Professor Edward C. Burke is a character from the 1927 horror-comedy London After Midnight directed by Tod Browning, where he was portrayed by Lon Chaney Sr.

In the film, Sir Roger Balfour is found shot to death in his home. Inspector Burke of Scotland Yard is called in to investigate. The suspects are Williams (the butler), Sir James Hamlin and his nephew, Arthur Hibbs. A suicide note is found and the case is supposedly closed.

Five years later, the old residence of Balfour is taken up by a man in a beaver-skin hat, with large fangs and gruesome, sunken eyes. His assistant is a ghostly woman, with flowing robes and raven black hair. Burke disguises himself as a vampire in order to trick a superstitious murderer into confessing to the murder of a businessman named Roger Balfour. He is not actually the villain of the film. His vampire guise is referred to in the film as "The Man in the Beaver Hat".

In the 1935 remake, the Burke character hires an actor to play the vampire role for him.

All published appearances of Dracula from before Janurary 1, )-(95)}} are public domain in the US.

Some notable appearances are listed below:

*The Hypnotist (1918)

*London After Midnight (1927) (lost film)

*London After Midnight was based off of a short story by Browning himself called "The Hypnotist" and it was remade in 1935 as ''Mark of the Vampire'', again directed by Browning. All known copies of the original 1927 film were destroyed in a vault fire in the late 60's, although film historians hope that a copy exists somewhere despite many hoaxes. The script and many photos still exist however, and a "reconstruction" of the film was made in 2002 as a slideshow.
*Mr. Hyde’s design in the film, The Nightmare Before Christmas appears to be inspired by Lon Chaney’s role as the Man in the Beaver Hat.

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_After_Midnight_(film) Wikipedia]
*[https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Professor_Edward_Burke Heroes Wiki]
*[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/edward-c-burke/4005-9080/ ComicVine]
*[https://horror.fandom.com/wiki/London_After_Midnight_(1927) Horror Film Wiki]
Category:Literary Characters
Category:Movie Characters
Category:1918 Debuts
Category:Horror Characters
Category:Detective Characters
Category:Vampire Characters
Category:Tod Browning - Creator
Category:Lost Source Material
Category:Male Characters
Category:British Characters
Category:Mad Magazine Characters
Category:Heroes
Category:Non-Powered Characters
Category:Protagonists
Category:The Simpsons Characters
Category:Nightmare Before Christmas Characters
Category:Portrayed by Lon Chaney