The strength with any Gauthier art creation is the prose ... and the passion. I described Volume 1 as a "primal scream." Both books are a tale of a proud, talented actor, who has survived a lot, maintaining his dignity and honor despite cruel brickbats from fellow actors, smarmy film executives, arrogant critics, and a rather fickle public.
And actor Bela Vorlock eventually gets -- as the title says -- his revenge. In Volume 2 he even acquires a servant/accomplice, a sort of Renfield.
I wrote the following blurb for Dracula Never Dies: The Revenge of Bela Vorlock Volume 2:
"Savage, dark poetry defines the prose of Christopher R. Gauthier. Volume 2 continues the righteous revenge of a proud star against tormentors. You'll be under Gauthier's spell, reading long into the dawn. One sequence I particularly enjoy features Vorlock carefully preparing revenge for an evil critic who has slandered him for decades. It's brutal and savage, but justified. In Troyman, Gauthier has created a character as evil as Ellsworth M. Toohey from The Fountainhead.”
And I penned this review:
"Volume 2 of The Dracula Never Dies planned trilogy ups the horror from author Christopher Gauthier's tale of brilliant horror actor Bela Vorlock. On the streets of Los Angeles our protagonist takes revenge on the cruel establishment that persecutes him, including an arrogant, cruel critic.
Gauthier introduces a servant to Vorlock, who helps with his quest for accountability and dignity.
As with the first Volume, the book's prose is its signature strength. Gauthier is unmastered in presenting passion, anguish and retribution on pages."
Readers, this a darker, gothic tale in Volume 2. It exceeds the haunting darkness of Volume 1. However, the tone is very appropriate. Gauthier's talents with plot and dialogue make the events seem natural -- and even just.
The author has experienced a very challenging life. He is, as mentioned, a survivor. He battles adversity in the past and today, taking it one day at a time. The passion in the Dracula Never Dies series is as much as emotional response to life itself as much as the action within the pages.
This trilogy is wonderful tribute to Bela Lugosi. Dracula Never Dies: The Revenge of Bela Vorlock Volume 2, Arcane Shadows Press, 2025, will provide hours of dark, delicious horror for gothic lovers.
Welcome to Plan9Crunch. And share with us our celebrations for the great Bela Lugosi's birthday. The blog is posted on October 20. We are starting something new at Plan9Crunch. We are going to ask a cult genre question to a cult genre expert. Our first question is directed to writer Christopher R. Gauthier, author of Rondo Award-winning novel, "Dracula Never Dies: The Revenge of Bela Vorlock." Chris's sequel is planned for publication in early 2025, possibly on Valentine's Day. So, here we go, and enjoy readers!
PLAN9CRUNCH: What
would have been your impression of watching Lugosi on the theatrical stage and
what would you have thought of him to be in person?"
Christopher R. Gauthier:
"My instinctual
personal impression of witnessing Bela Lugosi on stage would no doubt have
lured me into the saturnine voracity of a question which enigmatically lingers
on a need to be answered and furthermore explored- regarding cryptic mysteries cloaked
in the supernatural- I do believe upon becoming aware of Lugosi I without
question would have become ensorcelled by his dark mystique and enraptured by
his command of theatricality which was unprecedented before.
"I would have been
enchanted by this great savant who was living poetry for the theatre and
mesmerized by the complete mystique of Lugosi, I would have become enshrouded
within the black cape he wore so eloquently and my inner core would have
replied to the dark spirituality that emanated from this great force of a man
who seemed to have come from a realm entirely like none known to any, if not
but for only an obscured few.
"I probably would have been compelled to engage a
discourse with him, for how could one not in the presence of Bela Lugosi? I probably
would have become a follower of this man like no other, but still respectfully
remained proper and inhibited to establish formality and uphold a courteous,
cordial diplomacy... And if by chance he would have granted me a conversation
my impressions would have changed for the better. I would have come to the
lucid realization that here before me was a man of supreme talents and with
furthering in the getting to know him, an honorable compassionate humane human
being, in fact one of the most generous and kindest, sincere most down to earth
human beings Hollywood would ever see - a man of principal, morals and courage,
a soul who knew and treasured the people in his life and took seriously and to
heart the very meaning of friendship. A man who wore his gratitude like his
Dracula creation wore his medallion, for he was grateful for the good in the
world and anything beneficial that came in his vocational direction. I probably
then would have felt somewhat like the rest of what his audiences felt upon the
impressionable encounter of his Dracula incarnation and how everyone came to
feel upon having a relaxed discourse with Bela the man- I would have realized
that I was in no way an exception to being immune to falling beneath the spell
of Dracula. Nor the rare charm of the real man himself, who appreciated and
respected and genuinely cared about people, the world and humanity He would
then have an adoring aficionado and friend for the rest of time."
Thanks so much Chris, for contributing. We appreciate you very much. Readers enjoy another photo of Lugosi on stage below.
Our protagonist, Vorlock, one-time horror film star, reduced to poverty row through two decades of abuse and betrayal by fellow actors, family members and media hacks -- who rival Ayn Rand's "Ellsworth M. Toohey" in evil -- believes he is to receive a peer appreciation award for his decades as "Dracula" and other roles.
