Collecting monster movie
memorabilia can be fun and even exciting, as Dennis Phelps, ace collector, has
demonstrated in this electronic pages several times over the years. Now, he comes
back to HORROR-WOOD to show us his latest big find, something that will be of great
interest to any classic horror film fan, concerning as it does...
By DENNIS PHELPS
Greetings, HORROR-WOOD readers.
Many of you remember me as the guy who wrote
articles about
collecting horror movie
autographs
,
collecting horror props
,
and friend of make up man
Harry
Thomas
and film maker
Ted V. Mikels
. I am also a huge fan of
the actor Bela Lugosi.
Most of us remember Bela Lugosi from his famous
role in the 1931 Universal film
Dracula
. Many are fans of his role as Igor in
Son
Of Frankenstein
. Others feel his role in
White Zombie
was his greatest triumph.
In 1943, Bela Lugosi put on heavy makeup and padding to play Frankenstein's monster in
Frankenstein
Meets The Wolf Man
. But, did you know that Bela Lugosi was cast in the 1931 version of
Frankenstein
?
Dracula was a huge financial success in February
1931. The studio was billing Bela Lugosi as the new "Lon Chaney". Anxious for
another successful horror film, Bela Lugosi was cast in the 1931 film
Frankenstein
.
Many questions are still unanswered. How did Bela
get cast in
Frankenstein
? Did the changing of Directors affect Lugosi's role in the
film? Did Bela Lugosi agree to play Dr. Frankenstein, only to be pressured into playing
the monster? What would his makeup look like? Were Bela's makeup tests as the monster
successful or a disaster? Why do no photos of Bela Lugosi as the Frankenstein monster
exist today?
Jack Pierce's personal photo albums have no photos
of Lugosi from this film. Did Lugosi refuse the role because the monster had no dialog and
his face was to be completely covered under heavy makeup? Was Lugosi powerful enough to
break a Universal Studios contract for these two reasons or is there another answer?
Perhaps the answers to these questions are in Bela Lugosi's personal scrapbook.
First, let me tell you a little history of the
scrapbook.
Bela and his wife Lillian put together four or five
scrapbooks with the help of professional clipping services. Lugosi also brought home movie
studio press books to add to the scrapbooks. Late in his life, Bela was befriended by
Richard Sheffield, who ran errands, cleaned his desk and refilled his water cooler.
Richard even started a Bela Lugosi fan club to try to revive the aging actor's career.
Bela eventually gave the scrapbooks to his young
friend and fan. Over the years, Richard kept the scrapbooks under his bed, and at a
friend's house. When Forry Ackerman had a big auction in the 1980's, Richard Sheffield
sold the scrapbooks at auction to several collectors. The collector who purchased the
scrapbook from 1931-33 placed the scrapbook on eBay, where I purchased it.
Let's browse through Bela Lugosi's personal
scrapbook and answer these questions. The answers were printed in various newspapers in
1931 and 1932. How did Bela Lugosi get cast in the 1931 version of Frankenstein? According
to Los Angeles CA RECORD dated April 22, Lugosi's agent signed him to a long term
Universal contract while the actor was in Hawaii filming
The Black Camel
. Lugosi
was "surprised" to learn that he would star in
Frankenstein
and
Murders
In The Rue Morgue
.
According to this article, Lugosi's agent signed
him up for the role, without his knowledge. He was probably authorized to act on
Lugosis behalf because this 1931 and Lugosi was in Hawaii.
Did the changing of Directors effect Bela Lugosi's
role in the film? Did James Whale fire Lugosi from
Frankenstein
and hire Boris
Karloff? Before James Whale, Robert Florey was to direct Frankenstein. But according to
Filmograph
magazine (Hollywood, CA), dated April 25, 1931: "... George Melford will direct
Frankenstein
;
Bela Lugosi is the star..." George Melford was the director of the Spanish version of
Dracula
in 1931.
On May 16, Robert Florey was signed to Universal
and would "probably" direct
Frankenstein
. Robert Florey went on to direct
Lugosi in
Murders In The Rue Morgue
. A June 30th article in the scrapbook states
James Whale renewed his Universal contract and will direct
Frankenstein
.
Was Bela going to play Dr. Frankenstein or the
monster? While several articles announce Bela will have the title role, featured role or
lead role, an article from the June 8th
Los Angeles Examiner
states "...Bela
Lugosi, the star, speaks never a word in the picture."
An earlier article from April 20 announces that
Bela Lugosi will put on the make up for Universal's Frankenstein.
None of the articles mentioned Bela Lugosi would
play Dr. Frankenstein.
What did Bela Lugosi's makeup look like as the
monster? Probably not like Boris Karloff's makeup in the finished film. The various
scrapbook articles describe the monster as eight feet tall, with 12-inch shoes to complete
the illusion. The monster will be "a weird creature resembling a man of the
Neanderthal age whose mentality is astounding in some respects but whose heart is that of
a monster."
Carl Laemmle, Jr. planed "to make the
character on the screen appear even more awesome than Chaney's Hunchback of Notre
Dame."
According to the Union of San Diego, CA (June 28,
1931) "When Lugosi is made up, only his chin and eyes will be visible, grease paint
and putty completely covering the rest of his face." But according to the LA Record
of June 7, Lugosi was having problems with the makeup.
And according to a June 20th article, "He
(Lugosi) is now studying makeup for the part.
Perhaps these were the reasons that Jack Pierce's
photo albums contain no photos of Lugosi as the monster in 1931.
Could Bela Lugosi break a Universal contract
because he didn't like the makeup and the monster had no dialog? I doubt that argument
would be strong enough.
The
Hollywood Filmograph
magazine dated
January 2, 1932 offers a solution: "Bela Lugosi next to play Frankenstein, but he
told Carl Laemmle, Jr. that he figured physically he was not strong enough to give the
strength and power to the characterization and begged to be given another; this was done
and he was given Murders In The Rue Morgue while Boris Karloff played Frankenstein and
immediately became a star.
The exact date that Lugosi was replaced with
Karloff is unknown. In the opening credits of
Frankenstein
, the monster is listed
as being played by "?" and Boris Karloffs name is not shown on screen
until the closing credits.
There you have the truth right from Bela Lugosi's
personal scrapbook... at least the truth as told in official press releases in 1931 and
1932. I will bring this scrapbook to The Monster Bash. Anyone who wishes to look through
it is welcome; email me
here
.
Thanks, Dennis, for letting us peek
through one of Bela Lugosi's scrapbooks. It certainly sheds some light on what was
happening with Lugosi during the critical time he was slated to appear as the Frankenstein
Monster (and ended up with
Murders In The Rue Morgue
as a sort of consolation
prize). If only they had cast Lugosi as Doctor Frankenstein and some unknown actor
named Karloff to play the Monster...
Article copyright ? Dennis Phelps
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