Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi

Boris Karlof started off in 1919 as a bit part player
in Silent movies. He didn't gain any recognition for
years to come. He was born as William Henry Pratt
and became a famous monster actor. He got his
big break when a role came up that Bela Lugosi
turned down. It was the role of Frankenstein! The
year was 1932, and Karlof was a hit! He eventually
made 130 films.

He was a kind man who gave generously of
himself to needy children He was born in 1887 in
London, England. He was the youngest of eight
children. Targets 1968 was his last movie. In it, he
plays an aging actor making a guest appearence in
the re-release of one of his movies.

Karlof will be remembered for his horror roles,
Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Walking Dead, The
Old Dark Horse, and a collection of stories for
children that was released on record. Children the
world over will also remember his voice as the
narrator, and voice of the Grinch in "How the Grinch
Stole Christmas."

Boris Karlof died in 1968 from a respiratory
disease. He was 82 years old.

Written by Sandi Johnson

"I - am - Dracula...." was the phrase of evil
in Hollywood. Bela Lugosi started it all with a
heavy deliberate, imitateable accent. In 1927 he
played Dracula on Broadway for a year or two on
the road, but when he introduced himself to the
film audiences of the silver screen, it was like
seeing evil for the first time.

He was born Bela Blasko on October 20,
1882 in Logos, Hungary. He had training at the
Budapest Academy of Theatrical Arts. Sometimes
he used another name, Arisztid Olt during 1918. It
was the collapse of the Hungarian Monarchy, and
during that time, he organized an actors union.
When the Leftists were defeated in 1919, he fled
to Germany where he appeared in a number of
films, but in 1921 he came to America.

With superior screen ability, he shared the
stage with another great, Boris Karloff. Cinema
had boomed, and people were flocking to the
mivies, so Lugosi had many roles to choose from,
but Dracula made him famous. The vampire image
became part of his real life. He even took
interviews while in his coffin.

Unfortunately, famous as he was, Lugosi had
problems with money and marrital disasters. In
1955 he commited himself to a California State
Hospital as a drug addict.

Afterwards, he returned to the screen and
announced he was getting married for the fourth
time, but in August of 1956 he died. He was
buried with his Dracula cape.

Even today if you watch his performance as
the handsome fiend, a chill works its way accross
your heart. It screams out at you, and you know
that it's evil at its core.

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