From the archive and some image searches to supplement my material, today’s installment proves you can almost never have enough Lugosi. The man always gave his all in a film, no matter how bad it may be.

Bela Lugosi with Arlene Francis in the 1932 Poe adaptation Murders in the Rue Morgue. A fun film; having Lugosi meant Universal Studios would take license with the story and inject a Mad Scientist!

But why is it when you try to breed apes and humans you always end up with tainted blood? Bela gets cross with Arlene… groan.

Lugosi is seen below in The Phantom Creeps, a 1939 serial in which he tries to create an army of Atomic Supermen.

Without much of a film budget, it is only an army of one. What, no Atomic Superwomen?

Ah, here we find Dr Brewster in his lab. The 1943 B-movie is not quite the right answer to big studio hit The Wolfman, but the film The Ape Man is entertaining. Dr. Brewster is not quite your average Mad Scientist. He walks stooped over, swaying his arms, and talking like, well, Dracula. And he wears a morning suit!

Jumping to 1955, Mad Scientist Bela is, after a slew of experiments, confronted by his servant Lobo (Tor Johnson) in Bride of the Monster.  As much as I like monsters, I rather fancy director Ed Wood’s original title, Bride of the Atom!

I will wrap up today’s post with a rare archival negative find from ten years ago (even though it has made its way around the Internet a bit). Circa the mid 1950’s here is a publicity still of Bela with Maila Nurmi, aka Vampira. No doubt from some variety TV performance, Vampira Show publicity, or Ed Wood promotion.

Boris Karloff brings a delightfully sadistic performance to Sax Rohmer’s literary character in the 1932 film The Mask of Fu Manchu.

This adventure film with lavish sets and costumes features some great special effects using more of Ken Strickfaden’s electrical devices.  Check out these great laboratory settings!

Fu Manchu’s quest for the sword and mask of Genghis Khan shows a relentless and evil Pre-Code performance.

With his seductive daughter Fah Lo See (Myrna Loy) at his side, Fu Manchu looks to destroy and enslave the “white race.” Fah Lo See tortures the man she loves, but spurns her…

Like all adventure films of the period, peril and danger are overcome by good. In this case evil is trumped, and the sword of Ghengis Khan is removed as a threat to world domination. But not before a good dose of supernatural Mad Laboratory effects!