What do you see on Halloween Night?

        When I think of trick-or-treat night I picture princesses holding their wands, witches grabbing onto their tall pointy hats, and vampires hissing to reveal their sharp white fangs. A vampire dressed in a deep maroon cloak would maybe come onto the porch to collect some candy and belt out a "blargh! blargh!" before jetting off to the next house. It would make me wonder if Bram Stoker's Dracula was the true influence on the costume...
         After the first time reading Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, you may be in shock of the Vampire King's appearance. The first time that we meet Dracula, Johnathan Harker (one of the main characters) writes, "(w)ithin, stood a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere (1)." In another section of the novel, Dracula even appears to have a beard, "(h)e gazed at a tall, thin man, with a beaky nose and black moustache and pointed beard (2)." But do you ever see a Halloween costume of Dracula with facial hair? And where is the mention of the infamous cape?

Figure 1: Nosferatu's Count
Orlok

          Many adaptations have been made following Stoker's novel and many with their own perceptions of the way Dracula should look (there is not much information on the garments he wore in the novel which leaves a lot of room for creativity). The first film version of the Count, titled Drakula halála (1921), fashioned Dracula to look like an ordinary man in a fully black outfit with a noticeable feature of a widow's peak (3). Though Dracula's Death depiction sounds similar to Stoker's, a film named Nosferatu (1922) could not stray far enough from the idea (4). Count Orlok had claws as fingers, pointed ears and teeth, and no hair on his head. This interpretation was truly hideous and potential nightmare fuel (Figure 1).  

Figure 2: The Dracula with
the Most Resemblance
in Costumes

        Only a few years later in 1924, the first staged play of Dracula would be performed in England, and in 1927 adapted for America (4). This version of Dracula is the closest resemblance of Halloween costumes today. Stage Dracula wore a tuxedo and a long dark cape with a collar attached (Figure 2). Something to be noted, this is the first time where Dracula is not perceived as ugly or old, but rather with a "sophisticated demeanor and seductive nature...(6)."
        In conclusion, it is understandable why the third representation of Dracula was chosen as the version to recreate. A Halloween costume must be able to stand out among the rest and be easily recognized for the portrayal. One thing I will say is, it is definitely amazing that after almost 100 years, the costume hasn't changed much. A movie was released in 1931 confirming that the stage-production of Dracula IS the Dracula to dress as, check that out here (7).

Figure 1: "Count Orlok." https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Count_Orlok. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

Figure 2: "Why Does Dracula Wear a Tuxedo? The Origins of Bram Stoker's Timeless Vampire." Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2012, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-does-dracula-wear-a-tuxedo-the-origins-of-bram-stokers-timeless-vampire-101868474/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

(1) Stoker, Bram. (1897). Chapter 2. In N. Auerback, & D. J. Skal (Eds.), Dracula (pp. 21). Archibald Constable & Company.

(2) Stoker, Bram. (1897). Chapter 8. In N. Auerback, & D. J. Skal (Eds.), Dracula (pp. 155). Archibald Constable & Company.

(3) Rhodes, Gary. "Drakula Halala (1921): The Cinema's First Dracula." Expressionism in the Cinema, 2016, https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/expressionism-in-the-cinema/drakula-halala-1921-the-cinemas-first-dracula/8EF3080BBB07BFCA8A142C75E522B32B. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

(4) "Nosferatu (1922)." BFI, https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b74e11d41. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

(5) "Play Version of Dracula." British Library, https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/play-version-of-dracula#. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

(6) Stamp, Jimmy. "Why Does Dracula Wear a Tuxedo? The Origins of Bram Stoker's Timeless Vampire." Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2012, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-does-dracula-wear-a-tuxedo-the-origins-of-bram-stokers-timeless-vampire-101868474/. Accessed 1 Apr. 2020.

(7) "Dracula (1931)." amcfilmsite, https://www.filmsite.org/drac.html. Accessed 3 Apr. 2020.