]

The stock portrayal of vampires for years, [[NewerThanTheyThink but no older than cinema]], the Classical Movie Vampire was first developed from Creator/BelaLugosi's [[Theatre/Dracula1924 stage portrayal]] of {{Dracula}} before being [[TropeCodifier codified]] by his performance in the [[Film/Dracula1931 1931 film version]] made by [[Franchise/UniversalHorror Universal Pictures]]. Several aspects of Lugosi's Dracula became iconic enough that practically every male vampire in popular culture from then until the 1970s was like this, although nowadays it's pretty much a DeadHorseTrope aside from deliberate parodies or homages.

** ''VideoGame/TheSims4''[='=]s ''Vampires'' expansion has three pre-made vampire [=NPCs=], and one of them, Vladislaus Straud, fits the bill perfectly. He's a count with an Eastern European-ish name (Sims all [[SpeakingSimlish speak a made-up language]] without any real accents) who lives in a gothic mansion, he has the facial features, he wears a [[BadassLongcoat black longcoat]] with a high collar, he has the Evil personality trait, and he LooksLikeOrlok when he puts on his GameFace. Of the other two, Caleb Vatore is more reminiscent of [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Edward Cullen]] or [[Literature/TheVampireChronicles Lestat]], while Caleb's sister Lilith only fits the bill in her [[PimpedOutDress formal outfit]]. The game also lets players [[VampireVarietyPack decide what a vampire's strengths and weaknesses are]] through a leveling system as they grow more powerful, meaning that they can bring their vampire Sims as close to this trope as they wish.

** A [[WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror Halloween episode]] has a this type of vampire be a father and contrast to a younger, [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Edward Cullen]] style vampire.

* Jonathan Reid, the main protagonist of ''VideoGame/Vampyr2018'' is one of the most modern depictions of this trope played straight. He is a dark, sinister-looking European aristocratic gentleman with a coat that strongly resembles a cape with a HighCollarOfDoom, is cursed with a Horror Hunger, lives in a time just after the Victorian Era, possesses mesmerism, is affected by crosses, and is chased by vampire hunters. In fact, Most Ekon vampires are inspired by Dracula.

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* Dracula in ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania''.
[[/folder]]