It turns out to be an elaborate, cruel joke. At that last minute the award is snatched away and instead given to a well-fed, successful acting rival, one who has abused Vorlock, and his immediate family, personally. With much laughing and sniggering, the Toohey-like MC thrusts a jester's cap on Vorlock's head.
It is an indignity gone too far. But I don't want to give away too much of Gauthier's excellent novel, part one of a planned trilogy).
---
I have a blurb on this edition's back cover, and I have read earlier versions of Chris' draft that total several hundred pages. Dracula Never Dies is nearly 300 pages. An appropriate one-sentence summary of the novel is an elegant primal scream of abuse, survival, more abuse, justice, and revenge.
There are no chapter breaks once Dracula Never Dies gets going. The narrator describes a life -- with prose -- that moves from passion to emotion to anguish to anger to regret to survival to despair to grief to irony to love to hate to gothic horror to revenge to resignation, and to perhaps 20 other emotions.
In an Amazon review, Robert Cremer, biographer of Bela Lugosi (Lugosi: The Man Behind the Cape), notes how Hollywood, its dreams and schemes that can destroy dreams, contributes to the gothic horror of the novel. (Cremer also has a blurb on the back cover.)
Cremer also notes a plus to the novel, that genre fans will recognize many references to characters, and events from the times of Bela Lugosi.
And, of course Dracula Never Dies' protagonist Bela Vorlock is Bela Lugosi. This is an alternate biography of Bela Lugosi existing in another multiverse, with much of the plot including Lugosi's times and life in our universe.
The plot -- and I wish to reveal very little of particulars, more for the reader to enjoy -- involves Vorlock's youthful escape from patriarchal tyranny, an interlude of happiness and love, a period of success in the entertainment world, and his efforts to endure and survive while suffering personal and professional setbacks/betrayals.
Gauthier's prose is magnificent. Expression is a key strength of his writing. Although their styles are different, Gauthier's word craftmanship reminds me of the satisfaction of reading a good novel from E. Annie Proulx, author of "The Shipping News" and "Brokeback Mountain."
Dracula Never Dies' text demands to be read carefully. If it is glossed over the reader will get lost. Careful reading will provide a rewarding long, satisfying read.
After finishing the final two score of pages (in which a character who Ed Wood and Lugosi fans will recognize is included) I am already eager to read the next installment of Gauthier's trilogy. Alas, it may be a while. I'll be patient. Dracula Never dies is priced relatively inexpensively. I hope I can add a Kindle version to the dead tree edition I own.
Over the long holiday weekend I immersed myself in "Chillers," a new anthology, as the cover notes, of "tales inspired by classic horror films." They've been gathered by Brad Braddock of Arcane Shadows Press, which recently released another anthology, "Bela Lugosi: The Monogramthology," which included homage fiction on the poverty-row films Bela Lugosi made for Monogram studio in the 1940s.
Homage fiction, I prefer that term to "fan fiction," is probably a mixed bag to some. I imagine some purists avoid it. (I've had a few debates with Agatha Christie fans over the new "Poirot mysteries" from Sophie Hannah; I appreciate them and devour every one.). I enjoy the genre and am glad Braddock is helping resurrect it. Above-average homage fiction -- kept in its proper apocryphal shelf -- provides a shot of positive endorphins to readers wanting more from the art they love. Even mediocre homage fiction -- and there's been a lot of that from Jane Austen novels -- reinforces our appreciation of the original material.
The short stories in Chillers are of variant qualities, but all are well-crafted, unique efforts by serious authors, who have other accomplishments in the genre. I'll focus this review on a few I particularly enjoyed but reassure readers that there isn't a "clinker" in the collection. (I assume readers know the films that serve as foundations for the tales, and will avoid plot details; the better for readers to enjoy the stories.)
* Gregory William Mank -- who has written several excellent non-fiction genre books -- writes the short but moving "Elizabeth," a story of Dr. Frankenstein's wife at age 70, reflecting on her life with Henry, 25 years after his death, and "the Creature."
* Frank Dello Stritto, another favorite genre writer, manages to capture the spirit of fan convention events, such as Monster Bash, in "Emmy Knows Monsters." It's a tale of a very young monster movies fan who has the magical ability to see the lost, early film cuts of such classic films as "The Mummy," "Freaks," "King Kong," and more. The ending gives me the same pleasant feeling I get from the finish of one of my favorite, gentle spooky movies, "Curse of the Cat People."
* Robert Kokai Jr., also known as monster show host Drac, has an intriguing tale, "Cryptic," which explores how "Imhotep," so well portrayed by Boris Karloff in "The Mummy," manages to rejuvenate himself through his many, many centuries of existence. It's narrated through the eyes, literally, of one of his victims.
* One of my favorite young authors, Christopher R. Gauthier, whets my appetite for his upcoming novel with the short story, "Dracula Never Dies: A Dedication to Bela Lugosi." Written with lyrical, highly descriptive and emotional prose, it relates the once-famous star, now aging, "Bela Vorlock," reduced to performing spook shows before unappreciative teens. The story almost places me right in the audience of those poorly produced spook shows Lugosi endured starring in to pay the bills 70-plus years ago.
