Bela Lugosi's Dracula Obsession Explored in Sky Arte Documentary

Bela Lugosi, born Béla Blasko, died on August 16, 1956. The Hungarian actor arrived in Hollywood in late 1923 and became the first and most famous cinematic Count Dracula. His attachment to the role grew morbid, leading to a disturbing identification with the character. Lugosi became an icon of genre cinema, typecast as the evil face, which triggered his decline. Poor professional choices and morphine addiction exacerbated his paranoia, blurring the line between reality and fiction. He gave interviews from a coffin and behaved as if he were a real vampire. Legend says he was buried in his Dracula costume. Actor Peter Lorre reportedly joked to Boris Karloff about driving a stake through his heart. These mysteries are explored in "L'ombra di Dracula," a new episode of the series "Inseparabili" hosted by Carlo Lucarelli, airing on Sky Arte on Monday, March 23.