August 16th Thread for Bela Lugosi

[Crankie Avalon]

While August 16 is famous for being the annivesary of Elvis Presley's death, it also happens to be the anniversary of Bela Lugosi's.

Béla Lugosi was the stage name of actor Béla Ferenc Dezsõ Blaskó (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 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". However, he became most notably known for his portrayal of Dracula in the American stage production, and subsequent film, of Bram Stoker's classic vampire story.

During World War I he served as an infantry lieutenant in the Austrian-Hungarian army.

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. On June 26, 1931, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States...

More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bela_Lugosi



And, yes...at his own request, he was buried in one his Dracula capes.

[meegbear]

1. Holy Bauhaus Batman!

[Dukkha]

2. Bela Lugosi's Dead

white on white translucent black capes
back on the back
bela lugosi's dead
the bats have left the bell tower
the victims have been bled
red velvet lines the black box
bela lugosi's dead
undead undead undead
the virginal brides file past his tomb
strewn with time's dead flowers
bereft in deathly bloom
alone in a darkened room
the count bela lugosi's dead
undead undead undead

oh bela
bela's undead

[Crankie Avalon]

3. No love for Bela? No HOME for him here on DU?

"Home? I have no home. Hunted. Desssspised. Living like an animal...the jungle is my home! But I vill show the vorld that I can be its master. I vill perfect my own race of people! A race of atomic supermen that vill conquer the vorld!!!"

[derby378]

4. One of Bela's best lines...

...from one of the worst movies ever made.

Seriously, I can't recommend Tim Burton's Ed Wood highly enough. A reverent but tortured look at the last years of Bela Lugosi.