The Silver Screen Oasis

The most famous vampire hunter in literary and film history has been portrayed by many great actors on film. Who is your favorite? Some of the actors who have played him:

Edward Van Sloan in Dracula (1931)

Peter Cushing in Horror Of Dracula (1958) and many others through the 1970s

Laurence Olivier in Dracula (1979)

Anthony Hopkins in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing (2004)

Feel free to add any others.

My favorite would have to be Peter Cushing. He was so determined and tough that he practically made Dracula look like an underdog. No one could pound in a stake with more gusto than him.

My favorite Van Helsing would also be Peter Cushing. As noted, he could go toe to toe (or would that be teeth to teeth?), with Dracula.

Edward Van Sloan in Dracula (1931) I think it was the first horror movie I saw.

Definitely Edward Van Sloan, who played Van Helsing in the first horror movie I ever saw: Dracula's Daughter. Van Sloan owned the role, having previously played it in Dracula and a version of the character (Dr. Muller) in The Mummy.

I'm not much of a fan of the Hammer cycle, which colours my feelings about Cushing in the role. I am a big fan of a female Van Helsing-type: Frieda Inescort in Return of the Vampire.

John Gottowt as Professor Bulwer in Nosferatu


Walter Ladengast as Van Helsing in the remake

Absolutely Peter Cushing. It looks like Nigel Davenport and Frank Finlay are not even in the running.

I'm also in the Peter Cushing camp on this one.

And another actor to add to the list: Mel Brooks in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)