* Braddock's "The Vampire Bat Prelude," entertained me enough to re-watch the vintage classic with an all-star cast, "The Vampire Bat." The prequel sheds more light on the manipulation and destruction of loyal servant Emil Borst by the evil Doctor Von Niemann, portrayed by Lionel Atwill in the film. The exploited Herman Gleib, played by Dwight Frye, also is in the tale.
* A pithy and fascinating story from novelist Christine M. Stoltis, "Hasten: A Prelude to Haxan," pays homage to the famous silent documentary on witches by portraying a real female servant of the devil, one who has no fear of being captured and burnt by humans.
* The story, "The Open Window,' by Stefanie Kokai, also known within the genre as Carita Drac, took a page or two for me to get into but ultimately sucked me in. It's a story of a young woman slowly being dominated and turned into a vampiress by a bloodsucker. The contrast of the "count" during their late-night visits, soft words, gentle caresses, and grotesque slurping of blood, is effectively conveyed on print.
* "An Ending for Bowery at Midnight," by Todd Shiba, is, like his story in ... the Monogramthology on "Black Dragons,'" a sly, over-the-top riff satire on how to take movies that already are bizarre and make them even more bizarre. Shiba know his stuff and is always a good read, but his story seems more like something Frank Henenlotter would conceive of rather than Wallace Fox of Monogram. Perhaps that's the point.
I appreciate all those who contributed to the anthology. These are labors of love, far more than money. Hopefully, enough readers will like the efforts enough to provide a stimulus for another collection.
Readers of our blog are familiar with narrative writer and poet Christopher R. Gauthier, who started the popular Facebook page A Celebration of the Life and Art of Bela Lugosi (here). We interviewed Chris nearly two years ago in which he talked about his admiration and love for Lugosi and we also shared some of his poetry. And, about 20 months ago, Chris joined a few other reviewers in a Lugosi post, reviewing Bride of the Monster for our readers (here). Chris' signature work, still in progress, is an extensive novel titled "Dracula Never Dies: The Revenge of Bela Vorlock." I have read early draft versions and it's an impressive accomplishment. He has already recited excerpts of the work on radio shows. The first publication of this book is scheduled for August 16, 2020, by Arcane Shadows Press. There will be more books, all comprising the story, published in later years. Also, an excerpt of "Dracula Never Dies ..." is published in an anthology, by Midnight Marquee Press (buy it here). Below is an excerpt from the MMP contribution. It captures Chris' unique style that blends passion, emotion, pride and enduring love of a horror icon:
Bela Vorlock obtained
his flask of Hungarian plum brandy that rested alongside his sterling silver
cigarette case. A short sketch of written lines rested on the dresser that he
had been told to review for this evening's theatrical performance, in the defunct
slum encrusted theatre. The brandy soothed his tingling throat as it swam down
his parched canal, bringing him back to the almost vanished rays of peace … the
deception that solitude had given him. He thought of the vivid recollection of
his reality and it shook his jagged nerves that were fragile as glass. He
whispered about peace, the lone true human emotion that was both an edacious
need of starve and greed for his soul of crumbled blemished torment. There was
a vacant dream of havened internal amity, and it was all that Bela Vorlock had
longed for. To finally grasp in the cores of his mangled and tortured soul, a
permanent slice of peace, which was a diminishing primeval haze of a
subservient memory so utterly vague and almost forgotten to him in the final
mournful days of his life.."
As a fellow Lugosi fan, and frankly fan is too small a term; I adore the iconic actor, "Dracula Never Dies ..." hits me with emotion. It places me in a location and time I have never been. Early 1951, in a shabby theater on the east coast for a midnight spook show, with Lugosi adding dignity to a tacky program, with a bad film, and poor accompanying actors, populated by unappreciative teenage fans more liable to laugh than applaud. That really happened to Lugosi, who was struggling to support a career and family. He never gave less than 100 percent. I can't locate this reference, I apologize, but I once read of Lugosi, while doing one of the above-mentioned spook shows, finally having enough of the catcalls and hooting. As I recall reading, he stopped, became silent, and coldly stared down the audience. What magnificence by a great thespian. What an appropriate rebuke to a boorish audience. In "Dracula Never Dies ...," Chris captures the enduring dignity of a great actor. The prose speaks of a distinguished, iconic artist refusing to compromise his dignity and talent, no matter what the circumstances. There's deep passion to the prose. I suspect the author shares some of the challenges "Bela Vorlock" faces. His prose is perhaps also his response to the world he lives in, and underscores his continued devotion to a man, Bela Lugosi, that he emulates to the best of his ability. One more note: "Dracula Never Dies: The Revenge of Bela Vorlock," will be published as four separate, roughly 100,000-word novels, with Part 1 slated to be published by Arcane Shadows Press (Facebook page here) in October. Thanks Chris, for allowing us to share an excerpt of your work in this post.
