Bela Lugosi - Hollywood's First Dracula Quiz

Answer: October 20, 1882

Bela was the youngest of four children.

Answer: Lugos

This town (then part of the Kingdom of Hungary) is now Lugoj, in Romania.

Answer: True

Istvan Blasko was a prominent banker in the town of Lugos, and a very strict father at home. This is one of the many reasons, it is believed, that Bela ran away from home in 1894--one of the others being that he wanted to be an actor and his father was very displeased with the idea.

Answer: No

At the age of twelve, Bela had enough of the school life. He dropped out and ran away from home.

Answer: True

He served as an infantry Lutienant (in the Hungarian Army) in WWI from 1914 to 1916. He received the equivelant of the purple heart.

Answer: 1921

He arrived in the USA as a member of the crew on a merchant ship. He was part of the revolution in Hungary and was on a list of people wanted by the Hungarian authorities. To avoid being caught, he jumped ship in New Orleans in December 1920. His son, Bela Jr., confirms the story that he jumped off.

He made his way to Ellis Island in New York whre he was admitted to the USA in March 1921 (he became a US citizen in 1931). His first American film was "The Silent Command" (1923), a spy movie in which Bela played the bad guy.

Answer: True

Interestingly, Bela learned all his lines this way. He must have had an incredible memory!

Answer: 1927

He took the role of Dracula in place of actor Raymond Huntley in 1927. It ran for three years on Broadway and also toured on the west coast.

Answer: Lon

Bela was not the first choice for the character of Dracula and probably wouldn't have had a chance had Lon not passed away.

Answer: Lillian

Bela and Lillian married on January 31st, 1933. He was 50, she was 22. This was the marriage that lasted for 20 years (he married five times). During this time, Bela's only son, Bela Jr. was born.

Answer: 5

Here's how they go: On June 25, 1917, he married Ilona Szmik. They were married for 2 years. In December of 1920, he married Ilona von Monagh. They were married for 4 years. In 1931, he married Beatrice Weeks. This was the famous marriage that lasted only 3 days. On January 31, 1933 he married Lillian Arch.

They were married for 20 years. And FINALLY, in 1955 he married Hope Linninger. He was married to her until his death the following year.

Answer: Yes

Shortly after "Dracula" came out, Bela officially became a U.S. citizen on June 26th, 1931.

Answer: 7

"The Raven", "Mark of the Vampire", "The Mysterious Mr. Wong", "The Best Man Wins, "Chandu on Magic Island", "Phantom Ship", and "Murder By Television". One of my personal favorites is "The Raven". "Murder by Television" is also quite good. Bela was a busy little beaver in '35!

Answer: Plan 9 from Outer Space

This movie has been voted the worst movie ever made. It was released in 1959. He passed away in 1956. Too bad he had to rely on Ed Wood for his work; Ed Wood--the king of the pathetic movies.

Answer: August 16, 1956

Bela died peacefully in bed on August 16, 1956 of a heart attack at the age of 73.