Bela lugosi biography

Sign In. He was the youngest of four children. During WWI, he volunteered and was commissioned as an infantry lieutenant, and was wounded three times. A distinguished stage actor in his native Hungary, Austria-Hungary, he began his stage career in and started appearing in films during World War I, fleeing to Germany in as a result of his left-wing political activity he organized an actors' union.

In he emigrated to the US and made a living as a character actor, shooting to fame when he played Count Dracula in the legendary Broadway stage adaptation of Bram Stoker 's novel. It ran for three years, and was subsequently, and memorably, filmed by Tod Browning inestablishing Lugosi as one of the screen's greatest personifications of pure evil.

Also inhe became a U. Sadly, his reputation rapidly declined, mainly because he had been blacklisted by the main studios and had no choice but to accept any part and script handed to him, and ended up playing parodies of his greatest role, in low-grade poverty row films. Due to shady blacklisting among the top Hollywood studio executives, he refused to sell out or to compromise his integrity, and therefore ended his career working for the legendary Worst Director of All Time, Edward D.

Wood Jr. Lugosi was married to Ilona Szmik -Ilona von Montagh? He is the father of Bela Lugosi Jr. Lugosi helped organize the Screen Actors Guild in the mid-'30s, joining as member number Bela Lugosi died of a heart attack August 16, He was buried in a Dracula costume, including a cape, but not the ones used in the film, contrary to popular--but unfounded--rumors.

Add to list. Photos Known for. Count Dracula. The Black Cat. Sheffield said years later "Lugosi had probably spent it all on alcohol. Before her death, she gave several interviews to the fan press. Inthe Lugosi v.

Bela lugosi biography: Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó known

Universal Pictures decision by the California Supreme Court held that Lugosi's personality rights could not pass to his heirs, as a bela lugosi biography would have. The court ruled that under California law, any rights of publicity, including the right to his image, terminated with Lugosi's death. The cape Lugosi wore in Dracula was in the possession of his son until it was put up for auction in Lugosi was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in His star is mentioned in " Celluloid Heroes ", a song performed by The Kinks and written by their lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Ray Davies.

It appeared on their album Everybody's in Show-Biz. Ina song called " Bela Lugosi's Dead " was released by UK post-punk band Bauhaus and is a pioneering song in the gothic rock genre. On choosing the topic of the song, the band's bassist David J remarked "There was a season of old horror films on TV and I was telling Daniel about how much I loved them.

The one that had been on the night before was Dracula []. I was saying how Bela Lugosi was the quintessential Dracula, the elegant depiction of the character. An episode of Sledge Hammer! According to Bela G. Lugosi his sonForrest AckermanDolores Fuller and Richard Sheffield, the film's portrayal of Lugosi is inaccurate: In real life, he never used profanity, did not hate Karloff, owned no small dogs, nor did he sleep in a coffin.

Focusing on Lugosi and his well-documented struggle to escape from the role that had typecast him, the play went on to receive the Hamilton Deane Award for best dramatic presentation from the Dracula Society in The Ellis Island Immigration Museum in New York City features a live minute play that focuses on Lugosi's illegal entry into the country via New Orleans and his arrival at Ellis Island months later to enter the country legally.

Lugosi", which contains a recording of the voice of Bela Lugosi. The song was a part of the Light Leaks record. InLegendary Comics published an adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel, which used the likeness of Lugosi. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects.

Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item. Hungarian-American actor — This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals. Lugosi c.

Bela lugosi biography: A distinguished stage actor in

LugosKingdom of HungaryAustria-Hungary. Los AngelesCalifornia, U. Ilona Szmick. Ilona von Montagh. Beatrice Woodruff Weeks. Lillian Arch. Hope Lininger. Early life [ edit ]. Career [ edit ]. Main article: Bela Lugosi filmography. Early films [ edit ]. Dracula [ edit ]. Main article: Dracula English-language film. Typecasting [ edit ]. Career decline [ edit ].

Stage and personal appearances [ edit ]. Ed Wood and final projects [ edit ]. Personal life [ edit ]. Death [ edit ]. California Supreme Court decision on personality rights [ edit ]. Main article: Lugosi v. Universal Pictures. Legacy [ edit ]. Notes [ edit ].

Bela lugosi biography: Béla Lugosi (20 Oktober –

While there is no question that Chaney would be anyone's first choice, Chaney had been under long-term contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer sinceand had negotiated a lucrative new contract just before his death. The right of publicity in some states endures for 50, 70, 75 or years past the death of the celebrity. References [ edit ]. Los Angeles Times.

August 17, Retrieved December 31, Osborn, Jennifer ed. ISBN Referenced bela lugosi biography is from an essay in the book written by his son Bela G. Huffington Post. November 3, October 24, Workers World. Retrieved March 23, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff : the expanded story of a haunting collaboration, with a complete filmography of their films together.

Jefferson, N. Bela Lugosi Jr. Paula de Vojnich. Black slicked back hair. Thick Hungarian accent. His suave--and often imitated--original portrayal of Count Dracula. Renowned for treating even the most ridiculous of material with immense respect and his aggressive work ethic. Sartorial elegance and regal bearing wearing a tuxedo. In he married a wealthy San Francisco widow named Beatrice Weeks, a union that lasted all of three days; their divorce named Clara Bow as the "other woman"--it was a media sensation and launched him into national notoriety.

