Bela Lugosi

Biography

Bela Lugosi was a Hungarian-American actor best known for his long career in horror films. After beginning on the Hungarian stage in 1902, he moved through Hungarian and German silent films before arriving in the United States. He first played Count Dracula on Broadway in a 1927 adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, then repeated the role in Tod Browning's Dracula (1931). The part made him famous but, along with his thick accent, limited him mainly to horror pictures such as White Zombie (1932), The Black Cat (1934), Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and The Raven (1935). He played Ygor in Son of Frankenstein (1939) and The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), and worked with Boris Karloff on several films. A rare mainstream credit was Ninotchka (1939), and he later appeared in Bud Abbott and Lou Costello meet Frankenstein (1948). In his final years he made low-budget films, some directed by Ed Wood.

73years old at death

Born October 20, 1882Lugoj
Died August 16, 1956Los Angeles
Star sign: LibraThe sign runs September 23 to October 22
Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 46
Career span: 90 years1924 to 2014

Genres

Horror78%, 36 films
Sci-Fi26%, 12 films
Comedy24%, 11 films
Mystery22%, 10 films
Drama20%, 9 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

First role
Lugosi appeared for the first time on screen in Leoni Leo, a Hungarian silent film from 1917. Between 1917 and 1918 he made at least 10 films in Hungary before he left for Germany.
A role that slipped away
Lugosi tried out for parts to escape typecasting, but lost Grigori Rasputin in Rasputin and the Empress to Lionel Barrymore, Surat Khan in Charge of the Light Brigade to C. Henry Gordon, and Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko in Tovarich to Basil Rathbone, a part he had done on stage.
A role that slipped away
In the 1954 horror-comedy The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters, the part of the mad doctor went to John Dehner at the last minute, though Lugosi had been initially considered for it.
A first
Lugosi took the lead in Scared to Death, an experimental, economical feature shot in 16mm and enlarged to 35mm for theaters. Completed in April 1946 and released in June 1947, it is his only color film.

Bela Lugosi movies on Netflix

Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film2014IMDb rating 6.7as Dracula / Dr. Werdegast / Count Mora
Extraordinary Tales2013IMDb rating 6.4as Narrator (segment 'The Tell-Tale Heart') (voice)
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1974IMDb rating 7.0as Himself
The Black Sleep1956IMDb rating 6.0as Casimir
Bride of the Monster1955IMDb rating 4.2as Dr. Eric Vornoff
Glen or Glenda1953IMDb rating 4.3as Scientist
Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla1952IMDb rating 3.6as Dr. Zabor
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello meet Frankenstein1948IMDb rating 7.3as Dracula
The Body Snatcher1945IMDb rating 7.3as Joseph
Zombies on Broadway1945IMDb rating 5.3as Dr. Paul Renault
One Body Too Many1944IMDb rating 5.4as Murkil
Return of the Ape Man1944IMDb rating 4.8as Prof. Dexter
Voodoo Man1944IMDb rating 5.3as Dr. Richard Marlowe
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943IMDb rating 6.4as Monster
Ghosts on the Loose1943IMDb rating 5.0as Emil
The Ape Man1943IMDb rating 4.4as Dr. James Brewster
The Return of the Vampire1943IMDb rating 6.2as Armand Tesla
Bowery at Midnight1942IMDb rating 5.3as Prof. Brenner aka Karl Wagner
Night Monster1942IMDb rating 6.1as Rolf
The Corpse Vanishes1942IMDb rating 4.6as Dr. Lorenz
The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1as Ygor
Spooks Run Wild1941IMDb rating 5.3as Nardo
The Black Cat1941IMDb rating 6.1as Eduardo Vidos
The Wolf Man1941IMDb rating 7.2as Bela
Black Friday1940IMDb rating 6.3as Eric Marnay
The Devil Bat1940IMDb rating 5.4as Dr. Paul Carruthers
You'll Find Out1940IMDb rating 6.1as Prince Saliano
Ninotchka1939IMDb rating 7.8as Razinin
Son of Frankenstein1939IMDb rating 7.1as Ygor
The Dark Eyes of London1939IMDb rating 5.7as Dr. Feodor Orloff / Prof. John Dearborn
The Gorilla1939IMDb rating 4.8as Peters
The Invisible Ray1936IMDb rating 6.5as Dr. Felix Benet
Mark of the Vampire1935IMDb rating 6.3as Count Mora
The Mystery of the Mary Celeste1935IMDb rating 5.4as Anton Lorenzen
The Raven1935IMDb rating 6.8as Dr. Richard Vollin
The Black Cat1934IMDb rating 6.9as Dr. Vitus Werdegast
The Mysterious Mr. Wong1934IMDb rating 4.7as Mr. Fu Wong aka Li See(Béla Lugosi)
International House1933IMDb rating 6.9as General Petronovich
Chandu the Magician1932IMDb rating 6.2as Roxor
Island of Lost Souls1932IMDb rating 7.3as Sayer of the Law
Murders in the Rue Morgue1932IMDb rating 6.3as Dr. Mirakle
White Zombie1932IMDb rating 6.2as 'Murder' Legendre
Dracula1931IMDb rating 7.3as Count Dracula
Drácula1931IMDb rating 7.0as Conde Drácula
The Black Camel1931IMDb rating 6.6as Tarneverro
He Who Gets Slapped1924IMDb rating 7.7as Extra

