He descended into drug use and despair. He was, to moviegoers and followers of 1930s Hollywood, Dracula. )[55], Lugosi married Hope Lininger, his fifth wife, in 1955; she was 37 years his junior. He was buried in a Dracula costume, including a cape, but not the ones used in the 1931 film . Lugosi acted in several Hungarian plays before breaking out into his first English Broadway play, The Red Poppy, in 1922. [68], In 1979, a song called "Bela Lugosi's Dead" was released by UK post-punk band Bauhaus and is widely considered to be a pioneering song in the gothic rock genre. In 1933, he married 22-year-old Lillian Arch (1911-1981), the daughter of Hungarian immigrants. [81], A 2021 hardcover graphic novel depicting the life of Bela Lugosi was written and drawn by Koren Shadmi, entitled Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Dracula.[82]. Bela Lugosi died of a heart attack August 16, 1956. [18] Three more parts came in 192526, including a five-month run in the comedy-fantasy The Devil in the Cheese. However Bela and Hope were actually discussing getting divorced around the time he passed away. [44][45], Lugosi repeatedly married. It was a wrenching move for the rising star, who, 16 years earlier, had changed his surname from Blask to Lugosi in homage to Lugos, the city of his birth. According to TheVintage News, 100,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers perished in the battle, and Lugosi was promoted to ski patrol. You've got your Bette Davises vs. your Joan Crawfords, your Sarah Jessica Parkers vs. your Kim Cattralls, your Marlon Brandos vs. your Frank Sinatras. Hungarian actor who was immortalized as Dracula in 1931. Want to more about Him? In 1996, he had a supporting role in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. Bela had four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. In 1928, Lugosi decided to stay in California when the play ended its West Coast run. [23] The Horace Liveright production was successful, running in New York City for 261 performances before touring the United States to much fanfare and critical acclaim throughout 1928 and 1929. Bela Lugosi, original name Blasko Bla Ferenc Dezs, (born October 20, 1882, Lugos, Hungary [now Lugoj, Romania]died August 16, 1956, Los Angeles, California, U.S.), Hungarian-born motion-picture actor who was most famous for his sinister portrayal of the elegantly mannered vampire Count Dracula. Lugosi will probably forever be remembered for playing Count Dracula in Tod Browning's 1931 film version of Bram Stoker's spooky novel. Bela's income mostly comes from and basic source was being a successful Hungarian actor (1882-1956). The court ruled that under California law any rights of publicity, including the right to his image, terminated with Lugosi's death. In 1955, recently divorced from his fourth wife, he checked himself into the Los Angeles General Hospital Psychopathic Ward, hoping to kick his methadone and morphine habits. In addition to his nine Monogram features, he worked in three features for RKO and one for Columbia (Return of the Vampire, 1943). Despite the relative size of their roles, Lugosi inevitably received second billing, below Karloff. Appeared with Lon Chaney Jr. in five films: The Wolf Man (1941), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man . As a youth, Bla Blask dreamed of becoming a stage performer, but his uptight, middle class family disapproved of the profession. He was tortured by the idea that, after his star-turn in the Dracula movie in 1931, no one saw would see him as a complicated human being or a talented, sensitive artist. [8] His earliest known performances are from provincial theatres in the 190304 season, playing small roles in several plays and operettas. She died in 1997 at age 78. Last chapter. Universal cast Lugosi in Son of Frankenstein (1939), appearing in the character role of Ygor, a mad blacksmith with a broken neck, in heavy makeup and beard. Hollywood is, of course, no stranger to celebrity feuds. The combination was so successful that Umann scheduled extra shows to accommodate the capacity crowds, and invited Lugosi to appear in person, which thrilled new audiences that had never seen Lugosi's classic performance. The judge sent Lugosi to a nearby hospital, where he plotted a comeback that would never materialize. According to Kitty Kelley's biography of Frank Sinatra, when the entertainer heard of Lugosi's problems, he visited Lugosi at the hospital and gave him a $1,000 check. Lugosi was born Bla Ferenc Dezs Blask on October 20, 1882, in Lugos . Through his association with Dracula (in which he appeared with minimal makeup, using his natural, heavily accented voice), Lugosi found himself typecast as a horror villain in films such as Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Black Cat (1934) and The Raven (1935) for Universal, and the