Lugosi, Bela (1882-1956), was a Hungarian-born actor famous for his roles in horror movies. His menacing appearance and thick accent gave him a chilling presence on the screen. Lugosi became best known as the vampire Count Dracula in the motion picture Dracula (1931).
Lugosi was born Oct. 20, 1882, in Lugos, Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania). His real name was Bela Ferenc Blasko. He was a leading stage actor in Hungary beginning in 1902 and a star in Hungarian films starting in 1917. He moved to Germany in 1919. He appeared in several films there before settling in the United States in 1921. He became a U.S. citizen in 1931. Lugosi got his big break in the title role of the stage version of Dracula in 1927. He performed the role on Broadway and on tour for three years. During the 1930’s, Lugosi and the English-born movie star Boris Karloff dominated horror films in Hollywood.
Lugosi made many inferior horror and mystery films during the 1930’s and 1940’s. His best films from the 1930’s include The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), White Zombie (1932), Chandu the Magician (1932), The Black Cat (1934), and The Son of Frankenstein (1939). Among his better movies from the 1940’s are The Wolf Man (1941), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). Lugosi’s last motion picture was Plan 9 from Outer Space (1956). He died on Aug. 16, 1956.
