1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff he missed in history class from how 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,639 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Frying and I'm Tracy Nee Wilson, and I 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: still have a cold. One day it will go away, 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: we hope. Uh. So we are onto part two of 6 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: our two parter on Bella Legosi. So in the first 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: part we talked about sort of his origins in Hungary, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: some of the crazy adventures he went on as a kid, 9 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: how he kind of rose up into the ranks of 10 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: acting in the national theater, did a little bit of 11 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: military service, eventually came to the United States, and was 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: basically chosen to play the part of Dracula on stage 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: when the first choice actor wanted too much money. So 14 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: that's kind of where he kind of makes his name 15 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: for himself, uh, and becomes a bigger name associated with 16 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: this hit play that critics weren't too wild about, but 17 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: audience has just fell in love with. So when we 18 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: left off, Universal had kind of taken note of how 19 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: popular this play was and they were starting to sniff 20 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: around and be interested in possibly adapting it. Uh. And 21 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: that's where we're actually going to pick up now. And 22 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: this turned out to be a little bit tricky for 23 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: the movie studio because getting the movie rights squared away 24 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: for bram Stoker's novel UH took some wheeling and dealing 25 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: in a lot of sort of fancy footwork on the 26 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: part of the Universal legal team. So bram Stoker's widow, 27 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: Mrs Stoker, had made numerous rights deals on her husband's work, 28 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: and some of those had conflicting agreements. This meant that 29 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: some parties owned portions or right portions of rights to 30 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: the works UH, and they weren't all going to easily 31 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: be dealt with just with one deal directly with her. 32 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: So Universal's lawyers eventually had to make deals with four 33 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: different parties just to get the rights to make the film. 34 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: While all these legalities were still being worked out, Legosti 35 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: had continued to star in the play as it wrapped 36 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,559 Speaker 1: up its run on Broadway and then it started to tour. 37 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: He desperately wanted to star in the film, but he 38 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:17,279 Speaker 1: wasn't Universal's first choice. The film company even telegram Lugosi's 39 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: agent to make it perfectly clear that they were going 40 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: to hire someone else. Yeah, Universal was not interested in 41 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: hiring him. They really had their sight set on Lawn Cheney. Uh. 42 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: And this is Lawn Cheney Senior, in case there's any confusion. Uh. 43 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: Cheney had already made quite a name for himself in 44 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 1: films like The Phantom of the Opera and The Unknown, 45 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: and in an effort to attract Cheney to the role, 46 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: Universal hired Todd Browning to direct Dracula, and he had 47 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: directed Cheney in his his turn in The Unknown, and 48 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: they thought that that pairing might make it really appealing 49 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: to Cheney to come back and work with Browning again. 50 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: So when Loghostie got this telegram, he was really undeterred. 51 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: He continued to sell himself to Universal and suggested that 52 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: to have him continue in the role with drawn audience 53 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: since he was now really associated with the main character. 54 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,239 Speaker 1: He also made it his personal mission to be helpful 55 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,239 Speaker 1: in the negotiations with Florence Stoker as a way to 56 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: kind of ingratiate himself to the film studio. He even 57 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 1: offered to dub the Hungarian version of the film for free. 58 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: He yeah. Universal, for its part, was not super enthused 59 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: with all this behavior. They really perceived this more as 60 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: like wheedling and begging uh and a bit irritating, rather 61 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: than being helpful and uh. In the end, however, much 62 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: as with the stage version, Legosi won the role by 63 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: simply being willing to take it when no one else would. 64 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: After all of the other lead actor choices that Universal 65 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: had in mind turned the part down, and with the 66 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: filming start date looming, they had already scheduled out filming 67 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: and arranged cruise and sets were built. Universal finally offered 68 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: it to Legos for the paltry sum of five hundred 69 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: dollars a week. Uh. They eventually totaled out his payments 70 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: at thirty dollars and this sounds like maybe not such 71 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: a bad deal. I've seen it sort of uh adjusted 72 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: to today's dollars as being about somewhere in the range 73 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: of forty seven thousand dollars for this seven week run, which, 74 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: if you're just a person person, that sounds like a 75 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:28,559 Speaker 1: pretty good sum of money for seven weeks of work. 76 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: But for an actor at the time even it really 77 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: wasn't that great a deal. Uh. This was about a 78 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: