The Life of Bela Lugosi: Hollywood's Most Iconic Dracula

When thinking of old Hollywood classic horror movies, the image of Bela Lugosi as Dracula in Tod Browning's 1931 film is one of the most iconic and well-recognized. Bela Lugosi starred in other films and productions, often portraying mad scientists and macabre villains, but since he gained notoriety for his role as Dracula it was fitting that he chose to be buried in his full vampire costume. Bela Lugosi's ominous appearance, his ability to personify evil, and his thick Hungarian accent are just a part of the reason why his portrayal of Dracula is among the most beloved and sophisticated among horror movie fans.

Born named Be'la Ferenc Dezso Blasko on October 20, 1882 in a town called Lugos, he was the youngest of the four children in his Hungarian family. He left home at the young age of twelve in hopes of finding acting work. He eventually found acting jobs and toured with the National Theater of Budapest before volunteering to serve during World War I. After the Hungarian Revolution Bela Lugosi fled to Germany for several years before moving to the United States in 1921. Being unable to speak English didn't stop Bela from pursuing acting roles and he was very well-received in the play "The Red Poppy" in 1922. At the time, most people were unaware that he had memorized his lines, still unable to speak fluent English. Bela Lugosi was cast in a Broadway production of "Dracula" in 1927, a show which enjoyed at least 500 performances over three years. After moving to Hollywood, he had a three-day marriage to Beatrice Weeks in 1929. Divorce papers linked Bela romantically to Hollywood star Clara Bow. He received his big break when he was offered the lead role in Tod Browning's film adaption of "Dracula," the role which made him a horror film icon. Originally the role was meant for another horror movie legend, Lon Chaney Sr., but at that time Chaney was ill with cancer and the studio was uneasy about Bela Lugosi's abilities in film. The risk paid off and Bela Lugosi became internationally known for his performance as Dracula. After the success of "Dracula," Bela became typecast as a horror movie villain. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s Bela starred in several other horror films, some of which also featured Boris Karloff and one role which was even a parody of his vampire character in "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." His future roles were mainly in B-movies and other low budget films.

Towards the end of his life, Bela was known for bizarre public behavior, like wearing his Dracula cape in public, as well as his problems with money and drug addiction. He had been taking morphine to treat leg pain which lead to his addiction to that drug. His morphine addiction was replaced by one to methadone, which was meant to treat the morphine addiction. Bela Lugosi died on August 15, 1956 of a heart attack.

Sources:
Bela Lugosi Biography on Yahoo! Movies
Official Bela Lugosi Website