Bela Lugosi is one of the horror genre’s most iconic figures. His portrayal of Dracula is so convincing that it set the mark for all future vampires. Behind the glamour of being known as possibly the first famous vampire, Lugosi faced many hardships. Other than his struggle to master the English language, there was also the typecasting that kept him from an immensely successful career in Hollywood.
- Official Site: Devoted to Bela Lugosi’s life and work.
- Sound Bites: An archive with sound bites that display Lugosi’s unique catchphrases.
Bela Ference Bezso Blasko was born on October 20, 1882 in Lugoj, Romania. His father was a banker and he had one sister. At age 12, Lugosi dropped out of school, and by 1901, he had made an attempt to start an acting career. He made his way to several provincial theaters where he took part in their plays, and he moved to Budapest in 1911. He took a brief break from his acting career from 1914 to 1916 to serve as an infantry lieutenant during World War I, rising to the rank of captain in the ski patrol, and he was awarded the Purple Heart in the Austro-Hungarian Army for being wounded in battle. He briefly married a woman named Ilona Szmick but they divorced by 1920.
- Biography and Filmography: Discusses about Lugosi’s life and career.
- Dracula Review: Review of Dracula that explains how influential Lugosi was to the genre.
His very first film appearance took place in 1917, when he appeared in Az exredes, one of 12 silent films he made between 1917 and 1918. At the time, he used the name Arisztid Olt. After the collapse of the Hungarian Republic, he ended up in Germany, where he began appearing in films that were very well-received like Auf den Trümmern des Paradieses and Die Todeskarawane. In 1920, he entered the United States. By 1931, he was a naturalized citizen. After his arrival, he took work as a laborer and acted in his first Broadway play, The Red Poppy, in 1922. His very first film role was in 1923’s The Silent Command.
- Brief Biography: Outlines Lugosi’s most important achievements.
- Interview with Bela Jr.: Archive of an interview conducted with Lugosi’s son about his father.
Lugosi’s big break came with Dracula, the role which would help cement him in the mind of horror film lovers forever. In 1927, he was approached to play the role of Dracula in the Broadway adaption. When the film adaption of the book went into production, Lugosi was not the one chosen to play Dracula. Lon Chaney was supposed to play him, but when Chaney died before production, Lugosi was chosen in his place. The role helped make him an A-list film star.
- Lugosi Biography: Concise biography of Lugosi’s life.
- Hungarian Culture: Lugosi: Discusses the Lugosi’s importance to Hungarian culture.
- Bride of the Monster: A look at his role in this Ed Wood movie.
- Ed Wood: Discussion of the Ed Wood movie with a little glimpse into his relationship with Lugosi.
Once his job as Dracula was done, Lugosi ran into a problem common with actors who become associated with iconic roles – typecasting. The general public was so attached to Lugosi as Dracula that they refused to see him in any other type of role. Consequently, he was stuck only playing characters that were reminiscent of Dracula, playing the villain in several more movies including The Raven, White Zombie, Son of Frankenstein, and Murders in the Rue Morgue.
- The Raven: A review of this classic Lugosi film.
- The Black Cat: Discusses one of Lugosi’s most disturbing films.
- Bela Lugosi: Another of his biographies.
Further, the British ban on horror films meant that he became consigned to roles where he was used not for his talent but rather his name, Bela Lugosi. He was so desperate for any kind of work to survive financially that he had to accept less-than-stellar roles to pay the bills. Lugosi experienced a brief career revival post Son of Frankenstein when he landed a role in the Greta Garbo comedy Ninotchka. Sadly, nothing truly came of it. Within the year, he was back on Poverty Row. His last “A” movie was 1948’s Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
It wasn’t until a fan-turned-filmmaker Ed Wood offered him some roles that he started to get back on his feet. At the time, Lugosi was battling a drug addiction and these roles, including ones in Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster, and Plan 9 from Outer Space helped him decide to get treatment. Lugosi’s very last film was 1955’s The Black Sheep where he was disappointed to be cast as a mute who had no actual dialogue.
- Plan 9 from Outer Space: A great look at probably the “worst film of all time” filmed as Lugosi died.
Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16, 1956 at the age of 73. He was buried in one of the Dracula play stage costumes in Culver City, California. Although many believe that he himself expressly asked for this in his will, it was his wife and son, Bela Jr, who made the decision, saying it’s what he would have wanted.
- Death: Provides details of Lugosi’s death with link to his grave.
Lugosi left his mark on the horror film genre. All the actors who came after him seemed to base their own portrayals of vampires off his interpretation. This is why Lugosi’s looked on as one of the genre’s most iconic figures.
Written by Michael S. Atwood