quarter of what lead actor with name recognition could get 79 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: for a role. And even though he wasn't that huge 80 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: in film at this point, he did have a film 81 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: career and he really was widely recognized as Dracula for 82 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: the stage production. Moreover, this was lower paid than several 83 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: of the supporting actors received for Dracula. During the filming 84 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: Bellow the Ghosts, he had some pretty serious back pain, 85 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: but the product should have had to stay on schedule, 86 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: so he was prescribed some pretty heavy hitting painkillers to 87 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: get through it. Unfortunately, this would contribute to a lifelong 88 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: struggle with addiction. Uh And there's a fun aside to 89 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: the Dracula filming story that doesn't have to do with 90 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: Bellaa Goosie, but I wanted to include it because it's 91 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,359 Speaker 1: so sort of fascinating. There was actually a second version 92 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: of Dracula that was being made at the exact same 93 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: time as the Browning directed version. So at night, you know, 94 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: the principal photography and the primary crew would go home 95 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: for the day, and a second film crew and a 96 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: slate of actors that were led by Carlos Valarias would 97 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: use those exact same sets and lighting setups to film 98 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: the Spanish language version of Dracula. UH. Universal did this 99 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: to make the best use of their assets and reach 100 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: a broader international audience, and it was actually easier to 101 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: stage an entire second film that it would have been 102 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: to dub the original, And that gets into a whole 103 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: fun sort of movie criticism thing. There are people that 104 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: will say that they actually think the Spanish language version 105 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: is better and sort of more dramatic and dynamically staged 106 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: than uh, the the English version. But that's a discussion 107 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: for another day. But it's just a fun side note 108 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: to the whole Dracula story. The film version of Dracula 109 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: debut on screens on February, which was a Friday, of course, 110 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: in as with the stage version. Critical reception was mixed 111 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: or maybe lukewarm at best, but audiences loved it. The 112 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 1: Universal had a hit on its hands. And and as 113 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: another sort of side note e thing, some people will 114 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,799 Speaker 1: attribute the brevity of the spoken language in the film 115 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: it's not a very talkie film, uh to the fact 116 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: that Legosi was still not fully fluent in English, and 117 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: while that that may have played a part, it's also 118 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 1: important to consider that this was the early days of 119 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: talking He's still a lot of theaters simply were not 120 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: equipped for sound, and Universal really wanted to hedge their 121 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: bets for optimal distribution. I mean they were at this point. 122 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: It was not so much about art, just as many 123 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 1: films today are not artistically great, but they make a 124 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: lot of money. They wanted to sort of be able 125 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: to distribute as widely as they could. So instead the 126 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: film really focuses a great deal on atmosphere and lighting 127 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: and framing to convey the tale rather than long discussions 128 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: and sections of dialogue. In spite of the fact that 129 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: he had really actively campaigned for the role, I mean, 130 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: he had pushed hard for it, he was already kind 131 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: of tired of it before the film even hit the screen. 132 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: During filming, he complained about typecasting, the stigma, the poor 133 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: pay that came with playing the count. He was offered 134 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: a contract to start in another stage production of Dracula 135 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: during the shoot, and he responded that he would not 136 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: redo the role on stage anymore for any price. And 137 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: a quote that becomes really sad when looking back on 138 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: it now, he said, quote, when I'm through with this picture, 139 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: I hope never to hear of Dracula again. I cannot 140 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: stand it. I do not intend that it shall possess me. 141 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: That's sort of sad and depressing. Before we get to 142 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: kind of his life after Dracula, do you want to 143 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,679 Speaker 1: take a word from a sponsor. So to get back 144 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: to Bella. Uh. Todd Browning's adaptation of bram stoker story 145 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: was so successful that it really helped birth the universal 146 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: horror legacy, and the studio was so delighted with the 147 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: pictures triumph that uh it was happy to offer another 148 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: role to Lego see and that next one, and there's 149 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: a whole little story around this was the role of 150 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: Frankenstein's Monster. Initially, according to uh most accounts, he was 151 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: actually originally going to be considered for the role of 152 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: Dr Frankenstein. But then because this was so popular and 153 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 1: some studio executives thought like his name might really keep 154 