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Badmovies.org Forum  |  Movies  |  Good Movies  |  Happy 125th Birthday!- BELA LUGOSI « previous next »
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Author Topic: Happy 125th Birthday!- BELA LUGOSI  (Read 9755 times)
RCMerchant
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« on: October 17, 2007, 09:55:30 PM »

     
       

    Coming the 20th of this month...Bela Lugosi is 125 years old. I say IS because, for me, he is not dead.

    There are many reasons why I admire this man.  Many say he was a ham, a junkie, an alchoholic. Maybe so. But he was also a very intelligent, human , and talented individual.  Not many people realize, he did over 30 films ,in Europe and America, before he appeared in 1931's DRACULA. He was a romantic lead on stage in Hungary, played opposite Conrad Veidt in the lost DER JANUSKOPH in 1920,directed by FW Murnau( a version of Dr.Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde!!!), and on stage portrayed everyone from Romeo to Jesus Christ.
      As an actor...I just enjoy his films. Good,bad,ugly-they are all worthwhile just because he has a charisma of a star. He steals every scene,and always makes the worst of films watchable.
     As a human being-he was a brave and hard working man. Into his seventies-wracked by ill health and personal tradgdy, he still was out there...making personal appearances and films.
     I salute my favorite actor and a personal hero...Bela Lugosi.

      [youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ2ObnoXLpY

   In the coming days, I am going to add on to this thread, which will incluude quotes about Bela from his fellow actors,family and freinds. Plus a rare  Biographical questionare transcript from Imperial Cameo Pictures Co. he filled out whiile making the film MURDER by TELEVISION which contains some really cool and interesting info about the Master of Mystery by the man himself!

       LUGOSI LIVES ETERNAL!!!

    Bela and Ed Wood around Christmas time.

       

    Nice color photo from the Chicago Cun-Times from 1941

     

      Having tea  with Boris and Basil on the set of SON of FRANKENSTEIN


     


« Last Edit: October 17, 2007, 09:59:08 PM by RCMerchant » Logged

"Supernatural?...perhaps. Baloney?...Perhaps not!" Bela Lugosi-the BLACK CAT (1934)
Interviewer-"Does Dracula ever end for you?
Lugosi-"No. Dracula-never ends."

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indianasmith
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« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2007, 10:06:04 PM »

A big Bela Birthday Karma to you, RC!!!  Keep the flame burning!
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« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2007, 10:10:35 PM »

Thanks for posting. I had no idea it is near his brithday. It  seems a little Ironic for Bela's birthday to be so near to halloween.I entirely agree with you by saying that any film from Bride of the Monster to Dracula are enjoyable due to his charisma on screen. And despite all the drugs, or alcohol he ingested, he still acted his best in any film. He will forever live on as he did in Plan 9 from Outer Space. And thanks for the intersting photos of him behind the scenes.
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« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2007, 10:28:14 PM »

Hooray!  He and I share the same birthday (and he was born 100 years before me give or take a few hours or minutes I suppose).  I'm afraid to say that I've only seen Dracula, and it was pretty recently, but Lugosi was great and I really want to see more of his work.  I also share the same birthplace (and I currently reside there) with Tod Browning, so uh, those are my two loose ties to Dracula.   Drink
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RCMerchant
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« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2007, 10:59:08 PM »

Hooray!  He and I share the same birthday (and he was born 100 years before me give or take a few hours or minutes I suppose).  I'm afraid to say that I've only seen Dracula, and it was pretty recently, but Lugosi was great and I really want to see more of his work.  I also share the same birthplace (and I currently reside there) with Tod Browning, so uh, those are my two loose ties to Dracula.   Drink


 Only DRACULA? Then I highly rcommend these fine films...

 .WHITE ZOMBIE-A classic of mood and imagery...DRACULA pales in comparison!
 . the  RAVEN (1934)
 .His classic portrayal as the Original Ygor in SON of FRANKENSTEIN!!!! (Believe it or not...he steals the show from Karloff and Basil Rathbone! No mean feat! And that ain't just the Bela fan in me talkin'!
 .Ed Woods BRIDE of the MONSTER!!!!!!!!!
     

   Bela as YGOR!!!!

  [youtube=425,350]
Small | Large


 And Happy Birthday to you as well!!!
 
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"Supernatural?...perhaps. Baloney?...Perhaps not!" Bela Lugosi-the BLACK CAT (1934)
Interviewer-"Does Dracula ever end for you?
Lugosi-"No. Dracula-never ends."

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frank
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« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2007, 11:18:50 AM »


Happy Birthday, Mr. Lugosi! Congratulations to and deep gratitude for an impressive life´s work.

The significance of his career was lastly recognized by the appearances of numerous well known personalities from the showbiz at his funeral, of course along with the not-so-well-known colleagues from various Ed Wood movies. Anyway, this must have been an event he might have enjoyed, including all the stories about it, which might or might not be true. At his own request, he was buried in his Count Dracula costume, leading to the suggestion to “put a stake through his heart, just in any case” by ether Vincent Price or Peter Lorre (Hungary definitely is a good breeding ground for a certain type of actors). I so much would like to have a little peek at the list of the names in the condolence register, which supposedly was auctioned for $ 11,000. The funeral itself is said to be paid for by no one less than Frank Sinatra (or by two of his five former wives, I actually don´t know which is more impressive)….

