Interview: Robert Cremer And Lynne Lugosi Sparks Discuss Béla Lugosi And The New Edition Of ‘Béla Lugosi: The Man Behind The Cape’

Béla Lugosi was one of the more memorable actors to portray Dracula, but that’s not all he accomplished in his storied career. Author and journalist Robert Cremer is responsible for writing the biography Béla Lugosi: The Man Behind The Cape. He is also the author of The Secret Language of the Blues (1993). Lynne Lugosi Sparks is not just the granddaughter of Lugosi, she is also the CEO of Lugosi Enterprises. The following interview is primarily with Cremer with Sparks’s offering her perspective. The subject: the new edition of The Man Behind The Cape which is currently seeking crowdfunding on Kickstarter.

Benjamin Hall: Is this book’s focus on the actor as a person or his status as an icon

Robert Cremer: As the title suggests, the primary focus of this book is on the private man, but a great deal of this information contributes to the reader’s fuller understanding of the personal qualities that made Béla the icon, who gave the horror film not only a name but also a unique voice. Readers will quickly see that Béla’s personal life story was the negative from which his stage and film roles were developed.

The dramatic events of his life, including triumphs and tragedies, played a significant role in his achieving his “moment in time” as Count Dracula. As a young boy, Béla set as his goal to become the greatest actor on the Hungarian stage, and this dedication continued in the US. Appearing first in Hungarian-language stage productions, in less than four years, he appeared on the Broadway stage and re-established his Hungarian image as a matinee idol. The factors that influenced his uncompromising demand for perfection in his craft were just as much drawn from his personal life as from his professional training. Exclusive interviews with Lillian, Béla’s wife of 20 years, his relatives and closest Hungarian friends were the only sources that could reveal the private man behind the cape. These revelations help to explain the forces that practically predestined Béla for his cult status today. I am pleased that Dr. Gary Rhodes, a leading authority who has written eight books on Lugosi, has contributed an insightful epilogue for the book on Béla’s legacy to film history.

Benjamin: What is the through line for this book beyond it being about Bela Lugosi? For example: a personal issue that either plagues or inspires him

Robert: One major focus of the book is to correct widespread misinformation concerning Béla’s dependence on drugs. In order to explain this complex issue, the book begins with his decision borne of desperation to commit himself for treatment in 1955 due to his debilitating dependence on drugs and alcohol. The book then focuses on his childhood and later life to illustrate the factors in his personal life and professional career that resulted in this dependence. His occasional use of drugs as painkillers resulted from severe injuries he suffered during WWI. He was forced to take painkillers occasionally during his performances, because he refused to let these severe pains interfere with his pact with his audience to provide an impeccable performance. This dramatic aspect of his career is detailed by his wife Lillian, who administered the shots, and by Dr. Nicholas Langer, his attending physician at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk, CA, where Béla was rehabilitated. Exclusive access to his hospital records reveals the dramatic recovery process as well as insights into Béla’s psyche.

This story also explains why Béla himself deliberately exaggerated his dependence on drugs from just three years to 20. Readers will also learn why Béla announced his drug dependence to the newspapers on his ex-wife’s birthday.

Benjamin: About how much of the book’s contents will be interviews and how much will be pictures

Robert: The manuscript is just under 500 pages. This represents a 60% increase in content over the text of the original edition of the book, published in 1976. The original edition contained 42 photos, whereas this newly expanded and revised edition contains over 700 film stills, family photographs, documents, correspondence and illustrations from the Lugosi Family Archives and other sources. Many of these photos are rare or have never been seen before. A great deal of new interview material has been added to the manuscript, including exclusive interviews with (director) Edward D. Wood, Jr.

Benjamin: How much of a fan of Lugosi are you now versus before starting this project?

Robert: I was fascinated by Béla since I first saw him on TV, when Universal released its Shock Theater package of classic horror films in 1957. This project was an eye-opener for me, because learning about Béla’s personal life enhanced my appreciation of him as an actor immensely. I came to respect him not only as an actor, but also for his impressive qualities as a humanitarian and devoted family man.

Lynne Lugosi Sparks: Even though I am his granddaughter, I am more of a fan of Béla Lugosi than I was before I began working with author Robert Cremer on the biography! I was already a fan of my grandfather’s work and, of course, have a huge respect for his place in film history and his status as a pop culture icon, but he was so much more. I hope that the book gives to readers what it gave to me – a greater appreciation of the man behind the cape and the life experiences that shaped him, the story for which many will find to be much different than what they expected or thought they knew.

Benjamin: Since you are using Kickstarter to crowdfund this new edition, can you give some clue as to possible stretch goals, or a potential release date?

Robert: Clover won’t be running any stretch goals for this campaign. They might add a few more items of interest as the campaign moves along, but we’re happy with the options offered. The great news is the book is complete. I’ve been working on the manuscript for years, but I’m glad to report it’s complete. Clover is working on the layout, and there’s a lot of material to work with. But some of the components will take a little longer to produce, so the estimated time of fulfillment I’m told is May 2024.

Thank you to Robert Cremer and Lynne Lugosi Sparks for their time and answers!

The Kickstarter campaign for this edition of Béla Lugosi: The Man Behind The Cape is currently running. Expectations for delivery fulfillment are currently May 2024.