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: that next picture going and making the same kind of 155 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: box office that they were making a Dracula, they were like, no, no, 156 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: make him the monster. Uh. He was worried that all 157 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: of the makeup and the prosthetics involved in a Frankenstein's Monster, 158 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 1: We're actually going to obscure his face to the point 159 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: that no one would recognize him. Of course, Boris Karloff 160 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: ended up starring in Frankenstein, and he went on to 161 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: great success. Lugosi, on the other hand, never quite got 162 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: over this fact and stayed bitter about how the things 163 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: played out between them for years. Yeah, that's one of 164 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: those stories people like to really play up the that 165 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: Lugosi really hated Karloff, and that's not entirely supported. We'll 166 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: talk about that a little bit later on. But Lugosi did, 167 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: despite having turned down Frankenstein, continue to get work, of course, 168 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 1: But despite his great fame as the stylish and iconic vampire, 169 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: he's still never really commanded huge salaries, and it's unclear 170 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: if his agent was just really bad or if he 171 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: was just willing to take anything. Uh. He started in 172 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:53,839 Speaker 1: White Zombie the year after Dracula premiered, and this earned 173 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: him only a little more cash than he had earned 174 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: while playing Count Dracula, which we had already mentioned was 175 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 1: a quarter of what most you know, well known name 176 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: recognition actors would be making for a film of that nature. 177 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: He started in dozens of films in his career. If 178 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: you look at his Internet movie database profile, he has 179 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: a hundred and seventeen acting credits, but he never again 180 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: achieved the acclaim that he gained Discount Dracula, and he 181 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: never really was able to kind of convert that to 182 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: making serious money as the nineteen thirties due to a close, 183 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: horror was kind of having a downturn in popularity, and 184 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: the roles that Lugosi had access to really dried up 185 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: for a while, But in the nineteen forties it started 186 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: to pick up again, although there was often kind of 187 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: a campy vibe in the roles that that he was 188 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: being tapped to play. A lot of the films that 189 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: Lugosi worked on during this time were either sequels or spoofs, 190 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: and this was the arrow when Frankenstein Meets the wolf 191 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: Man happened, as well as Abbott and Costello crossovers with 192 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: famous horror monsters. Yeah, got a little cheekier and a 193 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 1: little less about like horror and drama. Uh. I also 194 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: feel like we should point out that Todd Browning, who 195 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: directed Dracula, his career did not go so well after 196 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: that movie either. He his next big film was Freaks, 197 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: which pretty much tanked his career. Uh I love Freaks, 198 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: not everybody does. But back to Bella. As his career 199 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: wore on, he just was taking work some worst parts, 200 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: sometimes in total bombs, just for the paycheck. Uh And 201 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: he also took stage roles playing Dracula. As he said, 202 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: he would never ever do. And at one point, uh, 203 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 1: in one of these productions, he found himself stranded in 204 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: the United Kingdom when a touring production of Dracula that 205 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: he was starring in just went bankrupt and bankrupt and 206 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: completely ended abruptly while they were mid tour, and so 207 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: he was just stuck there. He didn't have a way 208 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: to get home. He didn't really have the money, uh 209 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,679 Speaker 1: to to book a ticket home, and so he ended 210 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 1: up having to take a part in a another really 211 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: crappy movie just to make enough money to get home. 212 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: That movie eventually was released as My Son the Vampire. 213 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 1: Lugosi married his fourth wife, Lillian Arch in nineteen thirty three, 214 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: and this is his longest lasting marriage and the only 215 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,079 Speaker 1: one that resulted in a child. Lilian and Bella welcomed 216 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: Bella George Lugosi into their lives on January five, eight. 217 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: Bella and Lilian were married for twenty years before they 218 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:29,199 Speaker 1: separated in nineteen fifty three. Yeah, and even after their separation, 219 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: she really remained part of his life because of their 220 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:34,959 Speaker 1: child together. Um, and we'll talk about that a little 221 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: bit more in a moment, But so throughout his career 222 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 1: post Dracula. We mentioned the prescription painkillers, but Lugosi was 223 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: battling his his addiction to prescription narcotics and it was 224 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,719 Speaker 1: finally at the age of seventy two that he went 225 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 1: to the Los Angeles County authorities for help. He told 226 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: them he was addicted in narcotics and that he needed assistance, 227 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 1: and he checked himself into the Metropolitan State Hospital for 228 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: Addiction Treatment and rehabilitation. When this program lasted three months. Uh. 229 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,079 Speaker 1: And in an interview that was given the day before 230 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 1: he checked out, and this video is online, will link 231 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:16,679 Speaker 1: to it in our show notes, Bella really appeared very upbeat, uh, 232 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: you know that same sort of wonderfully charming, very um composed. 