While the majority know Bela Lugosi for his portrayal of Count Dracula in the 1931 film adaptation of Bram Stoker‘s novel, few are aware of his service with the Austro-Hungarian Army during the First World War. The famed actor spoke little of this time in his life, but did reveal a few tidbits to his co-stars over the years.
Bela Lugosi’s early life and stage debut
Bela Lugosi was born Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó on October 20, 1882 in Lugo, Hungary. When he was 12 years old, he dropped out of school, ran away from home and took on a number of manual labor jobs, before beginning his stage acting career in 1902. His earliest known roles were in provincial theaters during the 1903-04 season.
In 1911, Lugosi moved to Budapest, where he appeared in productions with the National Theatre of Hungary. Between 1913-19, he had an illustrious acting career, putting on an estimated 172 stage performances.
Bela Lugosi’s service with the Austro-Hungarian Army
While he rarely discussed this time in his life, Bela Lugosi actively served during the First World War, volunteering with the 43rd Royal Hungarian Infantry Regiment in 1914 as a ski patrolman. As a member of the Austro-Hungarian Army, he was sent to the Eastern Front, where he and his comrades were constantly locked in skirmishes with the Russians.
Among the most disastrous engagements for the Austro-Hungarian Army was the Carpathian Winter Campaign of 1915. This stemmed from fighting that had occurred between the Russians and Germans during the Battle of Tannenburg, after which the former moved into the border region of Austria-Hungary. During fighting at Rohatyn, in what’s now western Ukraine, Lugosi suffered his first injury.
Following his recovery, he joined the effort to drive the Russians out of the southern passes of the Carpathians. While this would ultimately end in a stalemate between the two sides, it was costly for the Austro-Hungarians. In what has been described as “the largest barrage yet attempted on the Eastern Front,” German guns and those of other Central Powers fired an estimated 750,000 shells onto Russian positions.
Fleeing Hungary following the revolution
Following World War I, Bela Lugosi became involved in a radical actors guild, which called for the nationalization of theater in Hungary and an end to the system that gave actors roles based on seniority. When the Hungarian Soviet Republic under Béla Kun collapsed in 1919, his activism left him vulnerable to imprisonment and execution, prompting him and his first wife to flee to Vienna, after which they settled in Berlin.
While in Weimar-era Germany, Lugosi starred in a number of silent films. In December 1920, he found a job aboard a merchant ship bound for New Orleans, Louisiana and made his way to New York City. He was admitted into the United States through Ellis Island in 1921, after which he formed a small stock company with fellow Hungarian actors, which toured the East Coast and put on plays for fellow immigrants.
Dracula (1931) becomes an instantaneous hit
Despite the praise he received from critics for his stage portrayal of Count Dracula, Bela Lugosi wasn’t Universal Pictures’ first choice when the decision was made to turn the book into a film. Instead, the likes of Paul Muni, John Wray and Chester Morris were considered.
Lew Ayres was the first person hired to take on the role, but was replaced by Robert Ames after he was cast in a different movie. Ames was subsequently replaced by David Manners, who later took on the role of Jonathan Harker. It was only then that Lugosi was tapped by director Todd Browning.
Bela Lugosi’s declining acting career
In the mid-1930s, Bela Lugosi suffered a dip in his career, with a much-needed popularity boost coming with the double feature of Dracula and Frankenstein (1931) at a California theater. This led Universal Pictures to re-release both nationally and hire Lugosi for a number of new films, including 1939’s Son of Frankenstein.
In total, Lugosi would star in 18 movies for the movie studio.
Death and legacy
On August 16, 1956, Bela Lugosi passed away of a heart attack at his Los Angeles apartment. His body was found by his wife, with the medical examiner concluding the 73-year-old had passed away peacefully in his sleep. While a rumor spread that he’d been clutching the script for an upcoming Ed Wood film, this was later proven to be untrue.
Lugosi was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. According to his son, the actor was buried in full costume, wearing a cape and his Dracula ring. While it was believed he’d personally requested this be done, Bela Lugosi Jr. has said on multiple occasions that he and his mother, Lillian, made the decision themselves, adding that it’s likely what his father would have wanted.