It's been 62 years since Bela Lugosi passed into another sphere of existence on August 16, 1956. His biographical is well know to many, including most readers of this blog. Suffice to say that he was a working actor until he died. Just prior to his death, he was promoting "The Black Sleep," a film he had a role in and shooting random footage with Ed Wood, some of which turned up in "Plan 9 From Outer Space. (To read the many obituaries published at his death, go to the Vampire Over London blog.) (I also published my review of Vampire Over London: Bela Lugosi in Britain in the Standard-Examiner newspaper today.)
At Plan9Crunch, we offer three links today to posts regarding Bela Lugosi, who has become the most famous, and iconic, figure from the Universal glory days of horror that began with "Dracula" in 1931. Lugosi did not require loads of makeup to play the vampire, his acting skills and personality defined the role.
So, let's celebrate Lugosi's Deathday. Read the posts below, and even better, spend time today watching one of our favorite actor's films. It's been a while since I have seen Bela as the Count in "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." My son and I will enjoy it again.
Here are four links, with a short snippet from each blog:
'Bela Lugosi In Person' captures the stage, personal appearance career of screen 'Dracula'
"He was a star, and a gracious star, attentive to fans and charmingly tongue-in-cheek sinister with the media, particularly local media, which pursued him often during his long stage assignments. Lost in dusty old-media files and updated media websites are reviews of the many plays Lugosi entered, as star, or supporting role." 2) http://planninecrunch.blogspot.com/2008/06/tribute-to-bela-dracula-lugosi.html --
A Tribute to Bela "Dracula" Lugosi
"I have seen "Dracula" scores of times, and Lugosi is the key to the film. He is a tall, courtly, menacing figure who promises a fate worse than death. And that is the appeal of these early horror films compared to the sadistic gore-fests of today — a fate worse than death awaits the vampire's victims. That fate is conveyed to perfection in the scene where Lugosi's vampire murders actor Dwight Frye's cringing, pathetic, mad disciple Renfield. Dracula's exterior is charming. But his filthy interior attracts darkness, fog, storm, chill winds, rodents, flies, spiders, blood and undeath."
Voodoo Man, Monogram's last Bela Lugosi production
"... it may be the best-paced, least convoluted Monogram film Lugosi made. It's ably directed by William Beaudine and looks like a lean, mean film-in-a-week film. (It was helmed in October of 1943). The plot involves Dr. Richard Marlowe, who kidnaps young lovelies in an attempt to transform their conscious life into his "dead" comatose wife, Evelyn (Ellen Hall)." 4) http://planninecrunch.blogspot.com/2017/10/bela-lugosi-vampire-mad-scientist-or.html Bela Lugosi, vampire, mad scientist or god, he enhanced a film From Christopher R. Gauthier, one of our essayists in this blog post homage to Bela: "Disregard the scoffs that often follow the very mention of the film, "Bride Of The Monster" is a beautifully flawed poetic masterpiece, which because of Bela is so incredibly wonderful to watch. ... Lugosi being the true professional he was, uplifts the film into the echelons of cinematic greatness. Bela was the grandest mad scientist of them all during that era, and even in this lopsided production his indelible and incandescent ingenuity upon the nobility of his theatrical craft shines through the chinked flaws that overall make-up the entire sets and scripted inconsistencies of this slapdash and often incomprehensible film."
It's October, which practically is Bela Lugosi month at Plan9Crunch. Besides Halloween approaching, October 20 is the birthday of the screen's iconic Dracula. So, in honor of this supernal month, we offer a Halloween treat for our readers. Five writers, well versed in the life and art of Bela Lugosi, examine five of his late-career films. They explain how Bela Lugosi's performance enhances films that would otherwise have remained mediocre, derivative, boring, or oltherwise undistinguished. Lugosi often failed to get roles, or money, as prominent as his horror rival, Boris Karloff, but there's no debate that Bela gave his all in every role, adding his iconic stamp to even the attic offerings of Poverty Row.
So, on with the essays! We will go in the order the films were made, starting with 1944's "Return of the Ape Man" and ending with 1955's "Bride of the Monster."
Lugosi scientist makes “Return of the Ape Man” mad
fun for viewers
By Doug Gibson
In “Return of the Ape Man,” one of Bela Lugosi’s
final Monogram offerings, his deviously mad scientist, Professor Dexter, offers
, with polite arrogance, this laconic remark at a fashionable party to another
guest. “You know, some people’s brains would never be missed.” Shortly
afterward, Dexter tries to prove it by luring the intended of his partner’s
niece to his laboratory for an unwilling partial brain transfer to a
reanimated, prehistoric “ape man.” Only the interference of partner Professor
Gilmore, with the added persuasion of a gun, stops Dexter. “He might not die,”
is Dexter’s defense.
If not for Lugosi, “Return of the Ape Man” would be
virtually forgotten. Even John Carradine underplays his role as Gilmore to the
point of near narcolepsy. The rest of the cast also seems to play their roles
with lethargy. The script, frankly, is unimaginative, and cheats viewers of a
climax with Bela’s character alive. But Lugosi’s Dexter is his second-best mad
scientist role; only Dr. Vollin in 1935’s “The Raven,” surpasses Prof. Gilmore
in mad, ethics-be-damned-crime-be-damned, obsession. Like Vollin, Gilmore is
courtly, charismatic, dedicated and mad as a hatter in his desire to reanimate
a primitive human and provide him a decent brain, at any cost.
