Cool LUGOSI find!!!!

[RCMerchant]

I found this for sale on ebay-
( I posted this in the BAD MOVIES section...because I'm not sure where else to post theater stuff.)


It's a playbill for a local stage production of DRACULA-at St.Micheal's Playhouse at St.Micheal's Collage in Winooski Park Vermont. July 4-8,1950.
 So whut,you say?
Well...I have a copy of Gary Don Rhodes exhaustive book-LUGOSI...and it includes sections listing all his stage,vaudville and personal appearances.
This one is not among them!!!
Mr.Rhodes states that many of his stage appearences were not documented...thus hard to pinpoint-well,here's a rediscovered one!   



I did a imdb search on the cast. No real hits. More than likely the theaters stock players.

In March of 1950,Lugosi is thought to have been on a vaudville production in Torrington State Theater in Torrington,Connecticut.
In fact,much of his time in 1950 was spent working the East coast,so it fits in pretty well.

Being a Lugosiphile,this kinda stuff gets me all excited!
(And I am bidding on it!  )

[Raffine]

That is extremely cool, RC. The cast list looks like this was a production of the original Deane-Balderston Broadway version (no Mina - Mina and Lucy were combined into one character).

I wonder if Bela was in the 'next week' production of Arsenic and Old Lach, er Lace.  I know he took over the part of Jonathan Brewster from Karloff on Broadway. I always wondered if they changed the line "He looks just like Boris Karloff!" when Bela played the part.

Good luck on the bidding!

[RCMerchant]

That is extremely cool, RC. The cast list looks like this was a production of the original Deane-Balderston Broadway version (no Mina - Mina and Lucy were combined into one character).

I wonder if Bela was in the 'next week' production of Arsenic and Old Lach, er Lace.  I know he took over the part of Jonathan Brewster from Karloff on Broadway. I always wondered if they changed the line "He looks just like Boris Karloff!" when Bela played the part.

Good luck on the bidding!

The producer of ARSENIC and OLD LACE,Joseph Blumenfield, when he first approached Bela for the part of Johnatan Brewster,was refused. But he doctored the script so that the famous line was indeed changed to-"And he looks like Bela Lugosi!". It opened for the first time at the Tivoli Theater on Aug.5,1943 in San Francisco.

Another unusual item for sale on ebay was this photo of JAMES WHALE,BELA LUGOSI, and Carl Lammele.



Now...what I am curious of....was this photo taken around the time Lugosi was still being tested for the role of the Monster in FRANKENSTEIN??? If so...WOW. Unfortunatly...bidding was starting at 25.00...so...

[Raffine]

That almost looks like Ed Wood sitting on the couch with Papa Lammele! 


That photo is interensting since Bela was supposedly out of FRANKENSTEIN by the time Whale came on board.  Judging by Whale's dark hair and Bela's appearance it does look like it was made very early in the 30s.

[RCMerchant]

An ad in Classic Film Collector magazine in 1970 reads as thus-
' Bela Lugosi-For Sale:Screen test Bela Lugosi made for the original Frankenstein. 35mm sound,running time 21 minutes;same scene is shown twice with change in lighting,etc.Between scenes camera was left running andCarl Lammle,James Whale,Colin Clive,and Lugosi can be seen and heard discussing test and wardrobe Lugosi is wearing. Film can be examinedand screened before purchase is made. Price:$4000. Don Marlow. Hollywood Calif. 90028.'
 It's rumored that Carl Lammle Jr. purchased it for $3,500. But it is just that...a rumour.


An excerpt from Rhodes Lugosi book,in regards to the possibility of a Whale test footage with Lugosi in the part...
"Any pressure from Universal to use their Dracula might have been allayed from the director and the Hungarian's mutual desire that the actor not appear.Yet,obviously Whale choose to shoot numerous tests to insure the appropriateness of his actors and actresses,as can be seen in his letter's mention of Mae Clarke. A second test-under Whales supervision-could have easily been filmed."

But it is still speculation,of course.

Nevertheless...it's still an interesting  picture...and things like this keep me fascinated and to try and search for more lost Lugosi lore. 

[The Burgomaster]

This is almost as cool as something I saw years ago driving through a small town in either Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire (I can't remember which).  I drove past a small, local theater (I think it was inside a refurbished barn).  The sign out front said they were presenting a play - - THE ODD COUPLE - - starring - - yikes - - Fannie Flagg and Betty White!