Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

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Detective Jim McLeod
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Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

Post by Detective Jim McLeod »

My favorites in chronological order:





1. Dracula (1931) He is still very creepy and sinister in this role, my favorite scene may be where confronts Van Helsing about Mina, saying "my blood now flows through her veins"

2. Murders In the Rue Morgue (1932) He is a depraved scientist using an ape to commit murders. A still shocking scene involves the torture of a woman of the streets (Arlene Francis) tied to a tilted cross.

3. White Zombie (1932) The original Walking Dead film. Lugosi gives one of his more sinister portrayals with several shots of his hypnotic eyes.

4. The Black Cat (1934) He is a more sympathetic character as a doctor seeking vengeance against evil devil worshiper Boris Karloff.

5. The Raven (1935) He plays the most raving mad doctor on film here. He is a Poe obsessed surgeon jilted by a woman, he tries to get revenge on her and her family and friends by blackmailing gangster Karloff into taking part in his plan.

6. The Invisible Ray (1936) Bela plays one of his most normal roles in this science fiction thriller, as a brilliant doctor dealing with crazed scientist Karloff who is turned into a radioactive killer.

7. Son Of Frankenstein (1939) He plays the broken necked, snaggle toothed Ygor, who gets the Monster (Karloff) to do his bidding. Bela is unrecognizable in this part and his performance is excellent.

8. The Human Monster (1939) One of Lugosi's most evil roles as a doctor who murders his patients for insurance money.

9. Invisible Ghost (1941) Lugosi plays a kindly man who is turned into a homicidal maniac under some sort of hypnotic spell. This is low budget but underrated film with some haunting images.

10. Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) This was the second and last time he played Dracula on film. Although a comedy, Bela maintains his dignity and has great presence as the Count, especially in the hypnosis scenes with Costello.

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LiamCasey
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

Post by LiamCasey »

For starters, welcome to The Silver Screen Oasis, Detective Jim McLeod!

My ten favorite Bela Lugosi movies in order of preference:

The Black Cat (1934)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Dracula (1931)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Island of Lost Souls (1932)
The Invisible Ray (1936)
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
The Black Camel (1931)
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
The Return of the Vampire (1943)

I've still yet to see either The Human Monster (1939) or Invisible Ghost (1941) on your list. One of these years!

And White Zombie (1932) on your list would have been on my list if we were going for a top dozen.

And, for anyone bored enough to compare what I'm posting here versus what I posted earlier in my The Raven (1935) topic, the reason that The Body Snatcher (1945) appears between Son of Frankenstein (1939) and The Invisible Ray (1936) in that other topic but makes no appearance here at all is because there I'm judging the movie as a whole whereas here I'm judging the movie specifically with respect to Mr. Lugosi. And he is fairly inconsequential in that one.
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EP Millstone
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

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I'm a Bela Lugosi fan, but must admit that although he was in a lot of movies, he appeared in a lot of "bad" movies. The movies on the lists of the detective and LiamCasey represent the high points in Bela's filmography, IMO. Besides those listings, I'll add the following flicks:

The Black Sleep
I consider this entertaining fright-fest -- enhanced by its rogues gallery of Hollywood horror film fiends -- to be Lugosi's cinematic swan song. For me, the footage of him in Plan 9 from Outer Space, which has the quality of a home movie, doesn't count. As mute butler Casimir, "Poor Bela" (distressingly frail) hadn't much of a character to work with. But he doesn't sleepwalk in the role.

Bowery at Midnight
This Monogram potboiler -- which strikes me as a reworking of The Dark Eyes of London (AKA The Human Monster) -- is, for me, redeemed by its memorable and creepy finale.

Broadminded
Seeing Bela Lugosi in a comedic role is, for me, a delight that makes me wistful that more comedies are not in his filmography. In this Pre-Code comedy, scripted by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Bela is a foil for star Joe E. Brown.

Chandu the Magician
Bela's flamboyant and charismatic performance as the power-hungry villain Roxor consummately steals the spotlight from star Edmund Lowe. Additional highlights: the cinematography of James Wong Howe complementing the art direction and special effects of director William Cameron Menzies (with an uncredited contribution by electrical wizard Kenneth Strickfaden).

International House
Bela's comedic turn as another hot-headed lover (similar to his role in Broadminded) is only one of the splendors in this star-studded Pre-Code gem helmed by W.C. Fields.
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
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LiamCasey
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

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EP Millstone wrote: December 4th, 2022, 4:24 pm I'm a Bela Lugosi fan, but must admit that although he was in a lot of movies, he appeared in a lot of "bad" movies. The movies on the lists of the detective and LiamCasey represent the high points in Bela's filmography, IMO. Besides those listings, I'll add the following flicks:

The Black Sleep
I consider this entertaining fright-fest -- enhanced by its rogues gallery of Hollywood horror film fiends -- to be Lugosi's cinematic swan song. For me, the footage of him in Plan 9 from Outer Space, which has the quality of a home movie, doesn't count. As mute butler Casimir, "Poor Bela" (distressingly frail) hadn't much of a character to work with. But he doesn't sleepwalk in the role.

Bowery at Midnight
This Monogram potboiler -- which strikes me as a reworking of The Dark Eyes of London (AKA The Human Monster) -- is, for me, redeemed by its memorable and creepy finale.

