The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela Lugosi

Book Description

Bela Lugosi won immediate fame with his portrayal of the immortal count in the 1931 film Dracula. While the role may have given him eternal life on the silver screen, it doomed him to a career plagued by typecasting. After a decade of trying vainly to broaden his range and secure parts to challenge his acting abilities, Lugosi finally resigned himself to a career as the world's most recognizable vampire. His last years were spent as a forgotten and rather tragic figure.

When he died in 1956, Lugosi could not have known that vindication of his talent would come—his face would adorn theaters, his image would appear on greeting cards and postage stamps, his film memorabilia would sell for more than he earned in his entire career, and his Hungarian accent would be instantly recognized by millions of people. Martin Landau's Oscar-winning role as Lugosi in the 1994 film Ed Wood added an ironic twist to a career that had ended in oblivion.

In 1974, devoted Lugosi fan Arthur Lennig published a highly regarded biography of the unsung actor. More than twice the length of the original and completely rewritten, The Immortal Count provides deeper insights into Lugosi's films and personality. Drawing upon personal interviews, studio memos, shooting scripts, research in Romania and Hungary, and his own recollections, Lennig has written the definitive account of Lugosi's tragic life.

Customer Reviews:

Great for all Lugosi Fans.......2007-01-16

This book is well researched and well written. It is very informative and very entertaining. I highly recommend this to any Bela fan or fan of the horror genre.

I Love This Book BUT..........2006-10-10

I loved this book.I read the first addition originally published in 1973.This revised edition is even better,with more photos.HOWEVER, I really am sick and tired of all of the Bela Jr. bashing in THIS edition.Mr. Lenning gives a very ONE SIDED account of the court battles that ensued after Lugosi's death between Bela Lugosi Jr.and his fathers widow, Hope.Aside from that, I recommend this book highly to fans of Lugosi's and those new to his work.

This guy needs a new editor.......2006-04-06

First off, I admit that it pains me to find fault in such an obvious labor of love. Mr. Lennig must certainly be the Greatest Living Bela Lugosi Fan, and it shows. The Immortal Count is painstakingly detailed in its accounts of both the content and construction of Lugosi's films. But for all its technical prowess, Lennig's writing vacilates between professional criticism and amateurish defensivness.

For example: The author laments the he himself was maligned in another book, Universal Horrors. Like a child who's just been called a bad name, Lennig makes reference to "smart-ass critics." Does anyone reading this book CARE what other critics think of the author? It's a moment of self-indulgence that does not belong in what should be--by virute of volume alone--the definitive study of the films of Bela Lugosi.

There is much concensus among film critics that Lugosi himself often bended the truth to his will, especially in interviews conducted during his final years. Reading THE IMMORTAL COUNT, one suspects Arthur Lenning has, himself, succumbed to the same malady. He appears ready to defend his subject's shortcomings at every turn. While such hero worship can be charming, in this context it seems unprofessional.

The other, somewhat lesser, problem I found with the book is that the author often feels it necessary to give virtually shot-by-shot descriptions of the films. Lennig has many "behind-the-scenes" tales to tell, and these should make up the bulk of the material.

If the film descriptions could be trimmed, and the irrelevant asides excised, I believe THE IMMORTAL COUNT would be very close to the defintive Lugosi history we fans have been waiting for. As it stands, it's a lovingly-crafted but highly-flawed work.

Fantastic a must for all Lugosi fans.......2006-03-16

What can I say, this book is a great followup expansion of Lennig's earlier biography, which has been my favorite books since I purchased it in the early 1970s. Informative and loaded with pictures, you can tell the author idolizes the subject and won't skimp on the details. This book shows why Lugosi should be considered to be more than just a ham actor from the golden age of Hollywood which many reviewers do, but a bonifided talented star.

Definitive.......2005-11-30

By now, everyone knows that Arthur Lennig has reworked his 1974 mini-cult classic THE COUNT. What I didn't know was the extent to which he did.

THE COUNT was tough to come by when I was a kid trying to read about Lugosi, Karloff, and Chaney Jr. My public library had it, and my brother and I would check it out on alternative weeks to keep it in our possession (seemingly, no one else was clamoring for it). When Lennig released the rewrite, I kept waiting for the price to fall (it never really did), so a year later, I caved in and bought it.

I'm glad I did. Lennig has expanded the book beautifully, utilizing the latest scholarship and revising entire chunks. He's also re-evaluated the credibility of some of his sources (Caroll Borland among them), and integrated some of the opinions of Gregory William Mank. The new book also softens some of the pot-shots he took at Karloff in 1974, and casts Chaney Jr. in a far less unfavorable light. The Epilogue is really interesting and up to date. In fact, the one fault is that Lennig may still have too much affection for Lugosi to be truly objective--but that's a "fault" easily excused if you have the same "fault" yourself!

