. . . runs exactly 6 minutes, 51.4 seconds--NOT the "Nine Minutes" stated here. The Kino Lorber version appears complete and unedited, so it's likely the "missing" two minutes are not missing at all, but simply the result of someone throwing up information without even consulting their display counter. As for the substance of this interview, it seems totally scripted, with "Dorothy West" being an actress playing a journalist, rather than an actual scribe. This short ends with Lugosi pretending to exercise mind control along the lines of his Legendre character in WHITE ZOMBIE to send Dorothy on her way. During the Q & A, Bela tells Dorothy he was on the "wrong side" of a Hungarian revolution, resulting in his emigration to America and swearing in as a U.S. citizen. (Nowadays his rebel background would have kept him on the "Do not fly" list.) He says he's happier to be in country where people "mind their own business." (This interview came out before the Snowden disclosures.) Interestingly, Dorothy refers to flicks such as Lugosi's DRACVLA and WHITE ZOMBIE as "mystery movies" (evidently, studios thought calling them the "horror" genre would be too pejorative and off-putting). Lugosi's top tip? "Life is too short for me to go to Hollywood parties."

This film is supposed to be an informal interview of Bela Lugosi by Dorothy West, though it's very obviously staged and scripted. It is oddly quiet, though--even for a film from 1931. There is not one bit of incidental music in the film--not even when the short begins or ends. This makes for an unusual viewing experience. As for the 'interview', Miss West asks Lugosi about his career and life in America. Lugosi seems very relaxed and pleasant but near the end he goes into his scary shtick and the film ends on a cheesy not with West running away in terror.This sort of promotional film probably won't be of much interest to many folks but to fans of Lugosi (and there are many), it's pure gold--with a chance to see what is supposed to be the real Lugosi in his spare time. Interesting though indifferently made.

This is a fascinating little film and a highly unusual one. Nowadays we're so accustomed to seeing interviews with prominent actors, whether on TV talk shows or programs like "Entertainment Tonight," it might be difficult for some modern viewers to appreciate what an unusual example of the genre this is considering the period when it was made. When talkies came along in the late 1920s a number of enterprising filmmakers ventured forth to capture sound footage of celebrities, especially politicians, literary lions and top athletes. The resulting films usually display a very self-conscious individual, awkwardly reciting a prepared speech for the cameras. But this footage of actor Bela Lugosi, originally issued as an episode in a series called "Intimate Interviews," is something quite different.Lugosi, who had recently scored a huge success in the role of Dracula, is interviewed in a casual setting, apparently the back yard of his home. He has no prepared text and seems to be answering the interviewer's questions spontaneously and in a fairly relaxed, mellow fashion. (In fact it's the interviewer who comes off as stilted and self-conscious.) Lugosi was Hungarian and his English is thickly accented, but he reports impishly that he's polishing his American slang, and tries out a few phrases on us, such as "okay," "baloney," "the cat's whiskers," etc. He notes that he left Hungary for political reasons and considers himself an American now. He affirms that he's received full citizenship, and adds that he appreciates Americans' tendency to mind their own business.Where his career is concerned Lugosi recounts that he played all kinds of roles on stage in earlier years, but that the role of Dracula haunted and depressed him. He confides, interestingly enough, that he was not satisfied with his work in the movie, adding that as soon as an actor is satisfied with his work, he's finished. On the personal side, Lugosi reports that he isn't involved in the Hollywood party scene because life is too short—and besides, he can't even play the ukulele! He doesn't consider himself gregarious, and admits that he warms up to people only when he has the chance to look into their hearts and find some human kindness and sympathy.The interview wraps up with a little gag suggesting that Bela Lugosi is just as frightening and other-worldly as the characters he plays on screen, but it's clearly intended as a joke. We're left with an impression of a dignified and somewhat distant man, smart and genial but hard to reach. For viewers who know something about his later life, this little film is terribly poignant. The interview was conducted long before Lugosi was typecast in horror roles, long before the films he appeared in declined in quality, and long before his life and career were swamped by substance abuse problems. Here we see the man in his late 40s, still healthy and riding a wave of success, able to joke about the fearsome characters he's played and his wobbly command of English, which ultimately limited the range of roles he was offered. Film buffs interested in Hollywood's golden age will want to see this intriguing souvenir of an actor who was more versatile than his posthumous reputation suggests.

Intimate Portraits: Bela Lugosi (1931) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Infamous short film has Dorothy West interviewing Bela Lugosi shortly after the success of Dracula. This is a very funny short/interview that of course ends with Lugosi scaring the hell out of West as we see her running away from him.Hollywood on Parade #8 (1933) ** (out of 4) Short film has Eddie Borden walking through a wax museum full of Hollywood legends. This is the famous short that has Bela Lugosi playing Dracula and telling Betty Boop "You have booped your last boop." This was my first time seeing the full short even though I've seen the Lugosi segment countless times. Needless to say, that's certainly the highlight.