LUGOSI: HOLLYWOOD'S DRACULA - Various Artists

YEAR: 1997

LABEL: Truthmonger Publishing/McWhorter Greenhaw Inc.

TRACK LISTING: Organ prelude from Mystery House radio show and Robert Clarke spoken introduction - Bela Lugosi & Robert Clarke, Suite from Ocskay Brigaderos - Jim Baker & Gary Freeman, Swan Lake - Dallas Banjo Band & Art Greenhaw, Black and Tan Fantasy - Dallas Banjo Band, Variation on Gershwin's Prelude - Art Greenhaw, Lon Chaney's Gonna Get You (If You Don't Watch Out) - Art Greenhaw, Swan Lake Overture - Art Greenhaw, Brother Can You Spare A Dime? - John Walden & Dallas Banjo Band, Listen To the Lambs from WHITE ZOMBIE, White Zombie - Joel Shaw Orchestra, Texaco Star Theater (November 15, 1939) - Bela Lugosi, Variation on Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1 - Art Greenhaw, Mail Call (May 11, 1944) - Bela Lugosi, Edward Everett Horton & Gregory Ratoff, Child of the Night - Art Greenhaw, Gary D. Rhodes & Tim Cooper, We're Horrible Horrible Men - Bela Lugosi & Boris Karloff, Adaptation of Chopin's Nocturne in E-Flat - Art Greenhaw, A Hunchback Named Ygor - Art Greenhaw, The Devil Bat theme music, The Rudy Vallee Show (October 22, 1946) - Bela Lugosi & Billie Burke, Swan Lake Rock - Art Greenhaw, Candid Microphone (October 24, 1947) - Bela Lugosi, Czardas - The Light Crust Doughboys, There Are Such Things - Bela Lugosi, Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula - Art Greenhaw, Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula (instrumental reprise) - Art Greenhaw

IMPRESSIONS: This soundtrack cd can be enjoyed even if you haven't seen the documentary (and I actually had the cd years before I actually managed to track down the film on DVD. The cd features some tracks which have become favourites of mine and perennial Halloween listening; these include the spectacular 78rpm "White Zombie" by the Joel Shaw Orchestra (a lesser version of which appears as "Zombie" on the HALLOWEEN STOMP cd discussed elsewhere), the Bela & Boris duet "We're Horrible, Horrible Men" and the incredible scratchy but treasured "There Are Such Things" speech by Bela Lugosi which Christopher Lee later reprised in the early 70's film IN SEARCH OF DRACULA. Composer of some of the documentary's music Art Greenhaw is certainly no singer but his straining attempts to sing on "Lon Chaney's Gonna Get You" and "Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula" are endearing even though they sound as if poor Art is vocalizing while trying to extricate himself from a tightly-wound shroud!

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Swan Lake - Dallas Banjo Band & Art Greenhaw, Lon Chaney's Gonna Get You (If You Don't Watch Out) - Art Greenhaw, Listen To the Lambs from WHITE ZOMBIE, White Zombie - Joel Shaw Orchestra, We're Horrible Horrible Men - Bela Lugosi & Boris Karloff, The Devil Bat theme music, Czardas - Light Crust Doughboys, There Are Such Things - Bela Lugosi, Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula - Art Greenhaw, Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula (instrumental reprise) - Art Greenhaw

FACT SHEET: LUGOSI: HOLLYWOOD'S DRACULA is the soundtrack cd of the documentary DVD of the same name chronicling the life and career of Bela Lugosi. The documentary is narrated by Robert Clarke and Rue McClanahan. "Swan Lake" was composed by Piotr Illich Tchaikovsky. "Black and Tan Fantasy" was composed by Duke Ellington. "Lon Chaney's Gonna Get You (If You Don't Watch Out)" first appeared in the MGM musical THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929. "We're Horrible, Horrible Men" is taken from the radio show "Baker's Broadcast" from 1937 or 1938. According to Bela's widow Hope Lugosi, Bela's favourite song was "Czardas".