Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration, with a Complete Filmography of Their Films Together Hardcover – May 13, 2009

this one's for you. Don't be intimidated by the size of this volume. This book is not only an entertaining and informative overview of the film industry of the 1930's and 40's, it is a richly detailed history of the careers of two internationally known horror actors: Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. I can assure the reader that you'll want to stay with this book until completion. If you are a fan of the "horror" genre, or as I am, a fan of Lugosi and Karloff, specifically, you'll find this well researched book informative as it guides you through an era in "chills and thrills" the likes of which we'll never see again. The story is often poignant as it describes the divergent paths that the careers of these two stars followed. Karloff enjoyed a satisfying, financially successful career centering on films, stage work, Broadway, radio theater and voice overs. Lugosi's career was filled with frustrations and a lack of the acclaim enjoyed by Karloff. Lugosi's life spiraled out of control as he contended with alcoholism and drug abuse, while Karloff's career continually grew. The book gives us a good understanding of the relationship each man had with the other in the eight films in which they starred together. The incidents related by the author are supported by many interviews he conducted with those involved in various aspects of the entertainment industry while these performers were active. The narrative is balanced and informative. A good read.

Loved the book. After having read several books about Karloff and Lugosi individually, it's cool to read all the relevant information about the movies they did together. While reading, I also re-watched all the classic movies mentioned in the book.

Not a cheap book, not a short book, but an amazing read.There's something special in the writing - the way Mank spices up the main narrative - sometimes fast-forwarding, sometimes rewinding, weaving little quotes and anecdotes into the whole, yet always keeping the larger narrative (comparing and contrasting these two horror masters' careers) in sight.Mank's style is sometimes ironic, but he's never snide and condescending; he loves these films, he loves these people, and he tries to give everyone their due. He honestly conveys the unhappy events, especially in regards to Lugosi, whose final years were by any measures pathetic. The book takes time to finish, and you need to read closely, but you feel immersed in the story, transported back to the 30s and 40s. I felt I could actually hear the voices of the people Mank interviewed.Among the best chapters is "The Rivalry" (chap 17) where Mank speculates about why these two greats never became friends; he considers their differences but also notes surprising common ground between the two. Another fun idea is "Mr Potato Head Features" (chap 28) which makes fun of Lon Chaney Jr (in a genial way). The final chapter (chap 42) tries to assess the positions of hardcore Lugosi fans v. hardcore Karloff fans by giving time to each side.It's almost impossible to imagine a more complete and more fair assessment and comparison. You come away from this book with greater love for both Karloff and Lugosi, and with great gratitude toward the author.

I have read other books by Gregory William Mank. He has never failed to please. I have his book of Karloff and Lugosi: The Story of a Haunting Collaboration which was published in 1990. It was a well written review of the films of Karloff and Lugosi. This recently published Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The EXPANDED Story of a Haunting Collaboration is an excellent upgrade of his first book.Let us now look at the data on those two books:Karloff and Lugosi: The Story of a Haunting Collaboration (1990)9.2 X 6.2 X 1.2 inches384 pagesBela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration (2009)10.3 X 7.2 X 1.7 inches701 pagesAs you can see, this expanded book is precisely what its title says...it is indeed E X P A N D E D. It now provides for much updated information on the films of Karloff and Lugosi with fascinating background information on the two actors. The book has many wonderful photos of their films and behind the scene involvements. It is superbly written. I noticed that Greg Mank's opinion of the work of Bela Lugosi has raised since the publication of his original book in 1990. This parallels Bela's rising star during the past twenty years among fans of those golden age Universal horror films. Today, we can safely say that both Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi are basically equal insofar as their cinematic importance, ability, and impact goes.Kudos to Gregory William Mank for producing this excellent and very readable book about Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and the eight films they worked together in!

Have the first edition, and enjoy it. Being a big fan of Karloff and Lugosi, it's a great read with lots of stories and info....until this new expanded edition came to be.'Expanded' is exactly that! Additional information about the subjects, with lots of updated info from studio files and surviving cast members.You can't go wrong by adding this updated book to your personal library.

Sitting at home in lockdown mode due to the coronavirus, I have found a great source of happiness in reading this book and watching or re-watching the movies the book delves into. The amount of research that went into this book is staggering - this book truly must have been a labor of love for author Gregory William Mank, who I discovered via his amazing commentary tracks (my favorite is the Criterion Collection blu ray of ISLAND OF LOST SOULS) and appearances in documentaries about classic movies. If you like old movies and dig the great Karloff and Lugosi, you will love getting lost in the nearly 700 pages of this book!

A very good book about two of the greatest actors of all time Has many very interesting photographs as wellBUT the service from this firm was awful. No communication. It took them two weeks to post it and when it was delivered it was just thrown over the gate and the packaging was undoneNO tracking number or anything It's a good job the book was very goodCouldn't find it anywhere else so had to use these people.

Finally I have an original version of tis magnificently researched book at a reasonable price and in excellent condition. The book arrived early (always a bonus) well packed etc. Am over the moon :-)

Item not arrived by specified date. Am furious to say the least!!! This is a Christmas present.

i read the author's original publication of this book that came out in the early 1990s and that was good although lacking in some areas. this updated edition is vastly improved as gregory william mank has re-written this volume and as a result, the book is over double its original length, amounting to over 700 pages and about 100 to 200 photographs. the seperate careers of boris karloff and bela lugosi are covered in much more detail and the chapters on their collaborative films have also been written in far greater depth. the facts and figures to be found within this book, are frankly astounding but it is also to mr. mank's credit that the text is easy to read and always fascinating. this is not a cheap book by any means but it would be money well spent.

A very thorough and interesting analysis of the careers of the two contemporary horror stars. I enjoyed this but had to pay a lot for it, even as a Kindle edition.