Casual fans of the genre may not know that Lugosi
played a mad scientist far more often on screen than he did a vampire. He has
some great lines in “Return of the Ape Man.” They include: “Murder is an ugly
word. As a scientist I don’t recognize it;” and “Fool, you’ll pay for this!” is
Dexter’s angry retort when Gilmore stops him the first time. The too-passive
Gilmore eventually becomes the subject of Dexter’s partial brain transplant,
and the mad glee that fills the countenance of Lugosi’s Dexter is chilling and
unforgettable. Do yourself a favor, Lugosi fans, see “Return of the Ape Man.
Mother Riley Meets the
Vampire offers insight into Bela's misunderstood later years
By Andi Brooks
Dogged for over half a
century by a negative reputation which preceded most people’s chance to view it
for themselves, "Mother Riley Meets the Vampire" is in reality a far cry from the
wretched, hastily thrown together, poverty row comedy it has regularly been
portrayed as. Offering a precious insight into a much-maligned and
misunderstood period of Bela Lugosi’s professional life, the film is essential
viewing for his many fans.
In 1951, Lugosi had
travelled to England with his wife Lillian to star in a revival of Dracula
which, after a short tour of the provinces, would revive his flagging career
with a triumphant run in London’s West End. Instead, he found himself starring
in an under-funded production wildly criss-crossing the United Kingdom while
awaiting an opening in a West End theatre. After almost six months on the road,
the 68-year-old actor, exhausted by the grueling demands of travelling long
distances through the provinces and twice-daily performances, asked the
management to bring the tour to an end.
A persistent legend
holds that Mother Riley Meets the Vampire was hastily arranged to finance the
return to America of Lugosi and his wife when the tour supposedly collapsed
shortly after opening, leaving the couple penniless and stranded in England. In
reality, Lugosi’s participation in the film was first announced in the press
over two months before the tour ended. While a typical B production of the
period, with a slapstick plot lifted directly from "Abbott and Costello Meet
Frankenstein," the film boasts solid production values and acting from a
supporting cast comprised of then-current and future stars of British theatre,
film and TV. Bela Lugosi himself delivers a deliciously confident and
versatile performance as the mad scientist Von Housen.
With no known filmed
record of the Dracula tour in existence, one of the treats of the film is
Lugosi’s first appearance, which mirrors the play’s prologue. Awakened in a
coffin on the floor of his bedchamber by his Renfield-esque assistant, Lugosi’s
hand “spiderwalks” from beneath the lid before he exits the coffin in one fluid
movement in full Dracula costume. Asked why he sleeps in his evening clothes,
he replies, with a twinkle in his eyes, “I was buried in them.” Fully recovered
from the rigors of the tour, the actor would never look in such great shape on
film again.
While Lugosi is said to
have been confused by the constant verbal gymnastics and ad-libbing of the
never-out-of-character, or costume, Arthur Lucan -- in the guise of Mother Riley -- the two veteran actors display a delightful comic chemistry in their first big
scene together. As Von Housen attempts to cooingly seduce the old washerwoman,
Lugosi’s presence brings out a more subdued performance form his usually manic
co-star. The interplay between them really is a joy to watch.
Lugosi’s much neglected
comedic skills are demonstrated throughout the film. When pompously bragging of
his proposed army of 50,000 robots, the suddenly deflated mad scientist is
forced to admit that he has only succeeded in building one. Lugosi’s timing and
delivery are perfect. Later, in an all too brief moment reminiscent of scenes
in both "Dracula" and "Dark Eyes of London," all pretense of comedy is dropped.
After finally ridding himself of the constantly interrupting Mother Riley, his
face a mask of gloating evil, Von Housen menacingly approaches the prostrate
form of Maria Mercedes as Julia Loretti before clamping
his hand over her mouth. Conscious of the need to secure a “U” certificate,
essential to allow children, Mother Riley’s biggest fans, to see the film, the
scene is smartly edited to comply with the certificate’s requirement that
scenes of “mild” violence should not be prolonged.
Although the
script makes it quite clear that Von Housen is not really a vampire to avoid
losing its desired certification, it does play with fire by dropping several
very clear hints that the mad scientist is a blood-drinking serial killer.
This seems to have escaped the censor’s scrutiny, as does Lugosi’s final scene
in which he guns down a police officer at close range.
Every aspect of Bela
Lugosi’s performance in "Mother Riley Meets the Vampire" is a pleasure to watch.
He demonstrates a versatility he is seldom credited with. In addition to his
comedic flourishes, he effortlessly “alternates between a straight reading and
a parody of his mad doctor stereotype, between scene-chewing bravado and a
sinister, soothing charm." If you only know the film by its ill-deserved
reputation, you are guaranteed to be very pleasantly surprised.
Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) -- Lugosi's authenticity reigns
By Steve D. Stones
Perhaps the only authentic aspect of "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla" is
the performance of the actor in the title – Bela Lugosi. Lugosi plays Dr.
