age and declining health had taken a toll. of happy accidents, as when And—though he seems to have appeared at David Durston (whom I inter- only a small number of the many summer viewed because of his father’s (and winter) stock venues in the United connection to Lugosi) revealed States—the fact that Lugosi had already that he had himself appeared spent three years playing in repeat perfor- with Lugosi in summer stock mances of the same two plays may have in Denver, Colorado. made him less exciting to book. Denver, Colorado: the How many summer stock performances city underscored an important did Lugosi do? Surely, this is in question, as no problem. The New Yorker and catalogue of all American summer (or winter) New York Times did not usually stock performances exists. Many attempts cover Lugosi’s summer stock to tell Lugosi’s life story hardly mention his performances outside of New work in this arena, if at all. One key to unlock- England (and in fact did not ing this period of Lugosi’s career came, thanks always mention some of his to the published memories of a few persons appearances in that region). who knew him: Richard Gordon, for example, Trade publications like Variety who saw him in a version of Arsenic and Old did not report on most of them, Lace, and Simon Oakland, who performed in either. What all of this means stock with Lugosi in Norwich, Connecticut. is that those of us who study Those examples led me to investigate Lugosi’s history have realized Lugosi’s summer stock career in some detail that he likely did more work— A elegant portrait of Bela Lugosi from the in the early 1990s, squinting page by page at perhaps much more—than we late 1940s. (Courtesy of Ronald V. Borst/ Hollywood Movie Posters) the New Yorker and the New York Times, both have found. Buried somewhere of which listed New England-area summer in yellowing newspaper pages stock performances. That meant reading about are more treasures waiting to be discovered. est book on Lugosi (Bela Lugosi: Dreams and hundreds of plays, my eyes going blurred But the digital age means that some of Nightmares), the online archives of various until those rare moments of success, stumbling those newspapers—an increasing number newspapers helped me to add more summer across information about previously unknown of them as each week passes—are being stock credits to the list. Such findings can then Draculas, previously unknown versions of digitally scanned such that they are keyword lead to more discoveries. After learning that “I killed him because he said I looked like searchable. The Internet has become the Lugosi appeared in a 1947 version of Dracula Bela Lugosi.” The process uncovered many newest tool for those of us who dig in the in Litchfield, Connecticut, for example, I was DRACULA “new” Lugosi credits, along with a number graveyard of history. While finishing my lat- able to locate and interview a woman who had been present in the audi- ence; her husband had taken the official photographs of GoestotheJuniorHigh the play, which she still pos- sessed. By Gary D. Rhodes (1946). Once again, the Hollywood horror in the number and profile of American sum- These kinds of discover- film temporarily came to an end, at least as far mer stock performances, allowing him to find ies continue. For me, one of It was as if the passage of ten years as Lugosi was concerned. Two years would more work than he had in, say, 1937 and 1938. the most exciting is a 1950 became a circle, rather than a straight line. pass before he would return to the Universal For Lugosi, summer stock meant the summer stock version of In 1936, Bela Lugosi’s piercing eyes stared at horror film genre, and even then it would be opportunity to earn $500 or more per week Dracula that my longtime a change in the film industry. He appeared in a horror-comedy (Abbott and Costello Meet with not one, but two, different plays: Dracula friend Bill Kaffenberger— in only one new horror movie that year, The Frankenstein in 1948). In the meantime, Lugosi and Arsenic and Old Lace. More than any other the man who originally un- Invisible Ray (1936), which premiered in Janu- once again turned to the stage. kind of work, summer stock served him quite earthed the fact that Bela ary. He also portrayed criminals in one feature Despite the apparent repetitions, how- well from 1947 to 1950. In addition to a good Lugosi had appeared in film (Postal Inspector) and one serial (Shadow ever, the post-war period was different for salary, Lugosi received respect from most au- newsreels covering the San of Chinatown) in 1936, and he was grateful for Lugosi than the late thirties. His appearance diences, from many critics, and from his fellow Diego Exposition (1935) and both. After all, no other horror film roles came, in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein did performers. His productions often followed the filming of Black Friday as the Hollywood studios let the genre grind not reinvigorate his film career, as had Son or preceded those of other stars appearing in (1940)—recently made by to a halt. It would be another two years before of Frankenstein. That meant Lugosi was par- stock performances at the same theater, rang- searching an online archive Lugosi worked in the reemergent Universal ticularly dependent on other, non-cinematic ing from Paul Lukas to Sylvia Sydney. of Florida newspapers. When horror film with Son of Frankenstein (1939), work. Despite his small number of television Those were generally happy experi- he contacted me, my mind relying in the interim on the movie serial appearances in the late forties, Lugosi did not ences for Lugosi, financially and otherwise. immediately went to an old (SOS Coast Guard in 1937) and on the stage find a lasting home in the medium, no more But his era in stock performances—except clipping I have in which Lu- (Tovarich, also in 1937) for work. than he had ever found on radio. for a brief return in a 1954 version of Arsenic gosi claimed to have worked One decade later, Lugosi experienced a While it is tempting to focus on Lugosi’s in St. Louis—came to an end during 1950. in a nightclub act in Miami. similar situation. He starred in only one hor- poor decisions and bad luck, it is easy to The reasons were many, perhaps. Certainly, On at least three occasions, ror film in 1946, Scared to Death, which would overlook those moments when fortune smiled his departure for England that year caused Glenn Strange (left) and Bela Lugosi (right) take I searched through micro- not be released until the following year. He at him. His lack of film work post-war was a an interruption in his summer stock career. a break on the set of 1948’s Abbott and Costello films of newspapers, week Meet Frankenstein. (Courtesy of Photofest) also played a criminal in Genius at Work problem, no doubt, but it coincided with a rise By the time he returned to America, his by week, finding nothing. I

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