In all, THE IMMORTAL COUNT is a terrific read, nicely updated, and a great addition to your library.

Book Description

Troubled urban neighborhoods and jazz-club havens were the backdrop of Gerald Majer's life growing up in sixties and seventies Chicago. The Velvet Lounge, an original hybrid of memoir, biography, and musical description, reflects this history and pursues a sustained meditation on jazz along with a probing exploration of race and class and how they defined the material and psychic divides of a city. With the instrument of a supple, lyrical prose style, Majer elaborates the book's themes through literary and intellectual forays as carefully constructed and as passionately articulated as a jazz master's solo. Throughout the work, issues of identity and culture, art and politics achieve a rare immediacy, as does the music itself.

In portraits of Jimmy Smith, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Sun Ra, and others, Gerald Majer conveys the drama and artistry of their music as well as the personal hardships many of them endured. Vivid descriptions and telling historical anecdotes explore the music's richness through a variety of political, social, and philosophical contexts. The Velvet Lounge, named after the famous Chicago club, is also one of the few works to consider the music of such avant-garde jazz musicians as Fred Anderson, Andrew Hill, and Roscoe Mitchell. In doing so, Majer builds a bridge from the traditionalist view of jazz to the world of contemporary innovators, casts a new light on the music and its makers, and traces connections between jazz art and postmodernist thought.

Present throughout Majer's spirited encounters with the worlds of jazz is Majer himself. We hear and appreciate the music through his individual sensibilities and experiences. Majer recounts growing up in racially divided Chicago -- his trips to the famed Maxwell Street market, his wanderings among its legendary jazz clubs, his riding the El, and his working in a jukebox factory. We witness his awakening to the music at a crossroads of the intimately personal and the intellectually provocative.

Customer Reviews:

A deeply moving memoir in tune with the rhythms of music itself and its influence on society.......2006-01-07

The Velvet Lounge: On Late Chicago Jazz is a memoir of author and English professor Gerald Majer's experience growing up in sixties and seventies Chicago, amid troubled inner city neighborhoods and jazz-club oases of lightning-beat sound. Contemplating both jazz itself and issues of identity, culture, art, race, and politics, The Velvet Lounge captures both a wistful look at the big picture and vibrant memories of star music players such as Jimmy Smith, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Sun Ra, and more. A deeply moving memoir in tune with the rhythms of music itself and its influence on society.

A fine book, with a poetic approach and style .......2005-12-02

Writing about free jazz this book shows passion and freedom in its own style of writing. I really enjoyed the poetic, improvisational approach the writer followed. It was like he was riffing with words and stories. It's more literature than history or reportage, though there's tons of descriptions of musicians and music in Chicago--Sun Ra, Roscoe Mitchell, Ed Wilkerson, Jr, Maghostut Malachi Favors, etc. Very intense and powerful writing, like a song.

False Advertising.......2005-11-30

Unlike the other reviewer, I purchased and have tried to read this tome. The best part of it is the cover, which features a photo of great Chicago tenor Fred Anderson. Unfortunately, the book does not live up to its title, "On Late Chicago Jazz." The book is "on" the author and his stream of consciousness musings and memories tipped off by a reference (often circuitous) to a Chicago jazz musician, or a musician that played there frequently. The book is a huge disappointment, because with all that needs to be said about the purported topic, little is. The book has its moments, but for the most part is a precious, narcissistic rambling of tangents and digressions; worse than Ramblin' Jack Elliott or Henry Miller at their most tedious. In pukka, it's a flat out drag, daddio. If you want some knowledge on late Chicago jazz, for now you're much better off buying a Delmark CD (or 2) and reading the liner notes.

Ok I don't really have the book yet..........2005-10-04

But Gerald Majer was my English professor back in undergrad at Villa Julie College, and I wanted to give him props for publishing a book! When I was going through school, he was still working on it, and I remember the hard work he put into it. Congrats Dr. Majer, good luck with everything!

Becca

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Very well written
Interesting, but what's it for?
enjoyable and instructive
History and practice
Chess strategy changed a lot

Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy
John Watson
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1901983072

Customer Reviews:

Very well written.......2007-07-05

I liked this book: it can give you clear ideas about a set of topics about strategy. The first part is built upon the discussion of the ideas given in "My System", by Nimzowitsch, as seen from a modern master's point of view. Despite of this other-source-dependence, the book if self-sustaining: you do not need to read Nimzowitsch's book to understand J. Watson's.
If you want to improve your strategic skills on chess, buy it (and read it!).

Interesting, but what's it for?.......2007-05-11

Take my comments here with a grain of salt. I'm an intermediate player and no more than that. I will never know as much about chess as Mr Watson. But I have this book, and others like me will buy it (as we probably are the target audience), so I'll put in my two cents worth as to my impressions.

