What Were The Original Universal Monsters?

Have you wanted to find out: What Were The Original Universal Monsters? We look at the original Universal Monsters and discuss the classic horror films which they featured in.

Who Were The Original Universal Monsters

The original Universal Monsters are a group of horror film characters that were created and owned by Universal Studios during the 1930s and 1940s.

They include Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man, Imhotep from the Mummy, the Invisible Man, and Count Dracula.

Other characters from Universal horror films of that era, such as the Gill-man from Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1923) and Phantom of the Opera (1943) have been sometimes included as well.

Classic Horror Films Which Include The Universal Monsters

Lets look at the full list of classic horror films which include the Universal Monsters.

Frankenstein’s Monster Movies

Frankenstein’s Monster, also known as the creature, has been featured in a number of films over the years. Some of the more notable adaptations include:

• Frankenstein (1931), directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff as the creature.
• The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), also directed by James Whale and again starring Karloff.
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), a comedic take on the classic story that features the creature as well as other Universal Monsters such as the Wolf Man and Count Dracula.
• Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), directed by Terence Fisher and starring Peter Cushing as the scientist Victor Frankenstein.
• Young Frankenstein (1974), directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the descendant of Victor Frankenstein.
• Frankenstein (1994), directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Robert De Niro as the creature.
• I, Frankenstein (2014) is a fantasy action film starring Aaron Eckhart as Adam Frankenstein.

These are few of the movies that included Frankenstein’s monster, but it’s not an exhaustive list and there are many other films and adaptations which include the creature in it.

Wolf Man Monster Movies

The Wolf Man is a classic Universal Monsters character that has been featured in a number of films over the years. Some of the more notable adaptations include:

• The Wolf Man (1941), directed by George Waggner and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the titular character.
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), which features the Wolf Man and the creature from Frankenstein meeting each other.
• House of Frankenstein (1944) a film which features the Wolf Man, Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster.
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), a comedic take on the classic story that features the Wolf Man as well as other Universal Monsters such as Frankenstein’s creature and Count Dracula.
• The Wolf Man (2010), a reboot of the original film directed by Joe Johnston and starring Benicio del Toro as the Wolf Man.

These are some of the movies that included the Wolf Man, but it’s not an exhaustive list and there are many other films and adaptations which include the Wolf Man in it.

The Mummy Monster Movies

The Mummy is a classic Universal Monsters character that has been featured in a number of films over the years. Some of the more notable adaptations include:

• The Mummy (1932) directed by Karl Freund, starring Boris Karloff as Imhotep.
• The Mummy’s Hand (1940) directed by Christy Cabanne, starring Tom Tyler as Kharis
• The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) directed by Harold Young, starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis.
• The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) directed by Reginald Le Borg, starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis.
• The Mummy’s Curse (1944) directed by Leslie Goodwins, starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis.
• The Mummy (1999) directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell.
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) directed by Rob Cohen, starring Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell.
• The Mummy (2017) directed by Alex Kurtzman, starring Tom Cruise as Nick Morton.

The Invisible Man Monster Movies

The Invisible Man is a classic Universal Monsters character that has been featured in a number of films over the years. Some of the more notable adaptations include:

• The Invisible Man (1933), directed by James Whale and starring Claude Rains as the titular character.
• The Invisible Man Returns (1940) directed by Joe May, starring Vincent Price as the main character.
• The Invisible Woman (1940) directed by A. Edward Sutherland, starring Virginia Bruce as the main character.
• The Invisible Agent (1942) directed by Edwin L. Marin, starring Jon Hall as the main character.
• The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944) directed by Ford Beebe, starring Jon Hall as the main character.
• Hollow Man (2000) directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Kevin Bacon as the main character.
• The Invisible Man (2020) directed by Leigh Whannell, starring Elisabeth Moss as the main character.

These are some of the movies that included The Invisible Man, but it’s not an exhaustive list and there are many other films and adaptations which include the Invisible Man in it.

Count Dracula Monster Movies

Count Dracula is a classic Universal Monsters character that has been featured in a number of films over the years. Some of the more notable adaptations include:

• Nosferatu (1922) directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok
• Dracula (1931) directed by Tod Browning, starring Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula.
• Dracula (Spanish Language version) (1931) directed by George Melford, starring Carlos Villarias as Count Dracula.
• Son of Dracula (1943) directed by Robert Siodmak, starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Count Alucard
• House of Frankenstein (1944) directed by Erle C. Kenton, starring Boris Karloff as the Monster and John Carradine as Count Dracula.
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) directed by Charles Barton, starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello and Lon Chaney Jr as Count Dracula.
• Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Gary Oldman as Count Dracula.
• Hotel Transylvania (2012-2018) animated film series, voiced by Adam Sandler as Count Dracula.

These are some of the movies that included Count Dracula, but it’s not an exhaustive list and there are many other films and adaptations which include Count Dracula in it.

