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Old 31st December 2014, 12:33 PM
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Default Bela Lugosi

Bela Lugosi splits horror fans down the middle it's a love or hate relationship in my eyes from people who think he can't act he is only Dracula he's no Karloff and so on and then there are the people like me who love everything he has done from Dracula to his Ed Wood movies and everything in between.

I'd like to use this thread to talk about the career and my love of all things Lugosi from his early stage work in Europe all the way through his rise and fall.

I will also be reviewing as many if his films as I can get a hold of so reviews will be up each time I receive one I am missing.
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Old 31st December 2014, 12:51 PM
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Sounds interesting Nordy.

I look forward to what you come up with. It may make me think twice about Bela as i'm one of those who thinks he's a one trick pony.
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Old 31st December 2014, 12:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs View Post
Sounds interesting Nordy.

I look forward to what you come up with. It may make me think twice about Bela as i'm one of those who thinks he's a one trick pony.
Cheers Dem if I can just reach one person my job is done
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Old 31st December 2014, 01:58 PM
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Default chump chimp

ahem

Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla [DVD] [1952] (18).jpgBela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla [DVD] [1952] (22).jpg
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Old 31st December 2014, 03:49 PM
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My fav film with Lugosi as one of the main characters is without a doubt The Black Cat (1934). He was also great in Island of Lost Souls despite his very small part.
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Old 31st December 2014, 03:49 PM
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I thought he was excellent as Ygor in both 'Son of Frankenstein' (1939) and 'Ghost of Frankenstein' (1942).
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Old 31st December 2014, 03:57 PM
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He was outstanding as Ygor he was so menacing and you believed in the fear the towns people had of him.
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Old 31st December 2014, 04:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Buboven View Post
My fav film with Lugosi as one of the main characters is without a doubt The Black Cat (1934). He was also great in Island of Lost Souls despite his very small part.
This is one of the reasons I love him as an actor even in a small role like Island Of Lost Souls he is 100% committed and puts everything into the role. He could of just taken the pay cheque and just went through the motions but you can see it in his eyes he was going to be the stand out performance when ever he was in front of the camera.
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Old 1st January 2015, 12:29 PM
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Bela Lugosi was born in Hungary in 1882 ironically only 50 miles from Transylvania. By age 12 he had decided to run away from home with only the few odd jobs he could get and the kindness of people to feed and give him a bed for the night. Finally coming to rest in the town of Resita more than 300 miles from his home town he started working in the mines just to survive. Bela became fascinated with touring theatrical troupes that often came through town and set his heart and becoming a stage actor.

In 1897 Bela returned to live with his mother and sister but would not settle for long. After a failed attempt to return to school and also failing to settle in any jobs he could find Belas brother in law managed to find him a place in a travelling theatre company as part of the chorus. Bela displayed great talent and his time in at the back of the chorus were very short lived and leading roles soon came flooding in.

Bela was accepted into the Hungary's Academy of Performing Arts and his skill was in Shakespearean roles. With impressive roles in Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Richard III Bela joined the Hungarian National Theatre in Budapest where more Shakespearean roles followed.

When World War 1 broke out Bela answered the call of Hungary to fight Russia Bela was discharged in 1916. He returned back to Hungary and picked up where he left off before the war broke out and took on the role of Jesus in the Passion. It was only a matter of time before Bela would make the transition from stage to silent film roles and he started the worlds first actors trade union.

In 1919 the Hungarian revolution broke out in which Bela took part but when it failed Bela fled to Germany where during a short stay his acting roles continued to come thick and fast but Bela was still restless and set his mind to America. In 1920 Bela set sail for New Orleans and from there his travels took him to New York. In his first few years in America he acted and directed some Hungarian productions before moving on to American silent films. Bela still had not mastered the English language but being the era of silent film this was not an obstacle. His first American film was Silent Command in 1923.


Bela_Lugosi_18.jpg f6b585dcb25794b50702b6e1795db5a9.jpg bela-lugosi-world-war-i.jpg tumblr_m824hqecLV1rnhrpgo1_500.jpg the-silent-command-8.jpg midnightGirl-passport.jpg

Last two pictures are from Silent Command and The Midnight Girl his first American films.
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Old 1st January 2015, 02:24 PM
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I remember him most from Scared to Death.

Everytime he kills a person, he looks like catching a rabbit. Hilarious. But obviously, this is one of his later, cheaper movies.

Nice idea and interesting introduction, Nordicdusk !
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