Broadminded
Seeing Bela Lugosi in a comedic role is, for me, a delight that makes me wistful that more comedies are not in his filmography. In this Pre-Code comedy, scripted by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Bela is a foil for star Joe E. Brown.

Chandu the Magician
Bela's flamboyant and charismatic performance as the power-hungry villain Roxor consummately steals the spotlight from star Edmund Lowe. Additional highlights: the cinematography of James Wong Howe complementing the art direction and special effects of director William Cameron Menzies (with an uncredited contribution by electrical wizard Kenneth Strickfaden).

International House
Bela's comedic turn as another hot-headed lover (similar to his role in Broadminded) is only one of the splendors in this star-studded Pre-Code gem helmed by W.C. Fields.
I've seen The Black Sleep (1956) but none of the others on your list. Chandu the Magician (1932) along with The Return of Chandu (1934) and The Thirteenth Chair (1929) have long been on my radar as ones that I need to catch one of these years. There are other holes in my list of Bela Lugosi movies but I classify those others as being just targets of opportunity. As for Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957), I have never had an urge to see that one.
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EP Millstone
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

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LiamCasey wrote: December 5th, 2022, 5:18 pm I've seen The Black Sleep (1956) but none of the others on your list. Chandu the Magician (1932) along with The Return of Chandu (1934) and The Thirteenth Chair (1929) have long been on my radar as ones that I need to catch one of these years. There are other holes in my list of Bela Lugosi movies but I classify those others as being just targets of opportunity. As for Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957), I have never had an urge to see that one.
I obviously enjoy Chandu the Magician, primarily for the qualities that I listed. It was based on a popular radio serial. According to WIkipedia, the Marvel Comics mystic Dr. Strange was inspired by Chandu. If you're a fan of serials, you might like this escapist-fantasy relic.

For me, The Return of Chandu, an actual cliffhanger, is an entirely different kettle of fish. I don't find it very enthralling -- au contraire, I find it a chore to watch. Bela, sporting the incongruous name "Frank Chandler" (AKA the titular occulist), tackled the heroic role with his characteristic dedication and earnestness. But even his magnetic persona was not enough to overcome the dull plot and poverty row production. However, YMMV.

As for The Thirteenth Chair, I find it only slightly less tedious than The Return of Chandu. Again, IMO, Bela is the sole attraction in this antiquated murder-mystery, which is not the finest hour of Lugosi and director Tod Browning. But, if you're a Bela fan, you must see it, right?
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
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Allhallowsday
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

Post by Allhallowsday »

Nobody likes THE DEVIL BAT or BRIDE OF THE MONSTER ? BELA is always good. Hell, his little bit in NINOTCHKA was a highlight.
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LawrenceA
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

Post by LawrenceA »

1.Dracula
2.The Wolf Man
3.The Black Cat
4.Island of Lost Souls
5.Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
6.White Zombie
7.Son of Frankenstein
8.Chandu the Magician
9.Murders in the Rue Morgue
10.Plan 9 from Outer Space
Watching until the end.
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LiamCasey
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

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Allhallowsday wrote: December 5th, 2022, 10:30 pm Nobody likes THE DEVIL BAT or BRIDE OF THE MONSTER ? BELA is always good. Hell, his little bit in NINOTCHKA was a highlight.
I've never seen Ninotchka (1939). But considering I've seen more B movies than A movies, that's not too surprising.

I have seen the other two but not during the current millennium. I know I first saw Bride of the Monster (1955) back in what would now be referred to as my tween years. And even then I knew that that one was made for peanuts.
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LiamCasey
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

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LawrenceA wrote: December 6th, 2022, 1:43 pm 8.Chandu the Magician
9.Murders in the Rue Morgue
10.Plan 9 from Outer Space
That makes two references to Chandu the Magician (1932). I definitely got to get around to that one sooner rather than latter.

But I still have absolutely no desire to watch Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)!
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EP Millstone
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

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LiamCasey wrote: December 6th, 2022, 8:19 pm That makes two references to Chandu the Magician (1932). I definitely got to get around to that one sooner rather than latter.
Enjoy!

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EP Millstone
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

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Allhallowsday wrote: December 5th, 2022, 10:30 pm Nobody likes THE DEVIL BAT or BRIDE OF THE MONSTER ? BELA is always good. Hell, his little bit in NINOTCHKA was a highlight.
My name is Nobody.

The Devil Bat contains wonderfully quotable lines:

"Imbecile! Bombastic ignoramus!" (I find a lot of use for this exclamation in real life actually)

"Rub it on the tender part of your neck." (Also very useful during romantic interludes)

"That feels great. Very soothing!"
"I don't think you'll ever use anything else."

As for Bride of the Monster, I genuinely like it and consider it Ed Wood's best movie. The finale with Bela thrashing around in the grasp of the octopus metaphorically taps into the human fear of being helplessly trapped in a bad relationship with a clinging and destructive partner. Quelle Freudian!
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
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LiamCasey
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

Post by LiamCasey »

EP Millstone wrote: December 6th, 2022, 9:18 pm My name is Nobody.
Isn't that a topic for the Westerns subforum? :smiley_cowboy:
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Allhallowsday
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Re: Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films

Post by Allhallowsday »

EP Millstone wrote: December 6th, 2022, 9:18 pm ...As for Bride of the Monster, I genuinely like it and consider it Ed Wood's best movie...
Oh yeh!



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