British politics isn't the only horror story today...

So today Liz Truss became one of the shortest serving PM but its not the only horror related story today.

 

On this day in 1882 Bela Lugosi was born, Famous for portraying Count Dracula in the original 1931 film and for his roles in various other horror films.

Lugosi began working in Hungarian theatre in 1902. He emigrated to Germany and made his first silent films in 1917 after performing in 172 different plays. Because of his prior voluntary socialist activity (organizing a stage actors' association), he was forced to flee Hungary after the 1919 failure of the Communist uprising and settle in Germany (Weimar Germany). He made several movies in Weimar Germany prior to migrating to America as a merchant seaman and then New York City and Ellis Island. In 1927, he starred as Count Dracula in a stage play of Bram Stoker's novel, which was transferred to the West Coast in 1928 and made his home in Hollywood. He played Dracula in Tod Browning's 1931 film. In the 1930s, Lugosi was a key presence in horror cinema, but his widespread reputation as Dracula and his formidable Hungarian accent greatly restricted the roles he could play.

Lugosi was a charter member of the American Screen Actors Guild, but he was increasingly limited to minor roles because he could not speak English more clearly. He was kept employed by the studios because they wanted to advertise him. Lugosi participated in The Black Cat (1934), The Raven (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939) as a major player only due to Boris Karloff's participation. Even in The Raven (1935), Karloff received top billing despite Lugosi playing the lead role. Lugosi was receiving regular injections for sciatic neuritis and became addicted to morphine and methadone as a result. He was becoming increasingly addicted to prescription drugs and booze, which were detectable to producers. As a result, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) was the last big-budget film he appeared in, and offers for his participation in lower-budgeted productions dwindled to a few parts after that. Some of these films were directed by Ed Wood.

 

This weeks sketch...

bela lugosi sketch


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