Dracula's Daughter (1936)

Dracula's Daughter begins a few moments after Dracula ends. Count
Dracula has just been destroyed by Professor Van Helsing (Edward
Van Sloan). Van Helsing is arrested by two Whitby policemen,
Sergeant Wilkes (E. E. Clive) and constable Albert (Billy Bevan).
Van Helsing is sent by the Whitby police to Scotland Yard, where
he explains to Sir Basil Humphrey (Gilbert Emery) that he indeed
did destroy Count Dracula, but because he had already been dead
for over 500 years, it cannot be considered murder. Instead of
hiring a lawyer, he enlists the aid of a psychiatrist, Dr.
Jeffrey Garth (Kruger), who was once one of his star students.


Sergeant Wilkes leaves the Whitby gaol to meet an officer from
Scotland Yard at the train station. Meanwhile, Dracula's
daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden), enters the gaol
and mesmerises Albert with her jewelled ring and with the aid of
her manservant, Sandor (Irving Pichel), steals Dracula's body
from the Whitby gaol, and after tossing salt on the pyre,
ritualistically burns Dracula's body, hoping to break her curse
of vampirism. However, Sandor soon begins to discourage her,
telling her that all that is in her eyes is "death". She soon
gives in to her thirst for blood. The Countess resumes her
hunting, mesmerising her victims with her exotic jewelled ring.
After a chance meeting with Dr. Garth at a society party, the
Countess asks him to help her overcome the influence she feels
from beyond the grave. The doctor advises her to defeat her
cravings by confronting them, and the Countess becomes hopeful
that her will, plus Dr. Garth's science, will be strong enough to
overcome Dracula's malevolence.


The Countess sends Sandor to fetch her a model to paint. He sees
a pretty young woman, Lili (Nan Grey), and follows her onto a
bridge. The woman pauses at the railing looking despondent.
Sandor promises her food, warmth, and money. She hesitates, but
Sandor explains that he seeks her for his mistress. Lili returns
with Sandor. Countess Zaleska initially resists her urges, but
succumbs and attacks her. Lili survives the attack and is
examined by Dr. Garth through hypnosis; she reveals enough
information to let Dr. Garth know that Countess Zaleska was who
attacked her, but she suffers heart failure and dies. The
Countess gives up fighting her urges and accepts that a cure is
not possible; she lures Dr. Garth to Transylvania by kidnapping
Janet Blake (Marguerite Churchill), his secretary, with whom he
has a playfully antagonistic relationship, but now realises that
he cares for her. Zaleska intends to transform Dr. Garth into a
vampire to be her eternal companion. Arriving at Castle Dracula
in Transylvania, Dr. Garth agrees to exchange his life for
Janet's. Before he can be transformed, Countess Zaleska is
destroyed when Sandor shoots her through the heart with an arrow
as revenge for her breaking her promise to make him immortal. He
takes aim at Dr. Garth, but is shot dead by a Scotland Yard
policeman, who along with Van Helsing, has followed Dr. Garth
from London.