233 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: Just he had like such a great air about him, 234 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: and he talked about how he was a new man, 235 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: he was ready to get back to work. He was 236 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: talking about the work he was going to do with 237 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: Eddie Wood and we'll talk about their relationship in just 238 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: a moment. But he really you sort of see like 239 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:43,959 Speaker 1: that he was this amazing, charming, very erudite man. Uh. 240 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: And the interviewer even says like it's so good to 241 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,679 Speaker 1: see him looking so well and being so much himself again, 242 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: and in spite of that, Hollywood didn't really welcome him 243 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: back with open arms. If he had gone into rehab today, 244 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: that would have been nothing more than a new support 245 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 1: and the industry in the public probably would have even 246 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: you know, rallied behind the newly healthy bellow once he 247 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: was out of rehab. But in the fifties, the stigma 248 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: of his addiction really meant that no one wanted to 249 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: work with him. Yeah, it was not the same as 250 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: it is now. And this brings us to marriage number five. 251 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: So while he was in the hospital that was in 252 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 1: so it was just a couple of years after he 253 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: had divorced Lilian that he went through rehab. He received 254 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: this steady stream of letters, like daily letters from a 255 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 1: fan by the name of Hope Lineager. And Leneger was 256 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: a clerk at r k oh and she had, according 257 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 1: to Legoski's wife Lilian, been writing to Bella Legosi for years. 258 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 1: She would always sign off with the phrase a dash 259 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: of hope. But once he was in rehab, she really 260 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 1: just sort of made it her mission to constantly write 261 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: him and keep this steady, steady stream of of missives 262 00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: going to him. Shortly after he got out of rehab. 263 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: Lugosi actually met with her, and ever impetuous when it 264 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: came to love. It wasn't long before he proposed to her, 265 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: and she was at that point roughly forty years younger 266 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: than her now fiance. Yeah, he's like younger women. There 267 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: was also she apparently lied about her age on the 268 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: day of the wedding to make the gap seem not 269 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: quite so wide, but only by a few years. And 270 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: when you're talking about forty years, I don't know that 271 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: it makes that big of a difference. Um. But perhaps 272 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: realizing that he had been rash and entering into this 273 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: engagement by all accounts, Bella drank pretty heavily. On his 274 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: fifth wedding day. According to Lilian Arch, he called her 275 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: that's again, his fourth wife, and said that he would 276 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: rather be marrying her again. He even suggested that they 277 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: try to give marriage a second shot. She, recognizing that 278 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: he was not sober, was not really willing to entertain 279 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: this kind of talk, and she turned him down, and 280 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: then he invited her to the wedding. So it sounds 281 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: like a little bit of a wacky phone call. Lilian 282 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: refused to attend the wedding, and though his seventeen year 283 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: old son Bella. George served as his best man. Both 284 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 1: the Sun and Lilian. We're a little distrustful of this 285 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: match and more specifically of Hope. But you know, in 286 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: spite of all the family disapproval, which at this point 287 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: was a recurring theme in Bella's life, Bella and Hope 288 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: got married on August. This was just nineteen days after 289 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: he checked out of rehab. Yeah, there's part of me 290 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: that kind of loves a little um, you know, impetuous 291 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: love story. But he was kind of a serial impetuous 292 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: love story that they didn't seem to work out so well. 293 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: So before we go uh and talk about his relationship 294 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: with Edwood and Plan nine, let's have a word from 295 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: a sponsor, and now we will conclude our two part 296 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: around Bella Lego. See, we talked about how his career 297 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: really had had kind of gone downhill, and then rehab 298 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 1: really played a part in making him kind of an 299 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 1: untouchable and holl would no one was willing to work 300 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: with him. But really, if it weren't for his tanking 301 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: career in his leader pariah status, filmmaker Edward may never 302 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 1: have gotten to work with him. So the now famous 303 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: schlock director who Legosi called Eddie. Befriended Legosi when he 304 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: was really living in obscurity, and they worked on a 305 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: number of B grade projects or lower, depending on your 306 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: tastes together, and in the last several years of Legosi's 307 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: life the pair became very good friends. So if you've 308 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: seen Edwood the movie, you might think that Plan nine 309 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: from Outer Space was really a fun film, and it 310 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: is if you like truly terrible films, or maybe rift tracks. 