"Likewise unappreciated at the time - Lon Chaney was miscast as the vampire count, and the film was short on shock and sensation for the horror fans - this is actually one of the most intelligent and soberly written of all of Universal's horror films, and its rather morbid undertones align it to film noir as much as to Grand Guignol. There are some good special effects and chill sequences, but it's the film's overall restraint and (comparative!) relationship to reality that impress most." --W.K. Everson