the dracula rings

[moonvisage]

i will try posting the picture again:


I do apologize,i just can't seem to get the picture to show up.

try again:
http://s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii132/grenfellman/?action=view&current=1931draculafilmringcloseupnodesignj.jpg

[moonvisage]

I noticed,along with Count Gamula,that the original 1931 film dracula ring,does NOT have a crest design on the face at all.It is,what appears to be,an absolutely smooth black stone.perhaps the stone is black onyx?so,judging by that close up picture as verification,the crested dracula rings on sale,are all based on a later film version.
I guess the closest we can get to the original 1931 film dracula ring,would be to get a cast of the Forry/QMX  ring band only,and go to a jeweller,and ask him to fit a smooth oval shaped black onyx stone onto the face.

If anyone can repost the photo successfully,i would be deeply grateful...as the link goes to my private pictures site on photobucket,and strangers can have a look around at my even stranger collections Thank you in advance.

[Wolf Man]

Remember though, and this comes from dealing with movie props for a long time, that during the film making process there are often multiple props depending on the purpose of the shot.  For example, they may have a really nice hero prop of a finely jeweled crested ring for a close up shot and then use a simplified el cheapo version for other shots. 

In another film I follow there were three to four different versions of the same weapon for the same character and they were all distinctly different.  Some of us "fanatics" have blown up all the photos and can tell the difference between each prop and what scene each one was in. 

When making a film the makers don't really count on legions of fans blowing up every photo and studying every prop in detail.  This accounts for all the variations not to mention the variations between films.  More than likely there have been many versions of Dracula's ring and there may be variations of that prop within the same film. 

Just food for though to keep in mind. 

[Monster Bob]

Very true now but not so true back then.

In 20 years of exhaustive vintage prop hunting/collecting/dealing,  I have found that in vintage productions there was most often only one prop made (in both film and TV) and that one prop was made very durable to survive drops and mishandling.  The 'one and only one prop made' phenom was usually the case, with the exception of costumes and masks/appliances. I can give endless examples of this, and am willing to bet there was only one of each ring made for production. There were of course exceptions, especially with something used constantly- like Maxwell Smart's shoe phone for instance.

The reason the shield Dracula ring is popular, and even remembered, is the Forry and FM connection. For years he talked about and built up a lore about that ring. He was selling copies of it 40 years ago. If Forry said ,'it's the ring from Dracula', it was taken as Gospel and not challenged.

[Wolf Man]

How then would the Dracula ring be explained?  Clearly, there is a blown up photo of Dracula's ring and it has a smooth probably black onyx stone with no emblem.  Then there is the "accepted" Dracula ring with the red stone and crest.  If indeed the second ring came from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein then it is a different ring than what appeared in the original Dracula as Dracula's ring.  Therefore at least two versions exist proving my hypothesis that two different rings were made for two different movies but worn by the same character making both variations original Dracula rings. 
 
As I stated previously:
"This accounts for all the variations not to mention the variations between films.  More than likely there have been many versions of Dracula's ring and there may be variations of that prop within the same film." 

This also accounts for Hammer's different version of the ring as well.  They obviously did not use the Dracula ring supposedly loaned to them but created a different version of that ring. 

This proves another statement I made:
"When making a film the makers don't really count on legions of fans blowing up every photo and studying every prop in detail.  This accounts for all the variations not to mention the variations between films.  More than likely there have been many versions of Dracula's ring and there may be variations of that prop within the same film."

So, as I stated there are sure to be a number of versions or variations but all would be considered Draculas ring depending on your view of what constitutes original.   

[Monster Bob]

Dracula and A&C Meet Frank are two different productions.

There were two different rings used in the two different productions, which were made 17 years apart.

Confusion likely comes in because FJA used to say in FM that 'he owns the ring from Dracula', he also claimed to 'own the cape from Dracula' (actually a Lugosi stage cape/Plan 9 cape- an opera style cape). But the cape nor ring were from the original 1931 DRACULA.

[shift gears]

FJA also used to claim that the Dracula statuette he owned (or maybe still does) was a Lugosi original, given to him by Lugosi. He told me that himself in 1986. In reality, he had a resin copy made by Lugosi friend Richard Sheffield- (who BTW sold FJA the ring and cape originally) resin copies that Sheffield himself sold in FM in the 60s. No big deal, but it does cause collectible confusion, and once things see print they are taken as gospel.

I did locate one of the 1940s-Lugosi originals- they are made of early fired porcelain/ceramic and not resin. It is also a bit bigger.  I believe Ron Borst has an original, too. Common lore on these is that Lugosi's 'sister in law' sculpted and produced for Bela- a rumor that may have also come from the pages of FM. But according to Sheffield (and he told me this himself) he surmises Lugosi himself sculpted and made the figurines, as Lugosi was a talented artist and sculptor, and one of his favorite subject was himself, which this photo attests to...

[Monster Bob]

Here is the 'Lugosi original' figurine, inspecting a A&CMF Dracula-clone ring 'n' coffin...ring #13.

[avenger]

I don't know about authenticity of either of the rings I've seen,but I wouldn't mind owning
either version as I think they are great.
Bob,that is a great picture of Bela sculpting .It's the first time I have ever seen it.

[hammersdracula]

I have the ring from Christopher Lee's fansite. In fact, the photo of the ring on the darkenecolored table from yourprops.com with the hammerhorror printed in the photo is actually my ring. It is a beautiful piece and was molded from the very ring Christopher Lee wore. I actually own one of Christopher Lee's screen worn Dracula capes from Scars of Dracula.

[sithspawn]

How then would the Dracula ring be explained?  Clearly, there is a blown up photo of Dracula's ring and it has a smooth probably black onyx stone with no emblem.  Then there is the "accepted" Dracula ring with the red stone and crest.  If indeed the second ring came from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein then it is a different ring than what appeared in the original Dracula as Dracula's ring.  Therefore at least two versions exist proving my hypothesis that two different rings were made for two different movies but worn by the same character making both variations original Dracula rings. 
 

If memory serves, i remember reading in the brochure for the Flat World Dracula figure that the black onyx ring  used in Dracula(31)was one of Bela's personal rings.

[hammersdracula]

I read the same thing. The ring from Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein was the same ring that John Carradine wore in his Dracula roles. This is a never ending investigation. Alot of people believe Christopher Lee wore Lugosi's ring when in fact he didn't. Lee's ring does not have the red cornelian stone as Lugosi's did. The ring Lee wore in Horror of Dracula was a completely different ring from his later Dracula films. I have the Lee ring that was made from the same identical mould that his was, they are identical in every way. It is shiny silvver with a flat black background. I wish I new how to post photos here I would post another photo of the ring and my cape from Scars of Dracula.

[Toy Ranch]

Photo posting instructions:
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=2087.0

[Wolf Man]

My "Lee" Dracula ring still has not arrived but I am expecting it anytime now.  I will post photos of it as soon as it gets here. 

[Toy Ranch]

Here are hammersdracula's ring photos.

Very nice!

[Wolf Man]

Awesome photos.  Thanks for posting them.  Now I really can't wait to get mine.  Mail is so darn slow to arrive here.