#BelaLugosi gave us the unquestionable vampire archetype (as #Dracula), but did you know that the female #vampire was also created for a Tod Browning film, that starred Bela Lugosi? Browning had featured shrouded vampire women with tightly wrapped hair in both London After Midnight and Dracula , but a different kind of femme fatale was sought for Mark of the Vampire . Lugosi had pretty much standardized the expected appearance of a male vampire , but the female conventions had not really gelled . Borland was short , almond - eyed , and had a luxurious mane of dark hair that fell halfway to the floor . " They kept trying to make me over into the girl of the times , ' with waved hair . They'd marcel and curl it . They kept trying to give me cupid - bow lips , " Borland said . Finally , she was sent to makeup artist William Tuttle for a fresh approach . Tuttle simply had her part her hair in the middle , adhered it to her forehead with spirit gum - and in stantly created the lank - haired prototype of the female vampire that has haunted popular culture ever since . Browning explained what he wanted from her in a scene when she is startled while hovering over the female lead , Elizabeth Allan . " You growl like a wolf , " he said . " You know , deep in your throat . " " I can see your point , " Borland said airily , " but how about a hiss , like an angry cat ? " " Try it , " the director said , a little surprised at having his direction challenged . They shot the scene and Browning said " Print it " without additional comment . On another occasion she turned her ankle and grimaced while drifting down a row corri dor . Browning said , " You gave me something with your mouth . " Borland told him she had twisted her ankle . He suggested that she twist it again . Browning marshaled all the studio resources at his disposal to create a gothic mood approaching parody . Mist effects involving an industrial - strength mixture of dry ice and water liquefied piles of earth used in the graveyard sets . " We worked in mud all the time , " Borland laughed . " It was really messy . Every night the costume had to be cleaned . It got shorter and shorter . "
#BelaLugosi gave us the unquestionable vampire archetype (as #Dracula), but did you know that the female #vampire was also created for a Tod Browning film, that starred Bela Lugosi?
Browning had featured shrouded vampire women with tightly wrapped hair in both London After Midnight and Dracula , but a different kind of femme fatale was sought for Mark of the Vampire . Lugosi had pretty much standardized the expected appearance of a male vampire , but the female conventions had not really gelled . Borland was short , almond - eyed , and had a luxurious mane of dark hair that fell halfway to the floor . " They kept trying to make me over into the girl of the times , ' with waved hair . They'd marcel and curl it . They kept trying to give me cupid - bow lips , " Borland said . Finally , she was sent to makeup artist William Tuttle for a fresh approach . Tuttle simply had her part her hair in the middle , adhered it to her forehead with spirit gum - and in stantly created the lank - haired prototype of the female vampire that has haunted popular culture ever since .
Browning explained what he wanted from her in a scene when she is startled while hovering over the female lead , Elizabeth Allan . " You growl like a wolf , " he said . " You know , deep in your throat . " " I can see your point , " Borland said airily , " but how about a hiss , like an angry cat ? " " Try it , " the director said , a little surprised at having his direction challenged . They shot the scene and Browning said " Print it " without additional comment . On another occasion she turned her ankle and grimaced while drifting down a row corri dor . Browning said , " You gave me something with your mouth . " Borland told him she had twisted her ankle . He suggested that she twist it again . Browning marshaled all the studio resources at his disposal to create a gothic mood approaching parody . Mist effects involving an industrial - strength mixture of dry ice and water liquefied piles of earth used in the graveyard sets . " We worked in mud all the time , " Borland laughed . " It was really messy . Every night the costume had to be cleaned . It got shorter and shorter . "