First of all, a lot of work has gone into this book. Mr Watson is very scholarly, and writes very well. My first impressions of this book were "amazing", just like many of the reviews here. But the more I read, and the more I think, the more I have some concerns. So I will try to list them now:

1. Who is this aimed at? As an intermediate player, I am looking for chess books that "teach me", that "help me to improve" or are just "fun to read". But this book purports from the outset to be more of a summary of what is going on in modern chess.

2. Is Mr Watson qualified to summarize modern chess strategy? As a 1700 odd player, I don't really understand a game that a 2000 player is playing. I have read and seen that the jump from IM to GM is enormous. I have serious doubts that anyone less than GM level can accurately describe how GM's are applying strategy, let alone describe all the strategic advances since Nimzovich. In fact, I doubt that Mr Watson, as an IM, could fully explain strategy up to Nimzovich.

3. Why the lack of humility? What's with an IM taking sides for and against ideas of GM's? I think unless you had played at GM level you have no business presenting yourself as an expert who can decide which GM's are right or wrong.

4. What's with "rule independence" the main thesis of the book? So, the position and analysis that has been done on it (probably with a computer today) is more important than strategic rules. Well I think the ability to understand a position beyond rule application has probably always been key at GM level - there's a reason why so few can get there. Does this help me, as an intermediate player, to learn though?

5. Is Nimzovich a decent starting point anyway? Some GM's are very dismissive of "My System" - have a look at Kevin Sraggett GM's book review on his web site.

While a ton of work has gone into this book, and I enjoy browsing from it, and can learn from it (as an intermediate player), I just don't like the way Mr Watson presents himself as the expert who can summarize and provide the word to date on chess strategy. I think IM's can and do write terrific books that teach us chess. But to summarize the state of all chess strategy knowledge? Come on! It would be like me writing a book on IM chess, which would be a total joke.

enjoyable and instructive.......2007-01-03

We are lucky, thanks to this book we can learn chess strategy avoiding to study outdated books like the ones by Nimzowitch and Pachman.
Watson tells us which of the old ideas are still good and which are wrong, and then he give us the modern brand new ideas. All in a enjoyable and instructive way, without thousand of boring and not useful variations in every position. Variations like the ones that make Pachman impossible to read.

History and practice.......2006-07-14

I am about half way through Watson's book. It is very clearly written. I like it because it contributes to two areas. As a student of the game, I am interested in chess's history. It is intriguing to learn more about Nimzowitsch's contributions and to learn how chess theory has advanced in recent years. Second, I am already seeing Watson's lessons influence my play and understanding of the game. All in all Watson is a good teacher.

Chess strategy changed a lot.......2006-06-09

Recently I got this book from Amazon.Compared with Pachman's modern chess strategy which I bought 32 yrs ago it is much more advanced and different in treatment.Basic theory of positional chess play remains same but attitude towards the game by the players are no more like what it was 40 or 50 yrs past.I need more time to read the book thoroughly and study games by playing over the board before giving expertised comments.Games are nowadays computer annotated/analysed.Author presented his work in grand fashion.His depth of teaching the subject is superb. Still all my chess books are excellent five star products.Because I love to read books and play chessto my entire satisfaction.I also have Silman's How to reassess your chess,amatuer's mind and reassess your work book out of which amatuer's mind is the best of the lot.If you just read the book without playing the games over the board,you are bound to enjoy it.Watson treated the subject with new approach and technique.His teaching pattern is altogether satisfactory and of high quality.I fully appreciate this work.

Book Description

For more than 50 years, television situation comedy has been inspiring laughter while reflecting American culture in unique and often fascinating ways. Between the prefeminist antics of Lucy Ricardo and the postfeminist musings of the women in "Friends," the depiction of females in this genre has evolved as interestingly and surprisingly as the women's movement itself. In Televison Women from Lucy to "Friends," author Lynn Spangler applies a cultural feminist perspective to many shows and characters, discussing the nature of humor, theories of television effects, and various definitions of feminism. Each decade of the half-century is analyzed, with six series highlighted for each period. The author discusses, for each sitcom, the features of its major female characters, including their appearance, work, and education, female friends, relationships with men, and other social issues that have made the situation comedy a powerful lens through which to view 20th-century feminist subjects.

Customer Reviews:

Great read on fun subject.......2003-11-30

Lynn Spangler's book brings back memories of great TV shows we all loved and helps us understand their dynamics more thoroughly. A wonderful book for anyone interested in women and television.

Television Women from Lucy to Friends: Fifty Years of Sitcoms and Feminism

Average customer rating:

Television Women from Lucy to Friends: Fifty Years of Sitcoms and Feminism
Lynn C. Spangler
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTQA10

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books