independent White Zombie (1932). So, how much is Bela Lugosi worth at the age of 74 years old? The problem first manifested itself in 1937, when Lugosi was forced to withdraw from a leading role in a serial production, The Secret of Treasure Island, due to constant back pain. The role went to Karloff instead, and soon the hollow-cheeked leading man began beating Lugosi out for roles. He was awarded the Wound Medal for wounds he sustained while serving on the Russian front. The film, daring as it is in its willingness to go where no one else would at the time, is considered one of the worst movies ever made. Continue to the next page to see Bela Lugosi net worth, estimated salary and earnings. Death, Net Worth, Wife, Family, Brother. [72] In the Hungarian production, directed by Istvn Szab, Lugosi was played by Ivan Darvas. A Trip Down Memory Lane: the Death of Bela Lugosi She would sign her letters "A dash of Hope". Bela Lugosi was born Bla Ferenc Dezs Blask on October 20, 1882, Lugos, Hungary, Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), to Paula de Vojnich and Istvn Blask, a banker. Known For: Starring in the iconic role of Count Dracula in the 1931 film Dracula. pg. [80], In 2020, Legendary Comics published an adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 Dracula novel, which used the likeness of Lugosi. Lillian would produce Lugosi's only son, Bella Jr., five years later. He dropped out of school when he was twelve years old, and began appearing in Shakespeare plays. Several more silent roles followed, villains and continental types, all in productions made in the New York area. He began his stage acting career in 1902. [6] He was raised in a Roman Catholic family. His next bride, Ilona von Montagh, divorced him after three years. (Lugosi learned in 1935 that von Montagh and a female friend were both arrested for shoplifting in New York City, which was the last he heard of her.)[49]. Wood hired Tom Mason, his wife's chiropractor, to double for Lugosi in additional shots. Bela Lugosi's full name is Bla Ferenc Dezs Blask and his nickname is Bela Lugosi. He went first to Vienna before settling in Berlin (in the Langestrasse), where he continued acting. Sinatra would recall Lugosi's amazement at his visit, since the two men had never met before.[40]. The feature is noteworthy as being Bela Lugosi's only color film. Following his return to the United States, he was interviewed for television, and reflected wistfully on his typecasting in horror parts: "Now I am the boogie man". Lugosi's first film appearance was in the 1917 Hungarian silent film Leoni Leo. He lost out to Lionel Barrymore for the role of Grigori Rasputin in Rasputin and the Empress (also 1932); C. Henry Gordon for the role of Surat Khan in Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), and Basil Rathbone for the role of Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko in Tovarich (1937), a role Lugosi had played on stage. Regardless of controversy, five films at Universal The Black Cat (1934), The Raven (1935), The Invisible Ray (1936), Son of Frankenstein (1939), Black Friday (1940), plus minor cameo performances in Gift of Gab (1934) and two at RKO Pictures, You'll Find Out (1940) and The Body Snatcher (1945) paired Lugosi with Boris Karloff. Insult to injury, Karloff was able to move on from his appearances in silly vampire and wolfman and monster flicks to more illustrious roles, whereas Lugosi was stuck in a hall of mirrors of sorts, every new part more ridiculous and broad than the last. It was, perhaps, simply the result of admiration and compassion. Bela Lugosi Net Worth 2023 Some of the sources for his net worth are his salary, movies, and other earnings. The song was a part of the Light Leaks record. He died a year into their marriage of a heart attack. List of Bela Lugosi Bela George Lugosi net worth is $9 Million Bela George Lugosi Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Bela Lugosi Jr. was born on January 5, 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA as Bela George Lugosi. Lugosi eventually grew very bitter over the fact that the general public took him for Dracula. Though at first he was treated with benign pain remedies such as asparagus juice, doctors increased the medication to opiates. ), On June 26, 1931, Lugosi became a naturalized United States citizen. As this biography notes, he was fired from gigs roughly 20 times over the next two decades for incompetence. He is often referred to as Bela Lugosi Jr. He also made plenty of personal live appearances to promote his horror image or an accompanying film. Once in a full moon, an actor portrays a villain with such flare that fans have a hard time separating the man from the character. In 1917, Lugosi married Ilona Szmik (1898-1991). Nationality. Lugosi made 12 films in Hungary between 1917 and 1918 before leaving for