BÉLA LUGOSI TRIBUTE NIGHT + Q&A with Lynne Lugosi Sparks & Justin Humphreys

BÉLA LUGOSI TRIBUTE NIGHT – Q&A with Lynne Lugosi Sparks and Justin Humphreys + WHITE ZOMBIE on 16mm!

Actor Béla Lugosi (1882-1956) remains one of the most instantly recognizable, charismatic and mysterious figures from the Golden Age of Hollywood Horror of the 1930s and 1940s. His performances in films including DRACULA, THE BLACK CAT, THE RAVEN, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN and dozens of others are beyond iconic. Lugosi somehow became greater and more mythic than the tormented monsters, mad scientists, carnival hawker and haunted war veterans he so brilliantly portrayed. Few realize, though, that the 6-foot-1-inch Lugosi was a famed theater and film star in his native Hungary, playing over 300 different roles in over 600 performances in provincial theaters as well as with the prestigious Royal and National Theaters in Budapest, while also starring in 10 Hungarian silent films. Lugosi created the chilling but sensual vampire Count Dracula on the New York stage in 1927, and appeared in the role over 300 times before immortalizing the character in Tod Browning’s epochal 1931 film version.

Please join us for a special evening honoring the great Béla Lugosi, beginning with an illustrated conversation onstage with his granddaughter Lynne Lugosi Sparks and acclaimed film historian Justin Humphreys covering Lugosi’s remarkable career and legacy – including Lugosi’s friendship with PRS founder Manly P. Hall (hint: they developed several never-made film projects together in the late 1930s, and Hall “hypnotized” him on the set for Universal’s 1940 crime drama BLACK FRIDAY!). For those who want to pre-order the lavish updated edition of Robert Cremer’s comprehensive official biography of the one and only Béla Lugosi through Clover Press, Béla Lugosi: The Man Behind The Cape, please follow this link.

Following the Q&A we’ll be presenting a rare 16mm screening of one of Lugosi’s finest performances in the utterly hypnotic 1932 B&W pre-Code horror classic WHITE ZOMBIE (67 min.), courtesy of See It On 16mm!

LYNNE LUGOSI SPARKS is the granddaughter of Béla Lugosi and the CEO of Lugosi Enterprises. In the course of archiving and preserving the Lugosi family’s photos and memorabilia, she has also curated an extensive collection of Béla Lugosi’s work on film, including features, serials, and shorts, and coordinated the donation of these materials to the Béla Lugosi Collection at the Academy Film Archive. Along with her father, Béla Lugosi, Jr., she oversaw the transfer of Béla Lugosi’s iconic screen-worn cape from the Lugosi Family Collection to the Academy Museum. Managing the licensing of her grandfather’s name and likeness, she is proud to have established the Béla Lugosi brand, which features a large portfolio of highly sought-after, officially licensed products. Interacting with fans, artists and licensees is the most rewarding part of being a steward of her family’s heritage.

JUSTIN HUMPHREYS is a writer, film historian, and curator. His new book, Taschen's LIFE Hollywood, debuted in August. He has published four other books, including the Rondo Award-winning The Dr. Phibes Companion and George Pal: Man of Tomorrow, the authorized biography of the Academy Award-winning director/producer/animator. He regularly records audio commentaries and appears on-camera in BluRay special features.

Ticket Price: $15 (in-person event only)

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Host or Publisher The Philosophical Research Society