Bela G. Lugosi
Bela George Lugosi (born January 5, 1938) is an American attorney and the son of actor Béla Lugosi. His legal actions in Lugosi v. Universal Pictures led to the creation of the California Celebrities Rights Act. He is often referred to as Bela Lugosi Jr.
Bela George Lugosi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bela George Lugosi January 5, 1938 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Bela G. Lugosi, Bela Lugosi Jr. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California (BS, LLB) |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer Producer |
| Spouse |
Nancy Beauchamp
(m. 1957; died 2022) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Béla Lugosi Lillian Arch |
Biography
Lugosi attended the University of Southern California, where he received his B.S. in 1960 and LL.B. from its School of Law in 1964. He was admitted to the State Bar of California that year.[1] He practiced for much of his career at Hanna & Morton, a Los Angeles litigation boutique. For several years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he was an executive at Comedy III Productions, the holding company founded by The Three Stooges.[2][3] He resigned from the Bar in 2018.[1] In 2022, he was inducted into the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.[4]
Personal life
Lugosi met Nancy Beauchamp while students at Dorsey High School, marrying in 1957. The marriage lasted 64 years until her January 2022 death. He has four children, Greg, Jeff, Tim, and daughter Lynne Sparks, and seven grandchildren.[5]
Lugosi has been among those who felt filmmaker Edward D. Wood Jr. exploited his father's stardom, taking advantage of the fading actor when he could not refuse any work.[6] Most documents and interviews with other Wood associates in Nightmare of Ecstasy suggest that Wood and Lugosi were friends and that Wood helped Lugosi through the worst days of his depression and drug addiction.[7]
References
- Bela G. Lugosi, Attorney Search, State Bar of California; accessed 2021.12.07.
- "Friedemann O'Brien Goldberg & Zarian Names Bela G. Lugosi Of Counsel". Metropolitan News-Enterprise. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
But an appeals court overturned that decision and finally in 1979, the California Supreme Court, in Lugosi v. Universal Pictures, ruled that Lugosi did not inherit any rights that Universal Pictures infringed. It said the Lugosi name and likeness could not pass on to the actor's heirs, since the right of publicity died with Lugosi. However, the California State Assembly passed a "Celebrities Rights Act" in 1985 which said that rights of publicity survive the celebrity's death and descend to heirs by wills, among other means.
- Harper, Jennifer (1999-08-23). "A Rose Is Still a Rose ... Unless It's Been Licensed - growth in marketing if licensed products - includes article on poll about greatest US achievement in 20th century". Bnet. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
Lugosi and the Stooges are represented by Los Angeles-based Comedy III Productions, which handles requests for merchandise or other tie-ins. "Lugosi as Dracula created a whole new genre in American film," says his son, Bela G. Lugosi, now a lawyer who owns the rights to his dad's name. "His image is recognized around the world." Lugosi also specialized in the representation of other heirs who seek protection from manufacturers who illegally profit from famous names.
- "Here are the Winners of the (Gasp!) 20th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror awards". RondoAward.com. February 22, 2022. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - "Nancy Marie Lugosi, Obituary". La Cañada Flintridge Outlook Valley Sun. Outlook Newspapers. 3 September 1938. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr., dir. Brett Thompson, 1996
- Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr. Rudolph Grey, 1994
