Bela Lugosi photographed in 1931

These interviews are transcribed as printed in publications of the day. Errors and misstatements are not corrected. Many of the factual errors come from Bela Lugosi himself, as he tried to refashion the past to suit the present. Much of the wit and references to prominent people and events are lost on modern readers. A lot of the obligatory “set-up”—a shuddering report prepares to meet the real Dracula—common in Lugosi interviews for many years, falls particularly flat today. (Frank J. Dello Stritto)

Click on the links to read the interviews from each year:

1923: Portrait Of The Young Actor

1925: Six Feet Of Breeding And Polish

1928: Fame In America At Last

1929: Reel Life A Bit Slow, Real Life A Bit Hot

1930: Dracula Rising

1931: An Undying Myth Is Born

1932: Strange Creatures & Demons

1933: Lost Soul Looking For An Island

1934: Back To Hollywood

1935: A Short-Lived Crest

1936: Sunset For The Vampire

1937: Almost Total Eclipse

1938: Another Year Of Drought

1939: Second Chance, Second Thoughts

1940: Mixed Blessings

1941: It’s A Living

1942: Trash & Treasure, Triumphs & Wastes

1943: Having Run The Gamut

1944: Change Is Coming

1945-1946: Peace Is Hell

1948: Dracula Returns, But Lugosi Doesn’t

1950: Lugosi Also Dreams

1952: Grateful For Small Mercies

1953: World Weary

1954: Back On The Road

1955: A Dash Of Hope In The Darkest Hour

1956: The Final Act