311 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: It has kind of a charm about it, but you 312 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:49,159 Speaker 1: really could never consider it a good movie. You may 313 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 1: also think, if you are familiar with the movie Edwood, 314 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 1: that Bella Legosi slept in a coffin and was really 315 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: quite a card and wow, that's him. Burton biopic is 316 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 1: to any people delightful. Pretty much everyone who knew Bella 317 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: is really adamant that while Martin Landau's performance of him 318 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: in the movie Edward was fantastic, he did win the 319 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 1: Best Supporting Actor Oscar for it, it was not anything 320 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: like Lugosi in real life. Bella Legosi and Boris Karloff 321 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: did not hate each other, although there was some rivalry 322 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: between the two of them when they were being considered 323 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 1: the same parts. So while like I can speak for 324 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: Holly here, he is a huge fan of the movie, Edward. 325 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: I love it. Yes, it took many, many, many liberties 326 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: with the story that we are about to tell you. Yeah, 327 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I um. I just wanted to make sure 328 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: that's clear because for a lot of people when they 329 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: hear about Bella Lagosi in his addiction and his later life, 330 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: they're like, oh, yeah, I saw Edward and it's like 331 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: that that movie is so fun. But that's not what 332 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 1: you should be using is biographical reference. Again, I love 333 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: the film. But so there was one incident adding to 334 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: the karloff stuff late in Legosi's life. This is in 335 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: August of eighteen fifty six, so quite late in his life. 336 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: He apparently awoke in the middle of the night. He 337 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: had passed out after he consumed a good bit of alcohol. 338 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: I think some accounts say that it was a combo 339 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: of Scotch and beer, and he told his wife Hope 340 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,719 Speaker 1: that Boris Karlov had come to the house and was 341 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: waiting in the living room. And in some versions of 342 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: this story it makes it sound like he almost thinks 343 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: karloff Is is almost supernatural or menacing in some way. 344 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: But this is one of those odd tales, uh, And 345 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: there are a few others along the way that sort 346 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: of foster this the story of Legosi being hateful of 347 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: and fearful of and obsessed with Boris Karlov. But really 348 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 1: that's just kind of one of those urban folk tales 349 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 1: that gets fed by much more benign stories along the way, 350 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 1: so not really accurate at all. Not long after this 351 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 1: dream about Boris Karloff, on August fifty six, Bella Legosi 352 00:19:56,240 --> 00:20:00,679 Speaker 1: died of heart failure in his sleep. Uh yeah, he 353 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: was discovered by his wife Hope. Uh he you know. 354 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: By all accounts, it seems like he went quite peacefully. 355 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,320 Speaker 1: And what's interesting is that, even though he spent many 356 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: years of his life trying to get out from under 357 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: the shadow of Dracula, he was buried in full Dracula costume, 358 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:20,439 Speaker 1: including freshly dyed black hair and eyebrows. If you are 359 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: especially uh morbid in your fascinations, you can google that. 360 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 1: There are images of him in the coffin online. But 361 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: by the time he died, Lugosi had played Dracula more 362 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 1: than hundred times when you count all of his stage 363 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: and film appearances. A cape similar to the one he 364 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,360 Speaker 1: was buried in was found hanging in the deceased actor's closet, 365 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: and this sparked some rumors that he had actually somehow 366 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: cheated death and risen from the grave. But of course 367 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 1: there were multiple copies of this cape, and having one 368 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 1: in the closet was not indicative of a supernatural event. Yeah, 369 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: I think that was so wishful thinking on someone's part. 370 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,719 Speaker 1: But that is another story that you'll sometimes here, like, oh, 371 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: he the cape he was buried in was later found 372 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: in the closet of his home. It's like, no, it 373 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: was one of many that he had. Uh. And there's 374 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: actually some debate about the full costume burial being Bella 375 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: Legoci's wish or someone else's. You'll often see it referenced 376 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:22,199 Speaker 1: as accorded on ironically, according to his own wishes, he 377 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: was buried in the full Dracula costume. But I want 378 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: to touch on this a little bit because while his 379 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: son Bella George has said publicly that he and his 380 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 1: mother Lilian made the final decision to do so, to 381 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,199 Speaker 