Germany. Lugosi developed severe, chronic sciatica, ostensibly aggravated by injuries received during his military service. Lillian and Bela vacationed on their lakeshore property in Lake Elsinore, California (then called Elsinore), on several lots between 1944 and 1953. Youtube. "I owe it all to that little man at the Regina Theatre," said Lugosi of exhibitor Umann. Bela married 19-year-old Lillian Arch in 1933. Lugosi had also expressed interest in playing Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey to help himself professionally. They had a child, Bela G. Lugosi, in 1938. As per our current Database, Bela Lugosi died on Aug 16, 1956 (age 73). . [12][4] They escaped to Vienna before settling in Berlin (in the Langestrasse), where he began acting in German silent films. Hope told Sheffield she had searched the apartment for several days looking for $3,000 she suspected Lugosi had hidden there, but she never found it. He was buried in a Dracula costume, including a cape, but not the ones used in the 1931 film, contrary to popular--but unfounded--rumors. No Traveler Returns: The Lost Years of Bela Lugosi by Bill Kaffenberger and Gary D. Rhodes (2012). It made the 6'1" Hungarian hunk irresistible to a series of beautiful women, including the notoriously sexy Clara Bow. They only lived together for a few weeks, but their divorce took until October 1925 to be finalized. pg. What terrible revenge has Lugosi's character concocted for his revenge? "[69], An episode of Sledge Hammer! It didn't help matters that money was often tight. He went on to perform in Shakespeare's plays. He is the father of Bela Lugosi Jr. (1938). According to Lost Magazine, by the time of his death of a heart attack at 73, Lugosi had played the count 1,300 times, both on stage and on screen. Hal B. Wallis, Martin and Lewis's producer, unsuccessfully sued Broder. The film would be Bela Lugosi's last "A" movie. Due to shady blacklisting among the top Hollywood studio executives, he refused to sell out or to compromise his integrity, and therefore ended his career working for the legendary Worst Director of All Time, Edward D. Wood Jr..Lugosi was married to Ilona Szmik (1917 - 1920), Ilona von Montagh (? Following a successful run as Count Dracula in the stage version of Bram Stoker's bloody tale, Lugosi was cast as the lead in the film adaptation. [56], Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16, 1956, in the bedroom of his Los Angeles apartment while taking a nap. Bela Lugosi is a Libra and was born in The Year of the Horse. his net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Continue reading to discover who . When Lugosi's Black Friday premiered in 1940 on a double bill with the Vincent Price film The House of the Seven Gables, Lugosi and Price both appeared in person at the Chicago theatre where it opened on Feb. 29, 1940 and remained for four performances. He lost even more. And, indeed, it was made into a beloved film, Ed Wood, starring Johnny Depp as Wood and Martin Landau as Lugosi. His performance had piqued the interest of Fox Film, and he was cast in the studio's silent film The Veiled Woman (1929). Independent producer Jack Broder took Lugosi at his word, casting him in a jungle-themed comedy, Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952), starring nightclub comedians Duke Mitchell and Jerry Lewis look-alike Sammy Petrillo, whose act closely resembled that of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (Martin and Lewis). The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Bela Lugosi - Grunge During an impromptu interview upon his exit from the treatment center in 1955, Lugosi stated that he was about to go to work on a new Ed Wood film, The Ghoul Goes West. [4], Lugosi eventually travelled to New Orleans, Louisiana in December, 1920 working as a crewman aboard a merchant ship, then made his way north to New York City, where he again took up acting in (and sometimes directing) stage plays in 19211922, then worked in the New York silent film industry from 1923 to 1926. Bela Lugosi was born on October 20, 1882 in Lugoj, Romania. In late April of 1955 the 72-year-old actor, destitute and recently divorced from his . Bela Lugosi Net Worth. Year. A copy sold for $798,000 at Christie's in May 2000. How rich is Bela Lugosi After almost breaking up their marriage in 1944, Lillian and Bela finally divorced on July 17, 1953,[52] at least partially because of Bela's excessive drinking[2] and his jealousy over Lillian taking a full-time job as an assistant to actor Brian Donlevy on Donlevy's radio and television series Dangerous Assignment. Mason was noticeably taller and thinner than Lugosi, and had the lower half of his face covered with his cape in every shot, as Lugosi sometimes did in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
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