Introduction
Back in 2009 Michael Mallory’s book Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror was released. The picture-filled book covered the history of the monster movies produced by Universal. Long out of print, a new edition was released in 2021.
This article will cover what you can expect within this 268-page tome and whether it is worth your time and money to buy a copy. Note: There are hundreds of pictures included in this book. The pictures in this article represent only a small sample of what can be found between its covers.
Hollywood’s House of Horror
The introductory chapter covers the history of Universal Studios. It discusses such information as the early years of Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal Pictures, as well as his early career in the movie business in the Eastern United States. It goes over the reasons why Laemmle headed west, founding Universal Studios and briefly covering the history of the studio through the late 1940s.
The Rest of the Book
After the introduction, the chapters fall into two different categories. The first are chapters about the movies themselves including a synopsis of each movie in addition to details about the production. Next are “Spotlight” chapters (which are very similar to the Scholars’ Spotlight section on this website). These provide a short biography about a specific person connected to Universal Horror films. Even though they are spread across the book, for this article they will be covered together at the end.
Silent Nightmares
This chapter provides overviews of the silent era of horror at Universal. The movies covered are:
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
- The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
- The Cat and the Canary (1927)
- The Man Who Laughs (1928)
Dracula
This chapter discusses the Dracula franchise of movies from the 1930s and 1940s at Universal Studios. The movies featured are:
- Dracula (1931)
- Dracula (The Spanish Version – 1931)
- Dracula’s Daughter (1936)
- Son of Dracula (1943)
- House of Dracula (1945)
Frankenstein’s Monster
Similar to the preceding Dracula chapter, this chapter covers the Frankenstein franchise of movies from the 1930s and 1940s at Universal Studios. The movies featured are:
- Frankenstein (1931)
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
- Son of Frankenstein (1939)
- The Ghost of Frankenstein (1939)
The Wolf Man
Since the book gives Dracula and Frankenstein their own chapters, naturally the Wolf Man would be next in the pantheon of Universal Monsters. This chapter includes team-up movies between these three characters (regardless of the title). The movies that are discussed are:
- Werewolf of London (1936)
- The Wolf Man (1941)
- Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943)
- House of Frankenstein (1944)
- She-Wolf of London (1946)
The Mummy
Although the Mummy appeared earlier than the Wolf Man, he appears later in the book because he didn’t have any Team-Up movies with those other ghouls. The movies in this chapter are:
- The Mummy (1932)
- The Mummy’s Hand (1940)
- The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)
- The Mummy’s Ghost (1944)
- The Mummy’s Curse (1944)
The Invisible Man
The next film series to be covered in the book pertains to the H.G. Wells-inspired tales of The Invisible Man (and Woman). The movies featured in this chapter are:
- The Invisible Man (1933)
- The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
- The Invisible Woman (1941)
- Invisible Agent (1942)
- The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944)
Creatures, Creepers, and Chillers
This chapter covers the lesser-known B-series of the Universal Pantheon, with each section discussing a particular series/character. They are:
- Paula, The Ape Woman
- The Creeper
- The Inner Sanctum
Monsters, Madmen, and Freaks of Science
Some Universal movies were not part of any franchise at Universal. These films are covered in this chapter which features:
- The Old Dark House (1932)
- Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
- The Black Cat (1934)
- The Raven (1935)
- Black Friday (1940)
- Man Made Monster (1940)
- Horror Island (1941)
- Night Monster (1942)
- The Mad Ghoul (1943)
- The Strange Door (1951)
- The Black Castle (1952)
- Tarantula (1955)
- The Mole People (1956)
- Monster on the Campus (1958)
Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello were two of the biggest stars at Universal during the 1940s. This chapter covers the movies they made with Universal Monsters in them. It should be noted that this chapter is different from the others, as the movies are not broken down into sections. Rather, they are covered in a more comprehensive essay format.
The Gill Man
The Creature from the Black Lagoon was the last of the classic Universal monsters to appear, so it should come as no surprise that he appears near the end of the book. The movies that are given an overview are:
- Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
- Revenge of the Creature (1955)
- The Creature Walks Among Us (1955)
Monsters Walk Among Us
This chapter gives a basic overview of the Universal horror movies from the late 1950s through the 1960s. It spends a considerable amount of time on the Hammer Films from the UK, which were distributed by the studio. It also focuses on the television series, The Munsters, also a Universal product.
The Legacy Continues
This final chapter of the book covers the influence Universal Horror has had on pop culture in modern times. This ranges from everything including the recent Invisible Man movie from 2020 to the Universal Halloween Horror Night events held at the studio’s theme parks. This chapter honestly feels tacked on and doesn’t fit the rest of the book.
Spotlight Chapters
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, several spotlight articles cover the lives and careers of a variety of people instrumental in the creation of the Universal Horror pantheon. They are:
- Lon Chaney (actor and makeup artist)
- Bela Lugosi (actor)
- Boris Karloff (actor)
- Curt Siodmark (screenwriter)
- Lon Chaney Jr. (actor)
- Una O’Connor (actress)
- John P. Fulton (special effects)
- Dwight Frye (actor)
- James Whale (director)
- Rogue’s Gallery (various actors)
- Jack P. Pierce (makeup artist)
- Hans Salter (composer)
- Scream Sirens (various actresses)
Conclusion
If you are a fan of Universal Horror movies and want to have a nice coffee table book filled with great pictures, Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror is worth your time and money. It delivers a wealth of information and is well-organized with a nice presentation.
