Bela Lugosi was born on October 20, 1882 in Lugos, Austria-Hungary.

On August 16, 1956 Bela Lugosi passed away in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack.He was Buried in his full Dracula costume, including a cape. Legend has it that when Bela Lugosi was found dead on the couch in his home, he was clutching a script called FINAL CURTAIN, written by his good friend Edward D. Wood Jr.

Bela Lugosi has been credited as Olt Arisztid and Arisztid Olt. His birthname is Béla Ferenc Dezsõ Blaskó and he goes by the nickname Adelbert. During WWI, Bela volunteered and was commissioned as an infantry lieutenant. Bela Lugosi was wounded three times.

Bela Lugosi began his stage career in 1901 and started appearing in films during World War I, fleeing to Germany in 1919 as a result of his left-wing political activity (he organized an actors' union). In the mid 30's Bela Lugosi helped organize the Screen Actors Guild, joining as member number 23. Bela Lugosi was one of the charter members of the Screen Actors Guild.

In 1920 Bela Lugosi emigrated to the US and made a living as a character actor, shooting to fame when he played COUNT DRACULA in the legendary 1927 Broadway stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel. Bela is pictured on one of a set of five 32¢ US commemorative postage stamps, issued September 30th 1997, celebrating "Famous Movie Monsters". He is shown as the title character in DRACULA (1931).With an extensive Shakespearean career in Hungary Bela Lugosi had roles in HAMLET, MACBETH, KING LEAR, TAMING OF THE SHREW, and RICHARD III.

Lugosi's first stage role in the US was THE RED POPPY. Unable to speak English, Bela was forced to learn the role quickly. He was rewarded with excellent reviews and earned his first US film role, a villainous part in THE SILENT COMMAND (1923) as a result.

In 1931 Bela Lugosi's performance in Tod Browning's DRACULA (1931) created such a sensation that he reportedly received more fan mail from females than even Clark Gable. Film rights to the play (DRACULA) were sold to Universal, which announced that Lon Chaney would play the title role. But Chaney's untimely death from cancer in 1930 prompted producer-director Tod Browning to cast Lugosi instead. The movie DRACULA (1931) launched Universal's long-running cycle of horror movies and made its star a household name overnight. In 1948 Bela Lugosi made his last good picture as Dracula in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.

Bela Lugosi's other notable credits include...

THE BLACK SHEEP (1956)

MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE (1952)

ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948)

THE BODY SNATCHER (1945)

VOODOO MAN (1944)

GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE (1943)

THE APE MAN (1943)

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943)

THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942)
THE MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG (1934)

Bela Lugosi in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959)