Ask me anything...

[Trevor]

Was he good friends offscreen with Boris Karloff?

[RCMerchant]

i Believe they went on  a TV show-Red Skeleton-and they also did some ballyhoo for BRIDE OF THE MONSTER-and I know Tor and Bela did some ballyhoo for the BLACK SLEEP- and I have heard rumors that Vampira was in his funeral ride-but thats rumors.

(this is a reply to Raffine-but it got lost in the mix!)

[RCMerchant]

Was he good friends offscreen with Boris Karloff?

No. Not at all. Bela hung out with the Hungarian folks-Karloff played crickett with the English people.

[Rev. Powell]

If he was still alive today, would Lugosi put out a novelty rap single with Kanye West?

[RCMerchant]

Here's one: What was Bela doing when he first met Maila "Vampira" Murni in Horrorwood, Karloffornia?

(I only know 'cause I just re-read David Skal's THE MONSTER SHOW)

I love Skal's stuff- I have yet to read that book! If I'm wrong-please tell me! I talk to Frank Dello Stritto once in a while-but I'm not in the mainstream of 'experts" though I know just as much and find s**t they missed.

[RCMerchant]

If he was still alive today, would Lugosi put out a novelty rap single with Kanye West?

You know he would.

[Rev. Powell]

If he was still alive today, would Lugosi put out a novelty rap single with Kanye West?

You know he would.

Yeah, I knew it... but I wanted to hear it from YOU. 

[RCMerchant]

If he was still alive today, would Lugosi put out a novelty rap single with Kanye West?

You know he would.

Yeah, I knew it... but I wanted to hear it from YOU. 

Man-you read me like a book!
A weird book-but you get it!

[Raffine]

i Believe they went on  a TV show-Red Skeleton-and they also did some ballyhoo for BRIDE OF THE MONSTER-and I know Tor and Bela did some ballyhoo for the BLACK SLEEP- and I have heard rumors that Vampira was in his funeral ride-but thats rumors.

(this is a reply to Raffine-but it got lost in the mix!)

Yep, I think they first worked together on The Red Skelton Show (supposedly he was great, not like what was in that ED WOOD movie) but according to Vampira when she first ran into him accidently he was on the sidewalk roller skating to the cigar store! That must have been a sight!

Skal's book is interesting as a overview of horror from THE CABINET OF DR. CALGARI to the book-play-movie DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN all the way up to Dracula (James Woods!) on Saturday Night Live making his victim take an AIDS test.

He also covers the horror comics from the 50s and the monster fad of the 50s and 60s. He seems to really like the weird photos Dian Arbus was taking at the time.

Not a lot of details but it does a good job of cover the whole horror entertainment from the early folktales to the 1990s.



"A Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents" by Dian Arbus

The 'Jewsish Giant' is none other than Eddie Carmel, who played the "Thing in the Closet" in THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE!

[Alex]

What was his favouite film (not counting ones he was in)?

[indianasmith]

Did he have any pets?  What species?

[RCMerchant]

What was his favouite film (not counting ones he was in)?

Mickey Mouse cartoons. Not making this up.

[RCMerchant]

Did he have any pets?  What species?

Dogs. He loved dogs. He had German shepards and Dobermans at one time. He hated cats. I have pictures of him with his dogs.

[RCMerchant]

i Believe they went on  a TV show-Red Skeleton-and they also did some ballyhoo for BRIDE OF THE MONSTER-and I know Tor and Bela did some ballyhoo for the BLACK SLEEP- and I have heard rumors that Vampira was in his funeral ride-but thats rumors.

(this is a reply to Raffine-but it got lost in the mix!)

Yep, I think they first worked together on The Red Skelton Show (supposedly he was great, not like what was in that ED WOOD movie) but according to Vampira when she first ran into him accidently he was on the sidewalk roller skating to the cigar store! That must have been a sight!

Skal's book is interesting as a overview of horror from THE CABINET OF DR. CALGARI to the book-play-movie DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN all the way up to Dracula (James Woods!) on Saturday Night Live making his victim take an AIDS test.

He also covers the horror comics from the 50s and the monster fad of the 50s and 60s. He seems to really like the weird photos Dian Arbus was taking at the time.

Not a lot of details but it does a good job of cover the whole horror entertainment from the early folktales to the 1990s.



"A Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents" by Dian Arbus

The 'Jewsish Giant' is none other than Eddie Carmel, who played the "Thing in the Closet" in THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE!

The ED WOOD movie-a great film-was nowhere near accurate. At the time he worked with Ed--it doesn't mention he was married to Hope, and he didn't swear around women-or anybody else. He was very much the Europeon gentleman. He was a lady's man,though, and was known to put the moves on actresses he worked with.

[RCMerchant]

[

Did he have any pets?  What species?

I went on my Tumblr-yep- I found the pictures. He was actually offered to star in a series of films in England-turned it down-because he couldn't take his dogs.