Boris or Bela?

[RCMerchant]

Ok-everyone who's been on this forum for a while knows I love Lugosi movies-but who do you prefer
Lugosi or Karloff?
Certainly Karloff got the better roles in later life-and he was a great actor-I dont think Lugosi could have brought the empathy and pathos that Karloff gave to the Monster-Lugosi's forte was being just plain evil-he could do pathos-as in the BLACK CAT(1934),the PHANTOM SHIP (1939) and such-but Karloff-even his mad doctor roles-you sympathized with him-Lugosi-even when his murderous madness was somewhat justified-kinda-like in the DEVIL BAT(1942) took glee in his madness-he relished it-"YES! I like to torture!"-the RAVEN (1934). Thats why I like Bela-he took really awful pictures and gave a full blooded (no pun intended) performancce to every thing he did. The nuance he brought to DRACULA was nowhere to be seen in his hammy overblown acting in the PHANTOM CREEPS (1939)-but that serial needed overblown melodramatics-it was a serial meant for kids-fast paced and overblown-like a cartoon-and he made it fun.
And the same year he stole the show from Karloff in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN.

http://youtu.be/h0UY7irdFgw

[Rev. Powell]

Boris beats Bela... sorry.

http://youtu.be/xjtxN623-gI

[VenomX73]

I vote for Bela Lugosi.

[major jay]

I'm on the fence with this one.
But I do think Karloff could play an evil role just as well as Bela. For example, THE MASK OF FU MANCHU or THE BLACK CAT.

[JaseSF]

Boris is probably the better actor but Bela was a better showman. Seeing either of them in a film increases my interest in said film.

[Allhallowsday]

Ok-everyone who's been on this forum for a while knows I love Lugosi movies-but who do you prefer
Lugosi or Karloff?
Certainly Karloff got the better roles in later life-and he was a great actor-I dont think Lugosi could have brought the empathy and pathos that Karloff gave to the Monster-Lugosi's forte was being just plain evil-he could do pathos-as in the BLACK CAT(1934),the PHANTOM SHIP (1939) and such-but Karloff-even his mad doctor roles-you sympathized with him-Lugosi-even when his murderous madness was somewhat justified-kinda-like in the DEVIL BAT(1942) took glee in his madness-he relished it-"YES! I like to torture!"-the RAVEN (1934). Thats why I like Bela-he took really awful pictures and gave a full blooded (no pun intended) performancce to every thing he did. The nuance he brought to DRACULA was nowhere to be seen in his hammy overblown acting in the PHANTOM CREEPS (1939)-but that serial needed overblown melodramatics-it was a serial meant for kids-fast paced and overblown-like a cartoon-and he made it fun.
And the same year he stole the show from Karloff in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN.
http://youtu.be/h0UY7irdFgw

Don't dismiss your idol's performance in THE BLACK CAT too quickly.  It illustrates BELA LUGOSI's range, which was under used.  DRACULA was great (not really) but typecast him.  BORIS KARLOFF got parts that BELA, accented, did not. 

BORIS KARLOFF

[akiratubo]

Why choose?  I like 'em both!  I suppose if pressed, I'd have to go with Bela.  I've watched plenty of movies I knew would be horribly s**tty simply because Bela was in them.  I haven't done so for Boris.

I think it has do with Boris being more of a conventionally "good" actor than Bela.  There never was, nor will there ever be again, anything like Bela.

[dean]

Watched more with Bela. Like Boris, but Bela wins for me.

[Alex]

It have to vote for Bela, although I like both.

[Newt]

Hard choice, but for me it has to be Boris.  I'm just fond of him, I guess. 

[major jay]

I've watched plenty of movies I knew would be horribly s**tty simply because Bela was in them.  I haven't done so for Boris.

I haven't seen any of Boris's Mexican output, but I'm thinking it stinks just as bad as anything Bela let loose during his career.

[BoyScoutKevin]

I've watched plenty of movies I knew would be horribly s**tty simply because Bela was in them.  I haven't done so for Boris.

I haven't seen any of Boris's Mexican output, but I'm thinking it stinks just as bad as anything Bela let loose during his career.

Then sir, you are indeed fortunate. I've had the misfortune of watching Boris' 2nd to last film "Isle of the Snake People." Memorable for all the wrong reasons.

As to whether I prefer Boris or Bela, that's the same as asking me whether I like Chris or Pete the best. I like both pairings equally, since they complemented each other so well. Where, Pete, even at his worst always came across as warm and likable, Chris, even at his best, came across as cool and unlikable. The same could be said for Boris and Bela. Boris being the warm and likable one, and Bela being the cool and unlikable one. (IMHO)

[RCMerchant]

I've watched plenty of movies I knew would be horribly s**tty simply because Bela was in them.  I haven't done so for Boris.

I haven't seen any of Boris's Mexican output, but I'm thinking it stinks just as bad as anything Bela let loose during his career.

Then sir, you are indeed fortunate. I've had the misfortune of watching Boris' 2nd to last film "Isle of the Snake People." Memorable for all the wrong reasons.

As to whether I prefer Boris or Bela, that's the same as asking me whether I like Chris or Pete the best. I like both pairings equally, since they complemented each other so well. Where, Pete, even at his worst always came across as warm and likable, Chris, even at his best, came across as cool and unlikable. The same could be said for Boris and Bela. Boris being the warm and likable one, and Bela being the cool and unlikable one. (IMHO)

Ahh-as Hallows said-check out the BLACK CAT (1934)
Boris is the evil one-Bela is the (twisted!) hero!
In life-I float to Bela-he was an addict-so am I-I can relate.

One of the best horror scenes EVER-I still gives me the creepers-


https://youtu.be/7C9fBMnSuE0


edit-how did I f**k that one up-I dunno-but I managed....

[Rev. Powell]

I've watched plenty of movies I knew would be horribly s**tty simply because Bela was in them.  I haven't done so for Boris.

I haven't seen any of Boris's Mexican output, but I'm thinking it stinks just as bad as anything Bela let loose during his career.

Then sir, you are indeed fortunate. I've had the misfortune of watching Boris' 2nd to last film "Isle of the Snake People." Memorable for all the wrong reasons.

As to whether I prefer Boris or Bela, that's the same as asking me whether I like Chris or Pete the best. I like both pairings equally, since they complemented each other so well. Where, Pete, even at his worst always came across as warm and likable, Chris, even at his best, came across as cool and unlikable. The same could be said for Boris and Bela. Boris being the warm and likable one, and Bela being the cool and unlikable one. (IMHO)

Ahh-as Hallows said-check out the BLACK CAT (1934)
Boris is the evil one-Bela is the (twisted!) hero!
In life-I float to Bela-he was an addict-so am I-I can relate.

One of the best horror scenes EVER-I still gives me the creepers-


https://youtu.be/7C9fBMnSuE0


edit-how did I f**k that one up-I dunno-but I managed....

http://youtu.be/7C9fBMnSuE0

[telegonus]

I like both Boris and Bel. If I tend to be be more favorably inclined to the Great Karloff it's as much as matter of his living longer than Lugosi, being in better health longer, and having English as his first language. Every little bit helps. Bela was cursed by a huge ego, poor career choices, a more flamboyant style,--when running on all cycliners--in other words, he was the more theatrical of the two. Karloff really mastered the art  of acting for the csmera. Sad to say, Lugosi never did. He was a fine actor, though, but a totallly different type from the more versatile and physical Karloff.