Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was released in Germany in March 1922, making it over a century old. The film, directed by F.W. Murnau, follows the story of Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim), who has been tasked with selling a property to a man named Count Orlok (Max Schreck) in Transylvania. Hutter and his wife Ellen (Greta Schröder) would soon learn that the man poised to buy the home across from them is no man but a vampire.
With an outstanding performance by Max Schreck, Nosferatu overcame hurdles that threatened its demise and continues to impact pop culture over a century later.
Copied Work, Scorched Earth, and Florence Stoker
At the time of the film’s release, Florence Stoker, wife of the author who penned Dracula, reportedly received a box with promotional material for Nosferatu with a program that read it was “freely adapted” from her husband’s novel.
Though the film took steps to separate it from Dracula, the inspiration was clear. Florence Stoker took the production company to court, and the court ruled in favor of Bram Stoker’s widow, stripping the rights of the 1922 movie away from its creators.
The Shudder’s Original series: The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs covered this topic, with Joe Bob Briggs and his family of drive-in Mutants making clear their feelings on the whole debacle: “Fuck Florence Stoker.”Though not because she tried to get money from the movie; but because she tried to erase it from existence.
In 1925, 3 years after the film’s release, armed with a court order for all copies to be turned over to her, Mrs. Stoker began burning the movies. Allegedly, she continued to hunt down copies of Nosferatu until she died in 1937. Florence Stoker almost accomplished her mission to eradicate the vampire movie from existence. But copies of the film had illegally made their way out of Germany, and it was able to be pieced back together eventually.
Making Nosferatu
The most memorable part of the film is the iconic appearance of Count Orlok, the vampire himself.
Joe Bob Briggs, with the company of his co-host Darcy, the Mail Girl (aka Diana Prince), explained in The Last Drive-In that the characteristic look of this vampire could not have been accomplished were it not for the actor, Max Shreck.
Not only did he perform the role perfectly, but Joe Bob Briggs intimates that Schreck applied all his makeup and special effects. Max Shreck’s dedication is impressive, as he not only created a wicked-looking monster but also paid so much attention to detail that his character is only seen blinking once throughout the film.
Lasting Impact on Pop Culture
Even if they have never seen it, not many people don’t picture the iconic Count Orlok when the word Nosferatu is said. Though Joe Bob Briggs dubbed it the first cult movie, its frequent references in modern-day horror have helped keep the cult classic alive.
While by no means a complete list, some entertainment that sought to ensure the film not be buried in the sands of time is as follows:
- NOS4A2: The AMC series (and Joe Hill novel) about the immortal vampire who drives a car with the NOS4A2 vanity plate keeps the classic horror film alive in its title alone. Never mind the references and parallels that exist within the series.
- Spongebob Squarepants: Spongebob made sure that the undead creature would be known by the upcoming generations in season two, episode 16: “Graveyard Shift.” This episode saw Spongebob and Squidward terrified of the made-up character “The Hash Slinging Slasher.” After concluding the episode with the realization that all they experienced were simply products of their imaginations fueled by paranoia, everything was explained but the flickering lights. That is when a still of the original vampire, flicking an exaggerated light switch, is shown.
- Shadow of the Vampire (2000). This film found inspiration in the production of the century-old silent movie, telling a fictional haunted tale and leaning into an urban legend claiming that Max Schreck himself is a vampire.
- Honorable Mention: Although Nosferatu’s source material saw the vampire as sensitive to sunlight, the idea that the sun would kill vampires originated from this film. Nosferatu is the first to do it, and every time a movie, series, or story depicts a vampire dying in this manner, the influence of Nosferatu lives on.
Nosferatu, An Enduring Legacy Continues in Pop Culture
Although the film ran into trouble from the beginning, one hundred years later, the work of F.W. Murnau persists. Though he was probably not a vampire, Max Schreck found immortality in this film, as his memory is kept alive every time the gaunt face of Count Orlok graces a screen. The fact that the film would still be referenced and so well known a century later, despite Florence Stoker’s best efforts, is a feat. Just be wary of saying the name aloud, lest you invoke NOSFERATU.
Get the whole drive-in experience by streaming the season 4, “Week 4: Nosferatu, The Vampire,” episode of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder today.