They just don’t make stories like this anymore. A well deserved tribute to one of the grandest.
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RCMerchant
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« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2007, 06:19:45 PM »

 According to LUGOSI by Gary Don Rhodes (who is a dedicated researcher and once editor of the 'zine the Films of Bela Lugosi) :
 
  "Lugosi's funeral was a rather small affair,attracting only a few notables like Zoltan Korda. Ed Wood and his cohorts attended; Forrest J. Ackerman and Don Marlowe ( his agent -RCM) were also among the hundred or so freinds. Such close compainions as Micheal Spencer and Richard Sheffield acted as pallbearers.
    (One) story insists that as Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre passed Lugosi's body at the funeral,the latter joked " Come now Bela you're putting us on." Though a colorful story,it is also untrue. Neither attended the services."

      Bela once said "I became Dracula's puppet. The shadowy figure of Dracula-more than casting office-dictated the kind of parts I played." He was indeed buried in full Dracula regalia...at his own request.

   Here are a few personal memories of  Bela by some of his freinds and co-workers, that I have culled from various books and mags...

   

  JOHN CARRIDINE: "The English critics said I was the best Draculawhich was very nice considering that I had been preceded by Bela Lugosi,who did a hell of a job. He was a charming man and a hell of an actor. He used to come to the set with a bottle of claret,which he supped at a little bit all day long. He never got drunk,never lost a line ,never lost his tempoor his accent,which was native to him."

 

 MAILA (Vampira) NURMI: "I worked with him a number of times and we were freinds,I think. No human I ever met has made me feel so regal and precious. He was a gentleman of infinete dignity and refinement. His last days were tragic. He was too dignified a person to "milking" sympathy. And he got no sympathy...only smears and jeers. I'd say Bela was a victum of Ed Wood ,society,and himself. Bela was very sick and would crawl out of his deathbed, at the last,to tub thump Ed Wood movies,only to be insulted by a public who had been poisened by a smear campaign."


  ANGELO ROSSITTO: "Lugosi said to me"Angelo,you are my greatest free advertisment. When they see you, they've got to say to themselves " Theres the little guy who works with the monster." He even told his son,the lawyer, to come visit me after he died. Lugosi was a sweetheart of a guy,and he loved me."

  Bela Lugosi Jr:

[youtube=425,350]
Small | Large


 Martin Landau:

 [youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY6cdOmDsuI

 

   
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"Supernatural?...perhaps. Baloney?...Perhaps not!" Bela Lugosi-the BLACK CAT (1934)
Interviewer-"Does Dracula ever end for you?
Lugosi-"No. Dracula-never ends."

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https://www.tumblr.com/ronmerchant
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« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2007, 09:13:36 PM »

Bela starred in over 100 movies, dating back to silent days.  The man loved to work!  I've seen DRACULA, WHITE ZOMBIE, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, THE BLACK CAT (1934), THE RAVEN, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE DEVIL BAT, THE APE MAN, THE BODY SNATCHER, GLEN OR GLENDA, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER and PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE.  I enjoyed all except THE DEVIL BAT and THE APE MAN, and even in those losers there was some fun to be had in watching Lugosi.  Seeing Bela in a horror movie is like seeing an old friend at a party; even if it's a dull party, you still enjoy catching up with him.
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Allhallowsday
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« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2007, 09:52:29 PM »

Thanks for the clip, "Bela," of BELA's son, who discusses his father's addiction, and his admirable bravery turning himself in and finding a cure.  Long before the days of rehab damage control.  A gentleman, a huge talent, an original movie star, who, yes, had a tragic end, but centuries may pass before BELA is forgotten.  How many of us could claim that?  When people stop watching movies, BELA will no longer be remembered !!! BELA !!!   Thumbup Thumbup Thumbup
« Last Edit: October 18, 2007, 10:02:15 PM by Allhallowsday » Logged

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« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2007, 03:38:14 AM »


Probably this birthday is a good opportunity to pick up some reading on his life and times. Gary Rhodes' "Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers" had a new print run in 2006 and is available at a reasonable price in my local bookstore (the older editions start at around 100 bucks in the online second hand stores, can't afford that). Overall, books about him are quite rare over here, which is a shame, especially considering the 125th anniversary.

I think I will go for Rhodes' book, unless someone has a better recommendation.
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RCMerchant
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« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2007, 05:51:44 AM »


Probably this birthday is a good opportunity to pick up some reading on his life and times. Gary Rhodes' "Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers" had a new print run in 2006 and is available at a reasonable price in my local bookstore (the older editions start at around 100 bucks in the online second hand stores, can't afford that). Overall, books about him are quite rare over here, which is a shame, especially considering the 125th anniversary.

I think I will go for Rhodes' book, unless someone has a better recommendation.

 It's an EXCELLENT book!  Thumbup I bought it from McFarland Books in it's first run-a nice hardback with a red cover and images of Bela on front and back.  In fact, the majority of the information  I wrote in this thread I got from this exact book!  It cost me $44 about 3 years back.  ( A hundred bucks! Wow...!)
 If you can find a copy....Richard Cremers-LUGOSI: the MAN BEHIND the CAPE. I owned a copy back in the 70's....cost and arm and a leg for one on Ebay-if you can even locate one!
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"Supernatural?...perhaps. Baloney?...Perhaps not!" Bela Lugosi-the BLACK CAT (1934)
Interviewer-"Does Dracula ever end for you?
Lugosi-"No. Dracula-never ends."

Slobber, Drool, Drip!
https://www.tumblr.com/ronmerchant
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« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2007, 06:17:51 AM »

Happy ealy 125th to Bela! Where ever he may be....  Smile
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