Zabor, a mad scientist on a tropical island. Zabor soon meets nightclub
performers and Martin-and-Lewis imitators – Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo -- who become stranded on the island after a plane crash. Zabor plans to use a
serum he has developed on the annoying Petrillo to turn him into a gorilla.
This was Lugosi's last role before starring in a
number of Ed Wood Jr. features. As with all of Lugosi's films, he gives this
role all his best. His Dr. Zabor role in this film is a precursor to the Dr.
Vornoff role he plays in Wood's 1956 feature, "Bride of The Monster," (aka "Bride
of The Atom"). Whenever Lugosi is not in a scene, we anxiously await for him to
return after sitting through bad musical performances and the annoying antics
of Sammy Petrillo. Lugosi may be the only reason to see this film.
Directed by William “One Shot “Beaudine ("The Ape Man" – 1943, "Voodoo Man" - 1945), the film was completed in less than two weeks for
only $12,000 and was also titled "The Boys From Brooklyn." Producer Hal Wallis
threatened to sue over Mitchell and Petrillo's impersonation of
Martin-and-Lewis. This ended the movie partnership of Mitchell and Petrillo. At
least actor Ray “Crash” Corrigan, the man in the ape suit, went on to star in a
number of other monster movies, such as "It! The Terror Beyond Space" (1958).
Only Lugosi purists should apply.
GLEN OR GLENDA, 1953, IS 'MAD ART'
By Frank Dello Stritto
“All great art is a
little mad,” goes the old saying, “and all mad art is a little great.” Glen or Glenda, Ed Wood’s 1953 tale of
transvestism and transsexuality, is mad art. And it is at least a little great.
Undeterred by a minuscule budget and his own limitations, Wood reached deep
within himself to explore sexual identity as no film maker had done been
before, and rarely since. The movie alternates between the surreal and
documentary. The narrator of the documentary is Dr. Alton (Timothy Farrell), a
psychiatrist specializing in the complexities of human sexuality. Bela Lugosi
embodies the surreal. His character is billed as “The Scientist,” but he is
more a dark sorcerer or spirit who rules men’s fates.
Glen
or Glenda begins and ends with Lugosi monologues. Lugosi’s
task is to convey sexuality as more than Alton’s clinical explanations. Lugosi
delivers his eccentric dialogue in a lush style: serious but mysterious, with
more than a little of what the actor himself would call “mugging.” “The
Scientist” knows something normal humans do not, and never will. As in some of
Lugosi’s classic horror films, the supernatural impinges on the real world, and
rational reasoning falls short of the full truth.
The documentary takes
over with the suicide of transvestite Patrick/Patricia (a transvestite), and
the tales of Glen/Glenda, a transvestite played by Wood, and Alan/Ann, a
transsexual. Lugosi intervenes throughout the movie, but is little seen. In one
of these pop-ins, he interrupts the sober discourses on Glen’s desires with the
movie’s most famous line:
“Beware! Beware! Beware
of the big green dragon that sits on your doorstep. He eats little boys...puppy
dog tails, and big, fat snails. Beware. Take care. Beware!”
Without Lugosi, the
documentary would be rather dry, buoyed only by its sensational subject matter.
Producer George Weiss allegedly inserted the soft-porn sequences in the middle
of the film to liven up the action, make the running time a little longer, and
perhaps add some comic relief (with insert close-ups of an apparently
disapproving Lugosi). The presence of Lugosi throughout the movie adds the
other-worldly element that makes Glen or
Glenda more than just a sex-education video. It makes more palatable Glen’s
weird dream sequences, with a truly bizarre Satan (played by Captain DeZita,
who also played Glen’s father).
Lugosi achieved some
great things during his career. The last one, unintentionally no doubt, may be
exposing the sordid underbelly of Hollywood through his association with Ed
Wood. Wood spent his entire career on Hollywood’s lowest rung, and Lugosi in
his last years joined him there. Wood
might not be remembered at all but for Lugosi’s appearances in Bride of the Monster, Plan Nine from Outer Space, and Glen or Glenda. They should not be
listed among “the worst films ever” as they often are, but perhaps among “the
worst films that audiences can really enjoy.” No small part of that enjoyment
comes from Lugosi.
---
Bride Of The Monster 1955, Lugosi's Dr. Vornoff is a monumental character
By Christopher R. Gauthier
Considered by many to be his final film despite
making "The Black Sleep" in '56 after his release from rehab for his addiction to
pain narcotics, Dr. Eric Vornoff is quite a vivaciously monumental character,
rich with a substance that evokes a strange curiosity and under Lugosi's
powerful command, conjures an undeniable intrigue that draws one into a world
that might otherwise be languid and tediously mundane... Lugosi as Vornoff
brings the film together, he remains the focal
point and breathes promethean life into a filmic rhetorical anatomy that is
otherwise dilapidated and near close to brain dead.
The role is particularly
emotional and poignant at times, no doubt could Lugosi identify with the
tragedies his character for this film had endured. Being banned from his
native Hungary, estranged from his wife and son, having to struggle with the
inability to secure a home of his own in the forsaken impoverished jungle hell
that was Hollywood, Lugosi is doing his best, as he always did, with this
personally crafted role, that in many subliminal ways to the audiences at the
time was cathartic for his browbeaten soul....It was his last speaking role on
screen. There is a morose poetry to his performance, and he has made it
something we as die-hard loyal Lugosi aficionados treasure deeply to this very
day. I think Wood wanted this to be a swansong for Lugosi, and in its own
right, indeed it is.
