Bela Lugosi1931 film poster, promoting Bela Lugosi's genre-defining turn as Dracula.Béla Lugosi was the stage name of actor Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (October 20, 1882–August 16, 1956). He was born in Lugos, Transylvania, Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), the youngest of four children of a banker. Lugosi started his acting career on the stage in Europe in several Shakespearean plays. He however, became most notably known for his portrayal of Dracula in a stage production of Bram Stoker's classic vampire story. During World War I he served as an infantry lieutenant for the Central Powers. He left from his native Hungary for Germany in 1919 after persecution following his complicity in the forming of an actor's union, and emigrated to the United States in 1921. He was most famous for his title role in Tod Browning's Dracula (1931) (building on the stage role). The film was a success, but Lugosi was typecast as a horror heavy with such movies as White Zombie and Scared to Death. He declined an offer to appear as The Monster in Frankenstein but made an impression as the insane Ygor in two sequels, Son of Frankenstein and Ghost of Frankenstein before finally consenting to play the creature in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. He also had a small role in the comedy classic Ninotchka opposite Greta Garbo. Several films, such as The Black Cat and the aforementioned Son of Frankenstein paired Lugosi with his chief rival in the realm of horror movies, Boris Karloff. Lugosi's attitude towards Karloff is the subject of contradictory reports, some claiming he was openly resentful of Karloff's long-term success and ability to get good roles beyond the horror arena, while others suggested the two actors were - for a time at least - good friends. Later on, the acting jobs dried up and he became addicted to morphine, though he did get to recreate the role of Dracula one last time for the film Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein in 1948. Late in his life, he again got to star in movies, albeit lousy ones. Ed Wood, a long-time fan of Lugosi's, offered him numerous roles in his films, always playing some variant of a mad scientist/vampire type, even in movies — such as Glen or Glenda — in which such a role made no sense. The biographical film Ed Wood, by Tim Burton, portrayed Wood's relationship with Lugosi, who was played by Martin Landau. Because Lugosi appeared in B-Movies, he was featured in several episodes of the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, most notably, Bride of the Monster. He died of a heart attack, aged 73, in Los Angeles, California, while sitting in a chair. The script for Final Curtain, written by Ed Wood, was in his lap. (The role was later given to Kenne Duncan, and the shots of that production made their way into Wood's Night of the Ghouls, a sequel of sorts to Wood's previous Lugosi films.) One of Lugosi's most infamous roles was in a movie that was released after he was dead. Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space featured footage of Lugosi interspersed with a double who looked nothing like him. Wood had had great difficulty in financing the project, and was only able to shoot short, silent scenes that he planned to incorporate into the whole of the film once he had found the remainder of his funding. However, Lugosi died three years before the funding came through (from the Baptist Church of Beverly Hills, no less). Wood hired his wife's chiropractor to double for Lugosi, who is easily spotted by the fact that
Contrary to Burton's Ed Wood, Lugosi did not receive top billing for Plan 9. Instead he was listed as a guest-star, below Tor Johnson, Vampira and Kenne Duncan. He was also the subject of a song by gothic rock band Bauhaus entitled "Bela Lugosi's Dead". Truth being stranger than fiction sometimes, Bela Lugosi was buried in his full Dracula costume, as per the request in his will, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. This page about Bela Lugosi includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Bela Lugosi News stories about Bela Lugosi External links for Bela Lugosi Videos for Bela Lugosi Wikis about Bela Lugosi Discussion Groups about Bela Lugosi Blogs about Bela Lugosi Images of Bela Lugosi |
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Truth being stranger than fiction sometimes, Bela Lugosi was buried in his full Dracula costume, as per the request in his will, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Eddie Murphy's older brother, Charlie Murphy, is also an actor, best known recently for his appearances on Chappelle's Show. He was also the subject of a song by gothic rock band Bauhaus entitled "Bela Lugosi's Dead". Murphy claimed that he had just been driving through and she asked him for a ride home. Instead he was listed as a guest-star, below Tor Johnson, Vampira and Kenne Duncan. In 1997 a police officer stopped Murphy and found a transvestite prostitute in the passenger's seat. Contrary to Burton's Ed Wood, Lugosi did not receive top billing for Plan 9. Murphy was also a one-hit wonder in the 1980s with the single "Party All the Time". Wood hired his wife's chiropractor to double for Lugosi, who is easily spotted by the fact that. Doolitle, Shrek, Bowfinger). However, Lugosi died three years before the funding came through (from the Baptist Church of Beverly Hills, no less). His record since then has been hit and miss, with several big flops (Holy Man, Pluto Nash) and some hits (Dr. Wood had had great difficulty in financing the project, and was only able to shoot short, silent scenes that he planned to incorporate into the whole of the film once he had found the remainder of his funding. Murphy's career continued to slide until 1996, when he would make his comeback in comedies, starting with The Nutty Professor. Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space featured footage of Lugosi interspersed with a double who looked nothing like him. Richard Pryor had nothing good to say about the film or the star, which stunned Murphy, who had considered Pryor an idol. One of Lugosi's most infamous roles was in a movie that was released after he was dead. Harlem Nights was savaged not only by the critics, but also by several of the actors in the film. (The role was later given to Kenne Duncan, and the shots of that production made their way into Wood's Night of the Ghouls, a sequel of sorts to Wood's previous Lugosi films.). However, in the late 80's and early 90's, Murphy's fame was fading via a series of poor sequels, drab comedies, and ego-driven vehicles that the public avoided in droves. The script for Final Curtain, written by Ed Wood, was in his lap. He made vicious comments about gays and AIDS during his 80's standup routines, so vicious that some years later he apologized for the remarks. He died of a heart attack, aged 73, in Los Angeles, California, while sitting in a chair. His early comedy was racy, akin to Richard Pryor, whom Murphy says was the one "that wanted [him] to get into comedy." Characterized by excessive swearing and making fun of gays, singers, and others, Murphy became, in a sense, the Pryor of the 1980s. Because Lugosi appeared in B-Movies, he was featured in several episodes of the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, most notably, Bride of the Monster. A perfect example of this is The Nutty Professor, a remake of the Jerry Lewis classic in which Murphy plays several members of the Klump family as well as Sherman Klump's arrogant alter ego, Buddy Love. The biographical film Ed Wood, by Tim Burton, portrayed Wood's relationship with Lugosi, who was played by Martin Landau. In many of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character. Ed Wood, a long-time fan of Lugosi's, offered him numerous roles in his films, always playing some variant of a mad scientist/vampire type, even in movies — such as Glen or Glenda — in which such a role made no sense. He is a versatile voice actor and voiced the donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon in Disney's Mulan. Late in his life, he again got to star in movies, albeit lousy ones. Murphy later starred in many comedies including the Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places and Coming to America. Later on, the acting jobs dried up and he became addicted to morphine, though he did get to recreate the role of Dracula one last time for the film Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein in 1948. His characters include a parody of Buckwheat from the Little Rascals and of Fred Rogers. Lugosi's attitude towards Karloff is the subject of contradictory reports, some claiming he was openly resentful of Karloff's long-term success and ability to get good roles beyond the horror arena, while others suggested the two actors were - for a time at least - good friends. Murphy began his comedy career at the young age of 19, as a performer on NBC's Saturday Night Live television show. Several films, such as The Black Cat and the aforementioned Son of Frankenstein paired Lugosi with his chief rival in the realm of horror movies, Boris Karloff. Eddie Murphy (born Easter Monday April 3, 1961, Brooklyn, New York) is an African-American comedian and actor. He also had a small role in the comedy classic Ninotchka opposite Greta Garbo. Shrek 2, 2004, Donkey (voice). He declined an offer to appear as The Monster in Frankenstein but made an impression as the insane Ygor in two sequels, Son of Frankenstein and Ghost of Frankenstein before finally consenting to play the creature in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. The Haunted Mansion, 2003, Jim Evers. The film was a success, but Lugosi was typecast as a horror heavy with such movies as White Zombie and Scared to Death. Daddy Day Care, 2003, Charlie Hinton. He was most famous for his title role in Tod Browning's Dracula (1931) (building on the stage role). Showtime, 2002, Trey Sellars. He left from his native Hungary for Germany in 1919 after persecution following his complicity in the forming of an actor's union, and emigrated to the United States in 1921. I Spy, 2002, Kelly Robinson. During World War I he served as an infantry lieutenant for the Central Powers. The Adventures of Pluto Nash, 2002, Pluto Nash. He however, became most notably known for his portrayal of Dracula in a stage production of Bram Stoker's classic vampire story. Shrek, 2001, Donkey (voice). Lugosi started his acting career on the stage in Europe in several Shakespearean plays. Dolittle. He was born in Lugos, Transylvania, Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), the youngest of four children of a banker. Dolittle 2, 2001, Dr. Béla Lugosi was the stage name of actor Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (October 20, 1882–August 16, 1956). Dr. He covers his face with his cape in every shot. The Klumps, 2000, Sherman Klump/Buddy Love/Grandma Klump/Mama Klump/Papa Klump/Young Papa Klump/Ernie Klump/Lance Perkins. He looks nothing like Lugosi. Nutty Professor II. Life, 1999, Ray Gibson. Bowfinger, 1999, Kit Ramsey/Jeff Ramsey. Mulan, 1998, Mushu (voice). John Dolittle. Dolittle, 1998, Dr. Dr. Metro, 1997, Scott Roper. The Nutty Professor, 1996, Sherman Klump/Buddy Love/Lance Perkins/Papa Klump/Mama Klump/Grandma Klump/Ernie Klump. Vampire in Brooklyn, 1995, Maximillian/Father Pauley/Guido. Beverly Hills Cop III, 1994, Axel Foley. The Distinguished Gentleman, 1992, Thomas Jefferson Johnson. Boomerang, 1992, Marcus Graham. Another 48 Hrs., 1990, Reggie Hammond. Harlem Nights, 1989, Quick. Coming to America, 1988, Prince Akeem/Clarence/Saul/Randy Watson. Eddie Murphy Raw, 1987, Eddie Murphy. Beverly Hills Cop II, 1987, Axel Foley. The Golden Child, 1986, Chandler Jarrell. Beverly Hills Cop, 1984, Axel Foley. Best Defense, 1984, Landry. Eddie Murphy Delirious, 1983, Eddie Murphy. Trading Places, 1983, Billy Ray Valentine. 48 Hrs., 1982, Reggie Hammond. |