At the peak of his career in the early 30s, actor bela lugosi was the screens most notorious personification of evil. The ominous portrayal of count dracula by bela lugosi, combined with horror specialist director tod browning, help to create the films eerie mood. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the vampire dracula both in the 1926 play as well as the 1931 film by universal pictures. Oct 29, 20 the real sad part is that universal never made a sequel to this movie. Dracula, american horror film, released in 1931, that is considered one of the early classics of the genre. Jul 04, 2011 dracula 910 movie clip dracula and van helsing 1931 hd duration. Movie lore has it that bela lugosi could barely speak english when he was chosen by universal pictures to star in dracula 1931. Still struggling with the english language, however, he had to learn his lines phonetically. Having played the count in hamilton deanes broadway version of dracula, which started in 1927, bela lugosi was more than prepared for the role when it was time to commit it to film. A seductive vampire travels to london to feed on some of its residents. October 20, 1882august 16, 1956 is best known for his role in the stage and screen productions of dracula. Dracula was the film that turned lugosi into a horror film icon. The film stars bela lugosi as count dracula, a vampire who emigrates from transylvania to england and preys upon the blood of living victims, including a. Sep 27, 2019 dracula was released in 1931 and starred bela lugosi as dracula.
The film stars bela lugosi as count dracula, a vampire who emigrates from transylvania to england and preys upon the blood of living victims, including a young mans fiancee. It was the first authorized adaptation of bram stoker s novel dracula. Bela lugosi is dracula again in upcoming legendary comic book. Bela lugosi biography, movie highlights and photos allmovie. Bela lugosi returns as the vampire prince in new dracula. Universal studios still owned the rights to dracula, and not only refused permission for the. Feb 26, 2020 ever since dracula was first released in 1931, bela lugosi s incarnation of the infamous count has become the most iconic. Dracula the restored version although there have been numerous screen versions of bram stokers classic tale, none is more enduring than the 1931 original. Lugosi, the only child of actor bela lugosi, is the managing member of lugosi llc.
Bela lugosi is in my eyes the true king of horror mind you boris karloff would be my second picking. Oct 18, 2019 bela lugosi became known as the face of dracula after his iconic appearance as the famous vampire in the 1931 film adaptation of bram stokers classic novel. Karloff, seen frequently as frankensteins monster, and lugosi, ever the vampire, both had designs on being the premiere horror film star, filling the void left by the death of lon. The book is being published in partnership with the lugosi estate and kerry gammill, publisher of bela lugosis tales from the grave. Bela lugosi 20 october 1882 16 august 1956 was a hungarian actor born in lugoj, austria hungary in 1882.
Bela ferenc dezso blasko, known professionally as bela lugosi, was a hungarianamerican actor best remembered for portraying count dracula in the 1931 film and for his roles in other horror films. Top 10 bela lugosi movies classic horror film board. Bela lugosi 18821956, best known for the original screen portrayal of bram stoker s dracula in 1931, was in many movies during the course of his career. He sabotaged his own auditions, he destroyed his marriages, he wasted money faster than he could make it, and he spent the last 20 years of his life in the thrall of morphine addiction. The ancient vampire count dracula arrives in england and begins to prey upon the virtuous young mina. Mar 28, 2020 i have never met a vampire personally, but i dont know what might happen tomorrow. Bela lugosi has been immortalized by the 1979 bauhaus song bela lugosis dead. Oct 10, 2019 the book is being published in partnership with the lugosi estate and kerry gammill, publisher of bela lugosis tales from the grave. Lugosis portrayal of the titular vampire is one of the bestknown performances in horror movie history. But for all his memorable scary work on the screen, he had many demons in real life. See more ideas about horror films, classic horror movies. The boris karloff bela lugosi rivalry is well known to fans of classic horror movies, particularly the frankenstein and dracula franchises in the early talkie era. Unfortunately, it also typecast him as a villain, and though he had a prolific career. Bram stokers dracula starring bela lugosi is a collaboration between legendary, the lugosi estate, and kerry gammill.
