“I never drink….wine.”
Bela Lugosi will forever be connected to the character of Dracula. His performance as the immortal count not only made him a household name, it changed the world’s vision of what a vampire is forever. Lugosi also has a connection with one of Disney’s most iconic villains, Chernabog.
On November 12, 1939, Lugosi posed as a reference model for the character of Chernabog (Fantasia, 1940). Featured in the Night on Bald Mountain segment of the epic Disney classic, Chernabog has since been featured in the animated series House of Mouse, the live action series Once Upon A Time, the Kingdom Hearts and Epic Mickey video games, and in numerous printed materials, theme park attractions, and other Disney productions. Chernabog is considered to be one of the greatest “representations of pure evil” ever animated for a Disney film.
Despite posing for the character, animator Vladimir (Bill) Tytla wasn’t pleased with Lugosi’s performance as Chernabog and ultimately picked fellow animator Wilfred Jackson (shown above) as the character reference model. The character was conceived by Heinrich Kley and sketched by Albert Hurter and Kay Nielsen (who added color to the character’s appearance), and ultimately animated for the first time by Tytla.
Although he wasn’t chosen as the character reference, Bela Lugosi will forever be connected to one of Disney’s most feared characters.
I hope that you enjoyed this glimpse into the history behind two of the most iconic characters that were ever created, Dracula and Chernabog, and the man that is connected to both of them. More horror on the way tomorrow!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 