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Dracula1931 Horroras Count Dracula
IMDb rating 7.365K votes
White Zombie1932 Horroras 'Murder' Legendre
IMDb rating 6.213K votes
The Black Cat1934as Dr. Vitus Werdegast
IMDb rating 6.915K votes
Ninotchka1939as Razinin
IMDb rating 7.825K votes
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello meet Frankenstein1948as Dracula
IMDb rating 7.321K votes
The Body Snatcher1945as Joseph
IMDb rating 7.311K votes
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943as Monster
IMDb rating 6.411K votes
The Wolf Man1941as Bela
IMDb rating 7.235K votes

Most often with

William Beaudine directed four of these films, Tod Browning two and Erle C. Kenton two. Boris Karloff appears in nine of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Boris Karloff

Lon Chaney Jr.

John George

Lionel Atwill

John Carradine

George EldredgeWilliam BeaudineDirector, 4 films

Tod BrowningDirector, 2 films Erle C. KentonDirector, 2 films

Films together

Boris Karloff9 films together, 1934 to 2014
Boris Karloff's page
- Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film2014IMDb rating 6.7Lugosi as Dracula / Dr. Werdegast / Count MoraKarloff as Various roles
- The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1974IMDb rating 7.0Lugosi as HimselfKarloff as Himself
- The Body Snatcher1945IMDb rating 7.3Lugosi as JosephKarloff as Cabman John Gray
- Black Friday1940IMDb rating 6.3Lugosi as Eric MarnayKarloff as Dr. Ernest Sovac
- You'll Find Out1940IMDb rating 6.1Lugosi as Prince SalianoKarloff as Judge Spencer Mainwaring
- Son of Frankenstein1939IMDb rating 7.1Lugosi as YgorKarloff as The Monster
- The Invisible Ray1936IMDb rating 6.5Lugosi as Dr. Felix BenetKarloff as Dr. Janos Rukh
- The Raven1935IMDb rating 6.8Lugosi as Dr. Richard VollinKarloff as Edmond Bateman
- The Black Cat1934IMDb rating 6.9Lugosi as Dr. Vitus WerdegastKarloff as Hjalmar Poelzig
Lon Chaney Jr.6 films together, 1941 to 2014
Lon Chaney Jr.'s page
- Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film2014IMDb rating 6.7Lugosi as Dracula / Dr. Werdegast / Count MoraChaney as The Wolf Man / Larry Talbot
- The Black Sleep1956IMDb rating 6.0Lugosi as CasimirChaney as Mungo
- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello meet Frankenstein1948IMDb rating 7.3Lugosi as DraculaChaney as Lawrence Talbot
- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943IMDb rating 6.4Lugosi as MonsterChaney as The Wolf Man - Lawrence Talbot
- The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1Lugosi as YgorChaney as The Monster
- The Wolf Man1941IMDb rating 7.2Lugosi as BelaChaney as Larry Talbot / The Wolf Man
John George6 films together, 1931 to 1935
John George's page
- Mark of the Vampire1935IMDb rating 6.3Lugosi as Count MoraGeorge as Gypsy
- The Black Cat1934IMDb rating 6.9Lugosi as Dr. Vitus WerdegastGeorge as Cultist
- Chandu the Magician1932IMDb rating 6.2Lugosi as RoxorGeorge as Bidder at Slave Market
- Island of Lost Souls1932IMDb rating 7.3Lugosi as Sayer of the LawGeorge as Beast
- Dracula1931IMDb rating 7.3Lugosi as Count DraculaGeorge as Small Scientist
- Drácula1931IMDb rating 7.0Lugosi as Conde DráculaGeorge as Scientist
Lionel Atwill6 films together, 1935 to 1943
Lionel Atwill's page
- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943IMDb rating 6.4Lugosi as MonsterAtwill as Mayor
- Night Monster1942IMDb rating 6.1Lugosi as RolfAtwill as Dr. King
- The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1Lugosi as YgorAtwill as Doctor Theodore Bohmer
- Son of Frankenstein1939IMDb rating 7.1Lugosi as YgorAtwill as Krogh
- The Gorilla1939IMDb rating 4.8Lugosi as PetersAtwill as Walter Stevens
- Mark of the Vampire1935IMDb rating 6.3Lugosi as Count MoraAtwill as Inspector Neumann
John Carradine5 films together, 1934 to 1974
John Carradine's page
- The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute1974IMDb rating 7.0Lugosi as HimselfCarradine as Himself
- The Black Sleep1956IMDb rating 6.0Lugosi as CasimirCarradine as Borg aka Bohemond
- Return of the Ape Man1944IMDb rating 4.8Lugosi as Prof. DexterCarradine as Prof. John Gilmore
- Voodoo Man1944IMDb rating 5.3Lugosi as Dr. Richard MarloweCarradine as Toby
- The Black Cat1934IMDb rating 6.9Lugosi as Dr. Vitus WerdegastCarradine as Cult Organist
George Eldredge5 films together, 1941 to 1944
George Eldredge's page
- Return of the Ape Man1944IMDb rating 4.8Lugosi as Prof. DexterEldredge as Policeman
- Bowery at Midnight1942IMDb rating 5.3Lugosi as Prof. Brenner aka Karl WagnerEldredge as Det. Thompson
- The Corpse Vanishes1942IMDb rating 4.6Lugosi as Dr. LorenzEldredge as Mike
- The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1Lugosi as YgorEldredge as Constable
- Spooks Run Wild1941IMDb rating 5.3Lugosi as NardoEldredge as Policeman
William BeaudineDirector, 4 films, 1943 to 1952
All films by William Beaudine
- Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla1952IMDb rating 3.6Lugosi as Dr. Zabor
- Voodoo Man1944IMDb rating 5.3Lugosi as Dr. Richard Marlowe
- Ghosts on the Loose1943IMDb rating 5.0Lugosi as Emil
- The Ape Man1943IMDb rating 4.4Lugosi as Dr. James Brewster
Tod BrowningDirector, 2 films, 1931 to 1935
All films by Tod Browning
- Mark of the Vampire1935IMDb rating 6.3Lugosi as Count Mora
- Dracula1931IMDb rating 7.3Lugosi as Count Dracula
Erle C. KentonDirector, 2 films, 1932 to 1942
All films by Erle C. Kenton
- The Ghost of Frankenstein1942IMDb rating 6.1Lugosi as Ygor
- Island of Lost Souls1932IMDb rating 7.3Lugosi as Sayer of the Law
Also five films together1 more actor
- Dwight FryeFrankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Dracula (1931), Drácula (1931) and The Black Camel (1931)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Bela Lugosi's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$18.0 million

8 of the 46 films have a worldwide figure.

8Worldwide figure
1Never in cinemas
37Figure not found

Top grosser

White Zombie1932'Murder' Legendre$8.0 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
White Zombie1932as 'Murder' Legendre
$8.0M44.4% of the total
2
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello meet Frankenstein1948as Dracula
$4.8M26.7% of the total
3
Ninotchka1939as Razinin
$2.3M12.7% of the total
4
The Return of the Vampire1943as Armand Tesla
$1.1M6.1% of the total
5
He Who Gets Slapped1924as Extra
$881K4.9% of the total
6
Dracula1931as Count Dracula
$700K3.9% of the total
7
The Black Cat1934as Dr. Vitus Werdegast
$236K1.3% of the total
8
Glen or Glenda1953as Scientist
$10K0.1% of the total