Lon chaney had been scheduled to play the role, a wise casting decision after his success in the silent classics the hunchback of notre dame and the phantom of the opera. I got the universal monsters box set containing 8 of universals horror movies from the 30s and 40s. Dracula is a 1931 american precode vampire horror film directed by tod browning and starring bela lugosi as count dracula. After playing small parts on the stage in his native hungary, lugosi gained his first role in a film in 1917. I have seen many a horror film,but few have made me shiver as this one did. My 10 would be dracula murders in the rue morgue chandu the magician white zombie the black cat mark of the vampire the raven son of frankenstein th top 10 bela lugosi movies classic horror film board. Balderston, which in turn is adapted from the novel dracula by bram stoker. Bela lugosis timeless portrayal of dracula in this creepy and atmospheric 1931 film has set the standard for major. A biography of actor bela lugosi from his birth and early childhood in a small transylvania town to the years of glory after playing dracula. Dracula 910 movie clip dracula and van helsing 1931 hd. Lugosis father was known for portraying count dracula in 1931 movie classic. Dracula 910 movie clip dracula and van helsing 1931. Bela lugosi 18821956, best known for the original screen portrayal of bram stokers dracula in 1931, was in a large number of movies during the course of his career. He had to leave the country after the failed hungarian communist revolution of 1919 because of his socialist activism.
The creepy silence virtually throughout the movie,coupled with bela lugosis. During wwi, he volunteered and was commissioned as an infantry lieutenant, and was wounded three times. Especially one sexy dracula by the name of bela lugosi. Much like that of the vampire he brought to life, bela lugosi s story is a fascinating one. He is most widely identified with his title role in the movie dracula 1931. Watch bela lugosi the fallen vamp full movie free online. Lon chaney had been scheduled to play the role, a wise casting decision after his success in the silent classics the hunchback of. Ive had to watch this film downstairs and also sleep downstairs because its that scary. Bela ferenc dezso blasko was born in lugos, hungary, on october 20, 1882. Jun 16, 2011 despite the static nature of the final scenes, dracula is a classic among horror films, with bela lugosi giving the performance of a lifetime as the erudite count both lugosi and costar frye.
The voice, the clothes, the mannerisms, its all become part of pop culture. Bela lugosi as dracula, hand painted 1997 first day of issue, universal studios. Legendary stage and screen actor of the 1910s through 1950s. Dracula 910 movie clip dracula and van helsing 1931 hd duration. The 1931 universal film of dracula, with bela lugosis classic interpretation of the count, was the first version of dracula that i ever saw. Born bela ferenc dezso blasko in lugos, banat, austriahungary now lugoj, romania, he was the youngest of four children of a banker. Postal service with a commemorative postage stamp as part of a set of five stamps celebrating famous movie monsters issued on september 30, 1997. Produced by universal, the screenplay is based on the 1924 stage play dracula by hamilton deane and john l. The 1931 dracula, actually helped pull universal out of major financial disaster. The director of the film, tod browning, based the movie on bram stokers book of the same name, but universal studios made several changes to his literary work. Nov 10, 2018 bela lugosi born bela ferenc dezso blasko.
The film stars bela lugosi as count dracula, a vampire who emigrates from. Bela lugosi, the one they call count dracula duration. Despite the static nature of the final scenes, dracula is a classic among horror films, with bela lugosi giving the performance of a lifetime as the erudite count both lugosi and costar frye. Balderston, which in turn is adapted from the 1897 novel dracula by bram stoker. Dracula is a stage play written by the irish actor and playwright hamilton deane in 1924, then revised by the american writer john l. See more ideas about horror films, classic horror movies and dracula. Lugosi will always be the definitive version of dracula in my opinion and he didnt even need fangs because his looks and movements were creepy enough. Bela lugosi, dwight frye and edward van sloan star in this 1931 horror classic based on bram stokers novel. Van helsing edward van sloan squares off with dracula bela lugosi and scares him off by holding up a crucifix.
Dracula universal studios classic monster collection. Dracula, bela lugosi, classic movie monsters, nikirk. May 07, 2019 moviedoms archetypal dracula, bela lugosi will always be remembered as the father of horror movies. He acted in several films in weimar germany before arriving in the. The ancient vampire count dracula arrives in england and begins to prey.
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