1: put him in the costume, they also do believe it 382 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: was Bella's wish. No one ever I don't think actually 383 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: has said that. You know this, This was certainly not 384 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: written down anywhere. It was not anything that he had 385 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 1: made arrangements for prior to his death. Allegedly, his wife 386 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: Hope also told the coroner that he should be buried 387 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: in his Dracula costumes. So it's a little unclear whose 388 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 1: wish it actually was. Uh, But when you see that 389 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: it was bella Legosis final wish, you may want to 390 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 1: take that with a grain of salt and consider that 391 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:08,199 Speaker 1: there were many hands in that particular decision. He was 392 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: and still is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California. 393 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 1: And while his career was really struggling at the end, 394 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:21,679 Speaker 1: his funeral was actually big news. Newspapers came to cover it. 395 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: There was a dirge Hungarian dirge played on the violin, 396 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: more than a hundred industry mourners showed up. And while 397 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: urban legends have sprung up saying that Frank Sinatra paid 398 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: for the funeral, that's actually not true. Lillian paid for 399 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: the plot in the gravestone, and Hope received the seven 400 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: hundred thirty eight dollar and twelve cent bill from the 401 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 1: funeral home. She paid five hundred one dollars and fifty 402 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: cents of it, which was all that she could afford, 403 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: and she thought that Lilian was going to cover the rest. 404 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 1: I hope found up being sued for the remainder and 405 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: was forced to pay it. Yeah, the two women kind 406 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: of did not agree on who was going to cover 407 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: those expenses. Uh. Like I said, even after their divorce, 408 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: Lilian was very much a part of his life, and 409 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: even right up through his death she was responsible for 410 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: some aspects of taking care of business. Um. And after 411 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:18,679 Speaker 1: Legosi's death, of course, Edward famously pieced together footage that 412 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,640 Speaker 1: he had shot of the actor into what was sort 413 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 1: of a brief appearance in Plan nine from Outer Space. 414 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: And if you've seen that movie, you could see where 415 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,879 Speaker 1: those are just completely weird pieces of film that are 416 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 1: edited in. But to flesh out this story and fill 417 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 1: in the gaps would famously This is another thing that 418 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: is famously known, and it is indeed true. He hired 419 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: a chiropractor named Tom Mason as a Lugosi double. Again, 420 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: that movie is deliciously terrible. I love it, but it's 421 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 1: it often makes like the worst movies ever made list uh, 422 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: and a lot of fans were very upset when it 423 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 1: came out that it it was kind of build as 424 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: Bella Legosi's last film, and it really wasn't a great 425 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,639 Speaker 1: representation of him, and he really wasn't in it that much. 426 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: While his life ends on kind of a tragic note, 427 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: we can wrap up by pointing out that even though 428 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:11,360 Speaker 1: he was worn very frail by years of addiction and 429 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:15,680 Speaker 1: a really struggling career, Bella stayed a showman at heart 430 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,320 Speaker 1: for pretty much his whole life. In an interview with 431 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: entertainment journalist Eric Nzoom, the famed sci fi figure Fory 432 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,480 Speaker 1: Ackerman described helping the Goosie meet the press in the 433 00:24:26,560 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: days leading up to his death, and he said, I 434 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:32,399 Speaker 1: was with him two weeks before he died at the 435 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: premiere of his final film, The Black Sheep. We sat 436 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,160 Speaker 1: together up in the balcony, and afterward we were coming downstairs. 437 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: I could see that they were set up with a 438 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: big TV camera to interview him. He was very vain 439 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 1: and wouldn't be seen in public wearing glasses, so everything 440 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 1: down there in the lobby was just a big blur 441 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: to him. So we got to the bottom of the 442 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: stairs and I said, Bella, they want to interview you, 443 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: and he said, just point me in the right direction. 444 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: I said, take a about six steps forward and you'll 445 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,919 Speaker 1: be there. He straightened up and filled out, and all 446 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 1: of a sudden became the tall, proud figure of Count Dracula. 