A message from the legacy of Dracula: Béla Lugosi’s granddaughter speaks to fans

She would like to visit Hungary one day and is glad that Madame Tussauds Budapest commemorates his grandfather with a wax figure, said Lynne Lugosi, Béla Lugosi’s granddaughter, who has a major role in the soon-to-be-published first official biographical book about one of the most famous Hungarians in world history.

Béla Lugosi has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, his birthplace is visited by thousands, and Madame Tussauds Budapest pays tribute to Lugosi, who was born 142 years ago on 20 October, with a lifelike wax figure. On the occasion of the anniversary, the actor’s granddaughter also spoke through Madame Tussauds Budapest. Related article: Hungarians on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Béla Lugosi started a new life overseas in 1920 and never returned home. He married Lillian Arch in 1933, with whom he had one child, Béla Lugosi Jr. Currently, his daughter Lynne Lugosi runs the company that manages her grandfather’s estate.

“My grandfather and grandmother Lillian created beautifully organised photo albums and scrapbooks that documented both my grandfather’s career and his personal life with Lillian and my father, Bela Lugosi, Jr. These are treasures to our family and pieces of history for the film world” – said Lynne Lugosi. “Our most prized piece from my grandfather’s personal items was his screen-worn cape from the 1931 Universal film Dracula. After the film, Béla wore the cape on stage and in appearances for the rest of his life. My grandmother preserved the cape and gave it to my father, who in turn kept it with the family until he decided that this extraordinary artifact, one that defined Béla and the character he created, should be preserved and shared with future generations. The Béla Lugosi Dracula Cape is now in the collection of the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, California,” said Lynne Lugosi, who is living in the United States. She also revealed that the most famous Hungarian stayed connected to Hungary and Transylvania throughout his life. 

“Throughout his life, Béla spent his social time almost exclusively with his wife Lillian’s family, who were also Hungarian, and his close friends in the Hungarian community in Los Angeles. He primarily spoke Hungarian at home and was an avid reader of Hungarian newspapers, but most of all, he loved Hungarian food, Egri Bikavér wine, and parádi ásványvíz sulfur water! As a young child, my dad understood Hungarian and spoke a little, but as he got older, he lost his knowledge of the language,”