Poor Bela-The Black Sleep (1956)

Bela Lugosi's last real role in a film was The Black Sleep (1956). I don't count Plan Nine From Outer Space as his last role because his contribution to the...let's call it a movie for the sake of argument...consisted of a few short minutes of footage Ed Wood shot for another project.

The Black Sleep stars Basil Rathbone as a surgeon who uses the 'Black Sleep' drug to experiment on live subject in order to save his wife. Bela plays the bit part of Rathbone's butler, who was a test subject and is now mute because of it.

It always makes me sad to see this movie because of Bela. He was such a fine actor with a distinctive voice that having him play a tiny role of a mute seems like a waste of his talent. Don't get me wrong, he does a great job with the little he's given. Still, it's a sad statement about his career, and of how badly Hollywood treated him.

If you wish to see it, it's available through Crackle.com (http://crackle.com/c/The_Black_Sleep/The_Black_Sleep/2479570)

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!