Béla Lugosi: The Man Behind the Cape New Printing

Great books often find new life through reprints, and just in time for Halloween, Béla Lugosi: The Man Behind the Cape is being introduced in a prestigious new edition by Clover Press. This is an excellent opportunity for new fans to discover Robert Cremer’s masterful biography of one of horror cinema’s most iconic figures. Now approaching 50 years since its original release, this biography stands out thanks to the timing of its writing. Since Cremer was able to interview many of Lugosi’s family members and close friends, readers gain a level of intimacy with Bela that more recent biographies often miss.

One of the most admirable qualities of this book is how it handles the delicate subject of Lugosi’s battle with drug addiction. Cremer approaches the topic with care, fully acknowledging the severity of Lugosi’s struggles while refraining from casting judgment or engaging in sensationalism. This respectful and empathetic treatment is something many biographers, particularly those writing about figures like Elvis Presley, could certainly learn from.

But Béla Lugosi: The Man Behind the Cape is more than just an essential read for Lugosi fans. Even those with a casual interest in the legendary Dracula actor will find this book engaging and insightful. As an Ed Wood fan, I found it especially valuable for understanding the man behind so many of Wood’s cult films.

There’s so much more to Béla Lugosi than meets the eye.

In addition to its detailed narrative, this new edition is packed with visual treasures. It features over 700 photographs, including rare and previously unseen images from the Lugosi family archives, as well as stills from his films, personal letters, poetry, and other artifacts from his career. Some photos are even presented in color, adding to the richness of the experience. The book is not just a biography—it’s a comprehensive visual and historical document that deepens our appreciation for Lugosi’s life and enduring legacy in film.

Béla Lugosi’s commanding presence, hypnotic voice, and mesmerizing gaze made him the embodiment of Count Dracula, a role that has established him as a cultural icon and a legend of the silver screen forever. But there’s so much more to this captivating individual than meets the eye. This definitive biography of the man behind that menacing cape takes you deep into the personal life of Béla Lugosi as no other biography can. Exclusive interviews by the author, Robert Cremer, with Lillian Lugosi Donlevy, his wife of 20 years, as well as with Béla’s closest Hungarian relatives and friends, reveal new insights into Béla’s humble beginnings in Transylvania, his political activism in Hungary ‒ which cost him his wife, family and almost his life, his harrowing transatlantic crossing to the U.S. and his struggles here to realize his dream of becoming a success on stage and in film.

The story doesn’t stop there but also provides compelling insight into the reasons for Béla’s decline into B-movie productions in Gower Gulch in the 1950s. Exclusive interviews with Edward D. Wood, Jr. unlock heretofore unknown background on Béla’s involvement in the filming of the cult classics Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space as only Ed Wood could provide. The ultimate book for cinephiles, horror enthusiasts, and fans of Bela Lugosi is not to be missed. Featuring over 700 photos, family artifacts, and historical documents, many of which have never been seen outside of Lugosi’s own family, collected here for the first time!

• Why Béla enlisted in the army in 1914, when he could have been excused from military service?
• How Béla became a major union organizer in 1918 that catapulted him to fame and then to exile from his beloved Hungary.
• How a sailor and his cat saved Béla’s life during his transatlantic crossing to the U.S.
• Why Béla was not the first choice for the role of Count Dracula.
• Why did Béla risk involvement in the founding of the Screen Actors Guild in Hollywood, given his near-fatal experience with union activism in Hungary?
• Who was really behind the ban on horror films in 1936?
• Why Béla’s film The Raven began as a box office hit and ended as his nightmare.
• Why Béla risked his health repeatedly on cross-country barnstorming tours.
• What role does fishhead stew play in Béla’s embarking on a second career with filmmaker Ed Wood?
• Why did Béla ask his son not to drive him to his wedding ceremony with Hope Lininger?

Robert Cremer began his journalistic career as a syndicated columnist at the Hollywood Reporter in Hollywood. He later established the first university cable network at the University of California at Berkeley and directed the university FM radio station KALX there. He was a regular contributor to the entertainment section of the San Francisco Chronicle and was a feature writer for other newspapers on the West Coast. While in the U.S., he authored two books, Lugosi: The Man Behind the Cape and Orienteering with Map and Compass. Following his move to Germany in 1993, he authored a book in German, Die Geheimsprache des Blues, which he then translated into English – The Secret Language of the Blues – for distribution in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries. He currently lives in the Bavarian town of Bamberg, which has the densest concentration of beer breweries in the world. He attributes his continuing output in retirement to this fact alone.