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On October 20, 1882, Bela Lugosi was brought into this world in the town of Lugos, near the Transylvanian border, very near to the famed Carpathian Mountains. Bela was born to play the role of Dracula, growing up so close to the legendary Count’s Castle. Bela Lugosi was also a war hero in WWI, ranking as captain of a ski patrol and even receiving a medal after being wounded in Russia. On the stage during the early 1900’s Bela Lugosi was highly regarded for his role as Jesus Christ, ironic for a man who would later be synonymous with the role of darkness itself in Dracula. In 1927 he played the lead role in the Broadway show, Dracula and it ran 500 shows and toured for another two years. Bela was brought to the attention of the Universal Studios executives with his film, The Thirteenth Chair, and with the death of another horror icon, Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi was cast as the lead role in the monster movie Dracula (1931). Lugosi played roles in many horror films, reportedly turning down the role of the original Frankenstein’s monster, but nonetheless played the monstrous creation in Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man.
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As Dracula, Lugosi set the standard for the role and wrote the legendary character into the history of myth and the unknown. His portrayal became the framework for actors throughout history to follow and work from. Despite his legendary role, Bela also played several other notable roles including, Murder Legendre in White Zombie, Dr. Mirakle in Murders in the Rue Morgue, Count Mora in Mark of the Vampire, Dr. Alex Zorka in The Phantom Creeps, and of course his role as Bela in The Wolf Man. Because of his dedication and pure talent, it is nearly impossible to pick a favorite film or role beyond that of Dracula. However, among my favorites I would certainly have to place White Zombie and Mark of the Vampire towards the top; but everyone has their own personal Lugosi favorite.
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Bela Lugosi is easily my favorite actor of all time, his films are not going to go down into history along side Casablanca or Gone with the Wind, but Dracula will remain a standard and his other films will follow as they are recreated in different formats for different generations. His acting was impeccable and his character away from the screen was just as bright. Bela Lugosi died in the summer of 1956 at the age of 73, he was buried in one of the Dracula capes, and rightly so. He was a man who enjoyed life, creation, literature, and knowledge, he was a father and a husband, and even his son, Bela Lugosi Jr., regards him highly as both a father and a man saying, “Even as a young person, I sensed that Dad was anything but an average man.”
Bela Lugosi: 1882 - 1956
I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much I enjoy writing it; obviously my DVD recommendation for today is Dracula or anything else with Bela Lugosi. Enjoy