His performance in Tod Browning 's Dracula created such a sensation that he reportedly received more fan mail from females than even Clark Gable. At the time of his death, Lugosi was in such poor financial straits that Frank Sinatra was rumored to have paid for his funeral. The rumor that Boris Karloff attended the funeral was also an urban myth, as he wasn't in California at the time.

His ex-wife Lilian and son had him buried in one of his many capes, but not the one from his role as the title character of Dracula It is a myth that he was buried in the original Dracula cape. His Count Dracula has become part of movie folklore; one cannot imagine the vampire without a black cape and aristocratic manner, intoning dramatically ironic or romantic lines such as "I don't drink—wine" or "To die, to be really dead—that must be glorious!

Lugosi had been a matinee idol in the Hungarian theater and, to some extent, in the American: on Broadway, he played a Valentino-like sheik in Arabesque. His continental charm carried over to his Dracula—Valentino, the Sheik, through a glass darkly. Both are lady-killers, one figurative, one actual. Lugosi rarely had the opportunity on screen to exhibit his persona's fatal charm.

After he achieved movie stardom in Draculaneither he nor Hollywood knew how to exploit his success or capitalize properly on his image. His one cinematic reprise of the Count was true to the original's spirit, but its context, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankensteinprecluded the possibility for any of the original's dark passion and sexual suggestion, as did his two Dracula imitations in Return of the Vampire and Mark of the Vampire a stupid "elaborate hoax" movie, wherein Lugosi is a mute, snarling monster, revealed to be an actor impersonating a vampire; all references to the supposed vampire's incest were deleted.

Lugosi made one bad career choice after another. He rejected the part of Frankenstein's monster, but more damaging were the parts he too often accepted: supporting roles or red-herring parts in murder mysteries when he should have been playing the actual menaceleads in "B" and "C" pictures, often serials. His poor judgment hurt him; each time a horror cycle ended, he was unable, unlike Boris Karloffto find employment.

His only appearance in an "A" picture after was a one-scene cameo in Ninotchka. In only a handful of films did Lugosi exhibit the passion and obsession that were the mark of his most successful characters.

Bela lugosi biography: Bela Lugosi sculpted our imagination of

Karloff's "mad" scientists were usually kindly, misguided, fatherly types whose attempts to aid humanity went awry. Lugosi's were monomaniacal, driven men who often labored all for love of or lust for a woman for example, in The RavenThe Corpse Vanishesand Voodoo Man. White Zombie and Murders in the Rue Morgue concern Lugosi's power over women; the loss of his wife and daughter spur Lugosi's revenge in The Black Cat and, for a change, a woman exerts hypnotic power over him in Invisible Ghost.

The equally obsessed Ygor—broken-necked, self-serving companion to Frankenstein's monster—was his other memorable creation, which displayed Lugosi's versatility but didn't help his bela lugosi biography. He was more and more frequently cast as servants—either imperious like his Dracula or uncouth like Ygor —in somebody else's horror film, usually to lend menace to the production or another recognizable name to the cast.

Wood cast him as the sage counselor in his very personal Glen or Glenda? Wood's dim awareness of Lugosi's power and presence bestowed on the actor's last works a certain ignominious nobility. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Ambrogio, Anthony " Lugosi, Bela. Ambrogio, Anthony "Lugosi, Bela.

January 8, Retrieved January 08, from Encyclopedia. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia. Los AngelesCalifornia. B ela pronounced BAY-la Lugosi is arguably one of the most famous immigrants in film history.

Although his career began on the stage in his native Hungary, he broke into bela lugosi biographies in the early s in America when he accepted the choice role of Count Dracula for Universal Studios. Lugosi often shared the screen with the highly respected actor Boris Karloff — in his many horror films throughout the s and into the s, but he eventually took roles in lesser-quality movies, a career move that would prove his downfall.

Per his will, Lugosi was buried in his Dracula cape. He never let go of his dream of becoming an actor, however, and he eventually landed a small role as a chorus boy in an operetta, an opera that is usually in the form of a romantic comedy with songs and dancing. Through sheer determination and painstaking study, he eventually won larger roles that allowed him to travel throughout Hungary.

Within a year, he had changed his name to Lugosi meaning "one from Lugos," his hometown and found himself in the desired position of leading actor in Hungary's Royal National Theatre. Lugosi's roles were diverse and numerous. He appeared in as many as forty productions in one year, thanks largely in part to his singing ability, which gave him unusual flexibility.

Lugosi had it all—good looks, acting ability, and vocal talent—and he used these qualities to his full advantage. His roles included Jesus Christ, Romeo, and a variety of others. In fact, it was his role as Romeo that brought him his greatest success at the time, and in he enjoyed unprecedented popularity in the capital city of Budapest.

Although his acting career occupied much of his time, Lugosi had firm political beliefs and was deeply committed to change. After the collapse of the Hungarian monarchy, or royalty, and during the establishment of a communist regime inLugosi worked tirelessly to organize an actors' union, an alliance of employees that works together to protect mutual benefits and rights.

Communism is an economic theory characterized by a classless society in which goods are distributed equally, as compared with capitalism, which allows for competition and privately owned companies. The leftists, or liberal radicals in this case, who fought and spoke out against communism, were defeated a year later, however. This prompted Lugosi to flee to Germany, where he made another eleven films.

InLugosi immigrated to America. In New York City, Lugosi established a Hungarian-language acting troupe and began to land character parts on stage and in films.