My article titled A Look Inside of BELA LUGOSI'S Personal Scrapbook was recently nominated for a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award as one of the best magazine articles of 2009, honoring classic horror research, creativity, and film preservation. Being nominated is an amazing honor, and I am very grateful. My article was published in Scary Monsters Magazine #69

Using Bela Lugosi's personal newspaper clipping scrapbook as a reference, I attempted to explain why Bela Lugosi, Universal Star from Dracula (1931), turned down the role as Frankenstein's Monster and launched the horror career of Boris Karloff as Universal's number one horror villain. Here is the completed article. Enjoy:

I really enjoyed making this timeline on my computer. It shows the newspaper clippings arranged by date:

4/5/31 First press release that Bela Lugosi will appear in Frankenstein (1931)
4/22/31 Lugosi "surprised" with contract to appear in Frankenstein (1931)
6/7/31 Lugosi's makeup tests for Frankenstein not working
6/20/31 Lugosi begins to study makeup for the role
Various descriptions of the makeup and the 3 different directors for the film.

If you like my article, please consider voting for a Rondo Award before April 3, 2010. Voting instructions can be found on the Rondo Award Site. Please click the banner below:

Here are a few more pictures of the scrapbook:

Bela Lugosi Owned Item

More Images:

Detail 1
Detail 2
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Detail 6

Bela Lugosi's Personal Newspaper Clipping Scrapbook From His Collection

Location # HR
Amazing piece of movie history from the man who created the modern version of Count Dracula. In 1931, Bela Lugosi played Dracula in the 1931 Universal film based on Bram Stoker's novel. Lugosi's interpretation of the role of the blood thirsty count has become the standard for many other versions. In Stoker's book, Count Dracula was a dead, smelly, walking corpse. Lugosi made the character into a master of mind control, able to seduce women with his piercing eyes. Ask any young boy to talk like Dracula, and he will imitate Lugosi's Hungarian accent. This newspaper clipping scrapbook was owned by Bela Lugosi. The newspaper clippings are marked with red numbers, suggesting he purchased them from a clipping service, then he and his wife, Lillian, glued them into the scrapbook. Also included in the scrapbook are Lugosi's personal copies of his movie pressbooks and theater programs. The scrapbook has been authenticated by Lugosi authors and scholars Gary Rhodes and Arthur Lenig. The history of the scrapbook: After Lugosi passed away, Hope, his last wife, gave it to Richard Sheffield, the boy who befriended Lugosi during his final years. While attending Forry Ackerman's auction in the 1980's, Richard added this scrapbook and another to the auction line up. Comes with a LOA from the auction bidder, email correspondence with Richard Sheffield, and letters from Arthur Lenig and Gary Rhodes verifying authenticity and thanking me for allowing access to the information for both of their books. The scrapbook is visible in a photo of Lugosi's home. Movies covered in the scrapbook: Black Camel, White Zombie, Frankenstein, Murders in the Rue Morgue and more.

NFS

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