447 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 1: I love that story. I love it so much. Uh yeah, 448 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: Forest acrament behnd refer to his four kind of a 449 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: really famous figure if you're into sci fi and horror, 450 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: A renowned collector and sort of historian of those films 451 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: of that era. And he befriended Legosi late in his life, 452 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: and it's just such a beautiful memory for him to 453 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 1: share that. You know, here was this man who kind 454 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: of fought the Dracula image, but man, when people wanted it, 455 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 1: he could just turn it on and delight crowds. So 456 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: I love it. That's our Bella Legosti episodes. I get 457 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: all wistful because I really love him. Uh Okay, so 458 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 1: now I have much less HALLOWEENI and non Bella Legostie 459 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,920 Speaker 1: related stuff. Listener mail about our episode about spam. We've 460 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,640 Speaker 1: gotten so many great listener mails, and Tracy picked that episode, 461 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: so she gets all of the kudos for that one. Uh. 462 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: This particular one comes from our listener Angelo, who says 463 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 1: thanks for the great, lighthearted episode on spam and how 464 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: it influenced cuisine all over the world. I was born 465 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: and spent my early childhood in the Philippines, and your 466 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 1: take on spam's popularity over there is spot on. I 467 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: had to laugh when you mentioned that spam can be 468 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 1: sold in airport duty free shops to people traveling to 469 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,360 Speaker 1: the Philippines. I remember having my share of heavy luggage 470 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,639 Speaker 1: on my last visit to the Philippines because my parents 471 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 1: in Canada have wanted me to bring back at least 472 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 1: a can of spam to each one of my family 473 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 1: members back in the Philippines. I would always joke that 474 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 1: whenever a Filipino in another country would go back to 475 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: visit the Philippines, he inadvertently becomes a spam smuggler. I 476 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: would also like to add that another version of spam 477 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,119 Speaker 1: is just as popular in the Philippines, which is canned 478 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: corn beef. When I was growing up, it was seen 479 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: as a bit of a luxury item that seems to 480 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: have become more and more of a staple. It's now 481 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: so popular that Filipino movie stars, pop singers, and even 482 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 1: professional athletes are hired to endorse corned beef in TV 483 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 1: ads and on billboards. Uh, keep up the great work, 484 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: and I hope that you have many more history of 485 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: different food episodes on in the future. Me to you, 486 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 1: I love talking about food. Thank you, Angelo. We got 487 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: a lot of really good spam email, and I'm sure 488 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: we will share more of those with you. We will 489 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 1: definitely read more later. And I will go ahead and 490 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 1: say that we've had a couple of people right and 491 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: point out that Waikiki is not an island. It is 492 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: a neighborhood of Honolulu, and that is entirely my fault. 493 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: And not only is it my fault, it is something 494 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 1: where when I was doing the final read through of 495 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: the outline, I said, I need to look up if 496 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: Waikiki is actually an island, and then I did not 497 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: do it. Well, you know, here's the good news. I 498 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: know that, but I didn't catch it in our review 499 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: or during record. So it's everybody's fault and it's not 500 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 1: that big a deal. We hope we didn't offend anyone 501 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,639 Speaker 1: in Hawaii. We're more than happy to come and do 502 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: research as I suggest, if you would like to write 503 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: to us to tell us what sort of spamulave or 504 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: if you love double we go see or anything else, 505 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 1: you can do so at history podcast at how stuff 506 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: works dot com. You can connect with this at Facebook 507 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: dot com slash missed in History, on Twitter at misst 508 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 1: in history and miss in history dot CoML dot com, 509 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 1: and on pinterest dot com slash miss in History. I 510 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: cannot wait to pen a bunch of Bella Legoste images. 511 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 1: You can also visit our spreadshirt store at missed in 512 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: History dot spreadshirt dot com, where you can purchase missed 513 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: in History merchandise like shirts and bangs and mugs and 514 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 1: all kinds of cool things phone cases. I love those. Uh. 515 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:28,760 Speaker 1: And if you would like to do a little bit 516 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:30,479 Speaker 1: of research on what we talked about today, you can 517 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: go to our parents site, how stuff Works. Type in 518 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,640 Speaker 1: Bella Legosi's name in the search bar and you will 519 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: churn up an episode called pen stars who died during 520 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: the filming of a movie. Uh. He is one of 521 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: them because of the planline thing. Even though they were 522 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: working on many projects planline. Uh where that was in 523 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 1: production is a little hazy, but uh, Bella shows up 524 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: in that article. You would like to visit us at 525 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 1: our website, which is missed in history dot com. We 526 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 1: encourage you to do so. You'll find show notes, all 527 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 1: of our episodes are there. The occasional delightful blog post 528 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: pretty much from Tracy because she rocks on that stuff. 529 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: And if you want to research almost anything you can 530 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: think of, you can do that at our parents site, 531 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: which is how Civils dot com. For more on this 532 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics, is that how Stuff Works 533 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: dot com