Bela Lugosi & Count Dracula

He set the template for the character in movies so heavily that almost everything that followed—whether an honest attempt to compete with him or to humorously parody his style—has inevitably created an automatic comparison. His presence in pop culture is so strong that you don’t even need to be familiar with the original 1931 film, or even know who Lugosi is, to still simultaneously know that Count Dracula wears a cape and vest, has a high collar, a widow’s peak hairstyle, and speaks with a thick Hungarian accent.

But Lugosi’s characterization wasn’t purely a Hollywood invention—it was shaped by his earlier stage performances, beginning with his portrayal of Dracula in the 1927 Broadway production at the Fulton Theatre in New York City. The play was a success, and Lugosi toured with the production across the United States. After acquiring the rights, Universal originally intended to cast Lon Chaney in the lead role of the adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel under the direction of Tod Browning, but Chaney’s death prevented that from happening. Instead, the 47-year-old Hungarian actor with only rudimentary English skills stepped into the part. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Original Page September 19, 2007 | Updated April 2021