Disregard the scoffs that often follow the very
mention of the film, "Bride Of The Monster" is a beautifully flawed poetic
masterpiece, which because of Bela is so incredibly wonderful to watch. The
circumstantial production values were quite terrible, the film was not by far
the best material he was ever offered, but as always, Lugosi being the true
professional he was, uplifts the film into the echelons of cinematic greatness.
Bela was the grandest mad scientist of them all during that era, and even in
this lopsided production his indelible and incandescent ingenuity upon the
nobility of his theatrical craft shines through the chinked flaws that overall
make-up the entire sets and scripted inconsistencies of this slapdash and often
incomprehensible film.
Bride Of The Monster is a very significant film for
Lugosi and as disciples we must study it and appreciate it. It is his last
crusade and conquest as a lone Star of a Hollywood production. One of the last
great performances, before the final curtain was descended upon him to collect
him in the twilight winter of his life.
Thanks so much to Steve, Andi, Frank and Chris for their contributions!
Christopher R. Gauthier, seen above in an artistic license photo with his favorite actor, Bela Lugosi. Christopher runs the A Celebration of the Art and Life of Bela Lugosi Facebook page (here). It's a growing group that consistently provides interesting graphics, observations and information on Lugosi.
Besides his interest in and contributions on Lugosi's life and career, Christopher also writes poetry on Bela Lugosi. We'll share some on this post but he recently read some poetry on a radio broadcast. (Here at about the 53.44 mark). He is also working on a novel about Lugosi. Christopher was also acknowledged for assistance with research and images in the new BearManor Media Scripts From the Crypt book "Dracula's Daughter."
I enjoyed this interview with Christopher, who has a real passion for the actor so many of us love on the blog.
-- Doug Gibson
---
1) When was the first time you saw Bela in a film? Was that
when you determined he was a great influence in your life or did it take a
while?
GAUTHIER: It is very difficult to say what Lugosi movie I first stumbled upon, I as far back as I can recollect have been drawn to the mystique of the man. One very vivid memory that I do have, is when I first watched The Body Snatcher and found his role of Joseph to be the most interesting character in the film. To me there had to be something so much more to this actor, I thought to myself, as I watched the film. I was never the same after that. I guess, I was born a Lugosi fan. I read everything I could possibly get my hands on regarding his career and life -- he inspired me to try and pursue a career in acting, and he was my teacher who I learned more from than anyone else in my life then, now and throughout the time I was growing up. He was A major influence on me in every aspect, as well as creatively speaking, I wanted to be just like him. Whenever something terrible goes bad in my life I watch one of his films, and life doesn't seem so bad because he provides me with solace that few others do.
2) What are your favorite Bela films and why?
GAUTHIER: I adore everything Bela ever was in. It is almost impossible to select which films are my all time favorites because I deeply love them all. The Raven, The Black Cat, White Zombie, Dracula, The Return of The Vampire, Chandu The Magician, Son Of Frankenstein, Broadminded along with Spooks Run Wild, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Bride Of The Monster stand out as some of my favorites, but as I have said every production he was in is worthwhile and something close (and) deep in my heart.
3) You have a successful Facebook Lugosi page. How does that assist in your study and appreciation of Lugosi and what it is like to interact with Bela fans across the world?
GAUTHIER: My page "A Celebration of The Life and Art of Bela Lugosi" has brought together all loyal Lugosi aficionados from all corners of the globe. We are very different from other groups, we emphasize on the great things he did, as an artist and as a man. We are sophisticated and the page is held very sacred to me, a safe haven for serious Lugosi fans. We also encourage other artists to share their art, whether it be performance, literature or material arts, it is welcomed and valued and always appreciated and respected. It has brought me to encounter and become acquainted with like hearted people who revel in celebration of the great man's life and work.
4) Can you tell us about your novel in progress about Bela?
GAUTHIER: My novel being written to honor Lugosi is a labor of love I have been meticulously crafting with unwavering devotion for a number of years. I believe that at the end of his life he would have really appreciated this type of material I am writing to honor my hero. I am not going to say too much on the subject because it is a work fathomed deep in progress. But it is for Mr. Lugosi and I have the inclination he would be very pleased with it, and even moved. I have been advised to write a screenplay -- but I much prefer to honor him in a novel, as I do not think that there are any such actors that can bring proper justice to emulating the masterful Bela Lugosi.
5) You've had poetry about Bela published. Can you share a
little bit with the blog?
GAUTHIER: I have written several poems for Lugosi, you may read some below. I have had a few Lugosi poems published when I was an adolescent but they are nothing in contrast to what I have written as of these passed few years in accordance to the novel and certain pieces of poetry dedicated to my Hero.
6) What's' it like motivating yourself to write about Bela? AND 7) You have an impressive amount of graphics and other art
relating to Bela and his career. You were acknowledge in the recent book on
Dracula's Daughter. What are some memories of Bela that you wish were
available? I can think of finding a video of a Dracula play.
