Happy Birthday Bela!

Bela Lugosi was born 124 years ago today in Lugos, Hungary.

Born with the name Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó on October 20, 1882. He was the youngest of four children.

He started his acting career on the stage in Hungary in several Shakespearean plays and other major roles, and also appeared in several silent films of the Cinema of Hungary under the stage name Arisztid Olt. During World War I, he served as an infantry lieutenant in the Austro-Hungarian army.

Lugosi emigrated to the United States in 1921, and on June 26, 1931 became a naturalized citizen.

On arrival in the US Lugosi worked for some time as a laborer, then returned to the theater within the Hungarian-American community. He was spotted there and approached to star in a play adapted by John L. Balderston from Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. The production was very successful. Despite his excellent notices in the title role, Lugosi had to campaign vigorously for the chance to repeat his stage success in Tod Browning's movie version of "Dracula" (1931), produced by Universal Pictures. Following the success of "Dracula," Lugosi received a studio contract with Universal.

In the mid-1930s. Universal changed management, and per a British ban on horror films, dropped them from their production schedule. Lugosi found himself consigned, to Universal's non-horror B-film unit, at times in small roles where he was obviously used for "name value" only. Although he tried to keep busy with stage work, he had to borrow money from the Actor's Fund during the period of his son's birth in 1938.

His career got a re-boot by Universal's "Son of Frankenstein" in 1939, in which he played a plum character role, Ygor, a sly blacksmith, in heavy make-up and beard. The 1940s saw him starring in a baker's dozen of horror, psycho, and mystery B-films produced by Sam Katzman, and in lesser roles for Universal, where he often received star billing for what amounted to a supporting part.

Due to injuries received during military service, Lugosi developed severe, chronic sciatica. Which lead to his dependance on pain-killers. Late in his life, he again received star billing in movies when filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr., a fan of Lugosi, found him living in obscurity and near-poverty and offered him roles in his films, such as "Glen or Glenda", and "Bride of the Monster." During post-production of the latter, Lugosi entered treatment for his addiction, and the money he earned on the film went to help pay for his treatment expenses. Wood shot improptu test footage in a suburban graveyard for another film he planned on shooting staring Bela, this footage ended up in "Plan 9 from Outer Space."

Sadly Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16, 1956 while lying in bed in his Los Angeles home. He was 73. At the time of his death, he was so poor that his family could not afford to bury him, and his friend Frank Sinatra quietly picked up the cost of the funeral. Bela Lugosi was buried wearing one of the many capes from the Dracula stageplay, as per the request of his son and fifth wife, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.

In 1997, he was honored on a 32 cent US postage stamp, part of a set of five stamps honoring “Famous Movie Monsters,” in his Dracula role.

Spend some time with Bela!
Be sure to visit The Official Bela Lugosi Website.
Watch Bela in White Zombie (1932)
Pop on over to Datajunkie and download several Old Time Radio shows starring Bela!
Bela and John Carradine star in "Mystery House - The Thirsty Death"
Bela in the Feb. 2nd episode of SUSPENSE "The Doctor Prescribed Death"
Bela in an episode of "Candid Mike"