Lugosi: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood’s Dracula by Koren Shadmi

 

 Reviewed by Jeanne

 

As he did with his excellent graphic novel style biography of Rod Serling, Koren Shadmi presents a fascinating look at another entertainment icon:  Bela Lugosi. The moody black and white drawings seem especially appropriate for a figure whose best known works were filmed that way.  The book opens in 1955 with the elderly Lugosi checking himself into a hospital to try to beat his addiction.  During his delirium, he sees figures, some from his past, some who are just representations, who illuminate his life.

He was born Bela Blasko in Lugos, Hungary, the youngest child of a relatively prosperous family.  His father had begun as a baker but had become a respected banker. Bela’s theatrical aspirations didn’t please his family, so he left for Budapest as a youth, taking the name of his hometown as his surname. The novel traces his career and personal life, both of which could be fraught. He was married multiple times and had numerous affairs, including one with Clara Bow. The “IT Girl” finagled a meeting with Lugosi because she wanted to know more about how he learned his lines phonetically, as his English was limited.  Bow had a thick Brooklyn accent and at that time the motion picture industry was transitioning from silent pictures to talkies. 

Of course, Lugosi’s big break came when he was cast in the stage version of Dracula in 1927, which led to his being cast in the 1931 movie. Suddenly, he was a hot commodity, but his accent and typecasting limited his roles. He had a screen test for the role of the monster in Frankenstein but he hated the heavy make-up and the creature’s lack of lines.  The role eventually went to Boris Karloff.

In order to make ends meet, Lugosi took roles in low-budget productions, which did nothing to enhance his reputation as an actor. Of course, near the end of his life he worked with Ed Wood, which is a whole ‘nother story.

Overall, I enjoyed Lugosi. Shadmi uses the graphic art medium to great effect, uniting image and words to make a memorable story.  I especially love the way he uses the art to both set mood and to give a strong sense of time and place.  I found the scenes set in the ‘20s and ‘30s to be particularly atmospheric. 

The author appends a list of the articles, books, and other sources he used to create this book. Some aspects of Lugosi’s life are given scant attention and some incidents are not included, but that’s also the nature of the medium.  It doesn’t help that in reading about the actor there can be multiple versions of an event, making it difficult for any biographer to sift out truth from fiction. If I have a quibble, it is that I would have liked some indication of the source for some incidents Shadmi depicted.

I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in early Hollywood, and especially the dawn of horror movies, or anyone who enjoys a good graphic novel biography.

The Twilight Man by Koren Shadmi

Reviewed by Christy

            Koren Shadmi’s graphic novel The Twilight Man tells the story of the man behind one of tv’s greatest cult hits – The Twilight Zone. Rod Serling was a short, Jewish man who fought in World War II and came back with PTSD (called “shell shock” back then.) One thing that helped him cope was writing teleplays.

            Serling’s Hollywood career began with a connection to an unlikely supporter – Desi Arnaz. Serling sold his first teleplay to CBS who wanted to produce it for an episode of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. The story, The Time Element, featured a man who could go back in time to warn everyone about the attack on Pearl Harbor but no one would listen to him. Advertisers were uneasy about a show featuring Pearl Harbor, considering it still too sensitive a topic. A business meeting with Arnaz and his heavy support brought them around. (Who would want to go against Desi Arnaz, especially in the 1950s?) But advertiser reluctance and censorship would be a problem that plagued Serling’s entire career.

            Some consider the Desilu production to be an unofficial pilot for The Twilight Zone, and it’s easy to see why. The story was twisty and fantastical in a way that would become Serling’s trademark. Always keen to provide social commentary, Serling figured out early that if he added in elements of science fiction, he could skate pass censors with what he really wanted to say. The Time Element was a critical and commercial success and eventually led to CBS airing The Twilight Zone. Though the show was a modest success, Serling struggled with budget cuts and writing burn out. After five years, The Twilight Zone was cancelled. Convinced to “cut his losses” Serling sadly sold his share, not anticipating the cult classic it would eventually become.

            Shadmi’s biography is short and to the point, but still helps readers get a good sense of who Rod Serling was as a person. While it goes a little into his early years as a soldier and tester of parachutes (and eventually his marriage and family), the main focus is the creation of an iconic tv show that changed television and the man behind that show. The artwork is lovely, and it was fun to see Shadmi’s version of famous scenes (and actors) from The Twilight Zone. The book itself is even structurally presented as an episode would’ve been, which I liked quite a bit. If you’re a fan of The Twilight Zone or just interested in how television worked in its infancy, I think this biography would be an enjoyable and quick read.

Note:  I received an ecopy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.