1943’s The Return of the Vampire opens in 1918.

Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) and her colleague, Dr. Walter Saunders (Gilbert Emery), suspect that there might be a vampire active in London.  After reading a book on vampirism that was written by Dr. Armand Tesla, they manage to find the vampire’s coffin.  As the vampire’s servant — a werewolf named Andreas (Matt Willis) — watches, Lady Jane and Dr. Saunders drove a metal stake through the vampire’s heart.  It turns out that the vampire was none other than Armand Tesla himself!  Andreas turns back into a normal person and becomes Lady Jane’s assistant.

Jump forward to the 1940s.  During an attack by the Germans, a bomb explodes over Tesla’s grave and exposes not just his coffin but also the metal pole in the middle of his skeleton.  Two workmen assume that the pole is just bomb debris and they remove it.  Tesla (Bela Lugosi) promptly comes back to life and Andreas turn back into a werewolf.  Tesla sets out to get revenge on Lady Jane and the daughter of Dr. Saunders, Nicki (Nina Foch).

The Return of the Vampire is an interesting film.  Since the film was not made by Universal Pictures, it could not use the name “Dracula” for its vampire but it’s obvious from the start that Armand Tesla is meant to be Dracula.  Tesla wears his Dracula costume, speaks in his Dracula voice, and gives his Dracula performance.  To his credit, Lugosi actually gives a very strong performance in The Return of the Vampire.  His anger towards the people who staked him feels very real and there’s nothing of the intentional campiness that marred some of Lugosi’s later performances.  Lugosi leaves little doubt that Tesla is not only evil but he’s someone who truly enjoys being evil.  He can’t leave England until he gets his revenge on the people who previously defeated him.  For all the talk of stakes, sunlight, and crosses, the vampire’s true weakness is its own vanity and its inability to let go of a grudge.

As a history nerd, I found myself fascinated with how the film worked the then-current Blitz into its story.  The main villain may have been played by Bela Lugosi but the Germans definitely played their role as well, launching the bombing raids that distracted the authorities from the vampire in their midst.  Indeed, it’s probably not coincidence that it was a German pilot who brought Tesla back to life in the first place.  The German pilot is shot down but not before he drops a bomb on Tesla’s crypt.  The film says to be aware of the outside threat but to also be aware that threats can come from the inside as well.  While the Germany terrify the citizens of London, the vampire coolly moves through the night.

Clocking in at a fast-paced 69 minutes, The Return of the Vampire also features a stiff upper lip Scotland Yard inspector (Miles Mander) who, of course, is skeptical of the existence of vampires.  At the end of the film, he asks his subordinates if they believe in vampires.  They reply that they do.  He then looks at the camera and asks us, “And do you, people?”

Well, do you?