#IconosMacabros: Bela "Dracula" Lugosi

One of the greatest icons of horror cinema is the Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi. Dracula, the legendary vampire created by the pen of Bram Stoker, was first played by Lugosi in the Broadway stage production and later embodied by him in the version Universal produced for the big screen in 1931, creating the iconic mythological image that endures to this day and a legend of popular culture.

Bela Lugosi was born in Hungary on October 20, 1882, not far from shadowy Transylvania according to his official biography, and began acting in 1900. By 1913 he was already part of the Hungarian National Theatre Company, where he played many classic roles, including some written by Shakespeare, which led him to tour internationally on the stages of Broadway. His role in the play "The Thirteenth Chair" caught the attention of Hollywood producers, and so he would become "Bela Dracula Lugosi" and a major movie star.

With the success of Dracula, Bela Lugosi, along with Boris Karloff, would become one of Universal's favorite monsters. Lugosi appeared in films such as Murders of the Rue Morgue (1932), White Zombie (1932), Island of Lost Souls (1933), and Son of Frankenstein (1939), among others.

He died in California on August 16, 1956, and was buried with his Dracula cape at Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Here are a few curious facts about his life and work:

1. He chose his stage name from the name of his birthplace, Lugos. His real name was Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó.

2. He served in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I and fought against the Russians near the Austrian border.

3. His earliest film roles were in Hungary, under the name Arisztid Olt.

4. Lugosi became a naturalized American citizen on June 26, 1931.

5. The actor created the image of the vampire Dracula from the Broadway stage production, choosing everything from the costume to the inflections and mannerisms that came to define him.

6. He made 18 films with Universal Studios.

7. The actor became addicted to morphine after using it to ease pain in his leg from a wound suffered during World War I.

8. Lugosi was immortalized by the band Bauhaus in 1979 with the song "Bela Lugosi's Dead."

9. Bela Lugosi was portrayed by actor Martin Landau in the film Ed Wood (1994), directed by Tim Burton.

With information from Bela Lugosi's official website:belalugosi.com (abre en nueva pestaña)