GAUTHIER: I am motivated to write my novel and pay homage to my Patron Saint who has above anyone else, in any force, shape or form, been there for me. He has touched my life beyond what words will ever be properly able to convey. The man has saved my life. I owe whatever success I have now and if any awaits me in the future entirely to him. He is my artistic savior, my creative muse, the source of what dreams are made of, my ultimate Hero, my greatest friend and my surrogate father and the father to all the lost children of the night- He is and always has been my greatest friend. I write because I must, inside the crux of my heart he guides me, and I am just offering my contribution to the world that honors The Great Bela Lugosi.
8) Do you have a bucket list of Lugosi related goals,
travel, conversations with scholars?
GAUTHIER: Imagine what it would have been like to see him on the stage or to have known him as a friend in person. I wish I could have seen him on stage and that I were alive to help him when the tragic circumstances took the betterment of his life towards the final years. I wish I was alive, affluent and be able to finance any production of his choice. I would have done anything for him. He deserved so much more than what hand of cards he had been dealt by lady fate.
9) Finally, let a novice Lugosi fan know of four essential
films and three essential books.
GAUTHIER: For a novice Lugosi fan I would encourage them to watch The Black Cat, Broadminded, The Raven, Dracula and The Return of The Vampire. As far as books go, I have found that each biographer offers something unique in all books related to Lugosi. But I would recommend Arthur Lennig's The Immortal Count, Robert Cremer's The Man Behind The Cape, The Films Of Bela Lugosi by Richard Bojarski, Leo Wiltshire's Reign Of The Vampire- A Tribute To The Perseverance of Bela Lugosi and of course, first and foremost anything written by Gary Don Rhodes and Bill Kaffenberger
Thanks so much, Christopher. We appreciate you sharing your observations with us. Below are a couple of Christopher's poems:
Thank you Bela Lugosi
Father To All Lost Children Of The Night The lunar jewel drinks in the turmoil Nightmares evolve into mollifying dreamscapes surrealistic beyond rational belief The old creaky baronial movie house breathes in the crux of its heart a docile sigh of relief Your motion pictures of sparkling black and white gold immerse the great looming movie screen, You are my indisputable Hero and friend who sometimes visits my dreams When such reverential occasion transpires To feed the creative fires Beneath the moon beams Neither foe, nor victim nor vampiric concubines are able to bellow a scream The nightmare is no longer a nightmare, but a beautiful dream. You should have been given so much more Than just the Horror genre you bestowed upon the entertainment industry, But yet you have left us with your undying legacy and have achieved perpetual immortality And have long become a phantasmagorical Hollywood Legend and forceful source of so much folklore, Bela you have everlasting legions of fans who truly adore Every contribution an artistic actor and humanitarian man you are loved forevermore You shield me behind the sanctuary of your sheltering protective vampire cape and offer me solace from the hateful world abroad And when you end each performance, I humbly applaud For there is no greater Actor At least that is my opinion and the law within my domain If I had not discovered you my life would have never been the same. The world praises and thanks you for all you have given and done In the end you have defeated the exploitive traitors and have everlastingly won A place in the elysian Hollywood constellation of riveting and celebrated luminaries and Stars Your pathos is not forgotten but healed have the scars You are my deepest friend and ultimate Hero above all May you continue to live on as your dynasty shall forever enthrall Thank you Bela, my Hero and friend for all you have done Let us watch the lunar jewel vanish and bask in the morning warmth and rise of the sun ---- Christopher R. Gauthier
--- Bela, you changed the face of the golden age silver screen Your memory comes to mind in the cast of the full moon and its radiant beam Beyond all compare you have captured the heart and imbued us all with mystical intrigue, you are in a class lone to itself in your very own artistic league-- You have helped so many by the brave examples you've set In another life I feel in my heart we must've met And knew each other as very close friends from then to eternity my awe and adulation knows no end. I wish I could have given you so very much more than what hand of cards you were dealt, you persevered against in the face of adversity and were always humbled without the shadow of a doubt, For the love your fans expressed to you over the years, and to all your lost children of the night you wipe away the tears. What a symbol of hope you are to us all You lift up the crestfallen when they stumble and fall. I have known no greater friend throughout the entirety of my life and on behalf of us all We thank you for all you have done in the howl of the night Our Hero, Our Friend and Eradicator of woeful doom You reveal the comfort that is immersed in the gloom- of things that are macabre and beyond the realms furthermore You conjure the indisputable magic and open the mystical door leaving us all wanting your Genius forevermore. My friend you are with me in these darkened times I am going thru I know that I can always depend on the nobility that is you. You will never fully know how much you have touched my life and the cores of my soul, in both your life and in every celluloid role, May peace forever be present in your family and in the crux of your golden heart My great friend your legacy will never depart like The Immortal Count Dracula, you will live forever in the annals of time And you shall also be remembered for being ever so kind To all the lonesome lives you have brought solace and touched You, who have given everything of yourself, so very much In you I know I have a friend, as in my heart you do in mine. Take care Bela, my greatest friend My love for you always is boundless without end.
