Product Description of Bela Lugosi: Hollywood’s Dracula
Brilliantly dramatic documentary a wealth of rare footage will make you feel as if you lived with Lugosi through his triumphs and tragedies. Greg Mank, author of It’s Alive and Karloff and Lugosi.
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) starring Bela Lugosi, Sidney Fox, Leon Ames
In Murders in the Rue Morgue, Bela Lugosi plays the part of Dr. Mirakle, a showman in Paris a century ago. He is showing his trained ape, Erik, in a sideshow while trying to prove the theory of evolution … By combining the ape’s blood with the blood of a human
Island of Lost Souls, starring Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen
Synopsis of Island of Lost Souls
Island of Lost Souls. After his ship goes down, Edward Parker is rescued at sea. But when he gets into a fight with the captain of the ship that rescued him, the captain maroons him while making a delivery to the tiny tropical island of Dr. Moreau. Moreau is very secretive, and Parker discovers why. The doctor is a whip-cracking cruel task master to a growing population of his own gruesome human/animal experiments. Only the beautiful Lota appears truly human … But she shows signs of her panther ancestry. Parker’s fortunes for escape look up after his fiancee Ruth finds him with the help of Captain Donohue. But Dr. Moreau has violated one of his own laws, and his bestial creations will hold him to account!
Dracula(1931) starring Bela Lugosi, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, directed by Tod Browning
Synopsis of Dracula
A truly great adaptation of the classic vampire novel. Dracula is the story of the European vampire who comes to England to find fresh victims … And stumbles across a young woman who reminds him of his long-lost love. This is actually based on the Broadway play, and not directly on the original novel by Bram Stoker.
The Raven (1935), starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff
Synopsis of The Raven
A wealthy judge coaxes the brilliant but eccentric neurological surgeon Dr. Vollin (Bela Lugosi), who also has an obsessive penchant for Edgar Allen Poe, out of retirement to save the life of his daughter. She’s a dancer , crippled and brain-damaged in an auto wreck. Vollin restores her completely. But he also envisions her as his “Lenore”. He then cooks up a scheme to kidnap the woman and torture and kill her fiancee and father in his Poe-inspired dungeon. To do his dirty work, Vollin recruits a wanted criminal (Boris Karloff). He turns him into a hideous monster to guarantee his subservience.
Larry Talbot, the unwilling Wolf Man, is returned to life with the unwitting help of grave robbers. He wishes only to die, in order to avoid hurting anyone else as the Wolf Man. So, he gets the help of the old gypsy from the original Wolf Man film. He is striving to get the assistance of the reviled Dr. Frankenstein … A man who supposedly discovered the secrets of life and death. The doctor isn’t available, but Talbot uncovers his monster (played by Bela Lugosi). With a confrontation between the two monsters being inevitable.
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) starring Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson, Vampira, directed by Ed Wood
What can be said about Plan 9 from Outer Space that hasn’t already been said? It’s clearly the cheesiest of cheesy monster movies. It’s been considered for many years the worst movie that has ever been made – although there are other contenders.
In short, aliens from Outer Space plan to destroy Earth by reanimated corpses as an unstoppable army. In that respect, it’s similar to Invisible Invaders – another low-budget invasion movie. However, Invisible Invaders also has good acting and a relatively sensible script. Plan 9 from Outer Spacehas neither of those.
The Body Snatcher (1945) starring Boris Karloff, Henry Daniell, Bela Lugosi
The Body Snatcher is considered by many to be Boris Karloff’s finest role–and they may well be right. Unlike what the trailer for the movie says, this is not a team-up between Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Both appear in The Body Snatcher, but in this tale Lugosi is strictly a secondary character, although important. And the scene between the two of them is definitely the most chilling of the film. “Stand still, man! How can I demonstrate if you won’t stand still?”
Son of Frankenstein (1939), starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill
Movie review of “Son of Frankenstein” starring Basil Rathbone as the son of the deceased mad scientist. He tries to repair and revive the Monster to vindicate his father. All the while Ygor (brilliantly played by Bela Lugosi) schemes to use the Monster for his own plans … for revenge.