Complete List of Universal Monster Movies (1923-1960)

Below is the complete list of original Universal Monsters movies created between 1923 and 1960.

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) Directed By Wallace Worsley, starring Lon Chaney, Patsy Ruth Miller, Norman Kerry, Kate Lester
• The Phantom of the Opera (1925) Directed By Rupert Julian, starring Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin
• The Cat and the Canary (1927) starring Laura LaPlante
• The Man Who Laughs (1928) starring Mary Philbin, Conrad Veidt
• The Last Warning (1929) starring Laura LaPlante
• The Last Performance (1929) starring Conrad Veidt, Mary Philbin
• Dracula (1931) Directed By Tod Browning, starring Béla Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye
• Dracula (Spanish version) (1931) Directed By George Melford, starring Carlos Villarías, Lupita Tovar, Barry Norton, Pablo Álvarez Rubio
• Frankenstein (1931) Directed By James Whale, starring Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles
• The Mummy (1932) Directed By Karl Freund, starring Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Arthur Byron
• Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) starring Béla Lugosi
• The Old Dark House (1932) starring Boris Karloff
• The Invisible Man (1933) Directed By James Whale, starring Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers
• The Black Cat (1934) starring Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi
• The Raven (1935) starring Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi
• The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935) starring Claude Rains
• Werewolf of London (1935) Directed By Stuart Walker, starring Henry Hull, Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson
• Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Directed By James Whale, starring Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson
• Dracula’s Daughter (1936) Directed By Lambert Hillyer, starring Gloria Holden
• The Invisible Ray (1936) starring Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi
• Night Key (1937) starring Boris Karloff
• The Phantom Creeps (1939) starring Béla Lugosi
• Son of Frankenstein (1939) Directed By Rowland V. Lee, starring Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi, Basil Rathbone Lionel Atwill
• Tower of London (1939) starring Boris Karloff
• Black Friday (1940) starring Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi
• The Invisible Man Returns (1940) Directed By Joe May, starring Vincent Price, Cedric Hardwicke, Nan Grey, John Sutton
• The Invisible Woman (1940) Directed By A. Edward Sutherland, starring Virginia Bruce, John Barrymore, John Howard
• The Mummy’s Hand (1940) Directed By Christy Cabanne, starring Tom Tyler, Dick Foran, Wallace Ford, Cecil Kellaway, Peggy Moran
• Man Made Monster (1941) starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
• The Wolf Man (1941) Directed By George Waggner, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Evelyn Ankers, Maria Ouspenskaya, Béla Lugosi, Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles
• The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1941) starring Lionel Atwill
• The Black Cat (1941) starring Basil Rathbone, Béla Lugosi
• Horror Island (1941) starring Dick Foran, Peggy Moran
• The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) Directed By Erle C. Kenton, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Béla Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill
• Night Monster (1942) starring Béla Lugosi
• Invisible Agent (1942) Directed By Edwin L. Marin, starring Peter Lorre
• The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) Directed By Harold Young, starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Béla Lugosi
• Phantom of the Opera (1943) Directed By Arthur Lubin, starring Claude Rains, Susanna Foster, Nelson Eddy
• Son of Dracula (1943) Directed By Robert Siodmak, starring Lon Chaney, Jr, Evelyn Ankers
• Captive Wild Woman (1943) starring Evelyn Ankers
• The Mad Ghoul (1943) starring Evelyn Ankers
• Calling Dr. Death (1943) starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
• Weird Woman (1944) starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Evelyn Ankers
• Dead Man’s Eyes (1944) starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
• The Climax (1944) starring Boris Karloff
• House of Frankenstein (1944) Directed By Erle C. Kenton, starring Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., J. Carrol Naish, John Carradine, Anne Gwynne, Lionel Atwill, George Zucco, Elena Verdugo
• The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944) Directed By Ford Beebe, starring Evelyn Ankers
• Jungle Woman (1944) starring Evelyn Ankers
• The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) Directed By Reginald LeBorg, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine, Ramsay Ames, George Zucco
• The Mummy’s Curse (1944) Directed By Leslie Goodwins, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Virginia Christine
• The Jungle Captive (1945) starring Rondo Hatton
• House of Dracula (1945) Directed By Erle C. Kenton, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Martha O’Driscoll, John Carradine
• The Frozen Ghost (1945) starring Lon Chaney, Jr. and Evelyn Ankers
• Strange Confession (1945) starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
• Pillow of Death (1945) starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
• House of Horrors (1946) starring Rondo Hatton
• The Brute Man (1946) starring Rondo Hatton
• She-Wolf of London (1946) Directed By Jean Yarbrough, starring June Lockhart
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) Directed By Charles Barton, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Béla Lugosi, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lenore Aubert, Jane Randolph
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Boris Karloff
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) Directed By Charles Lamont.
• The Strange Door (1951) starring Charles Laughton and Boris Karloff
• The Black Castle (1952) starring Boris Karloff
• Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953) Directed By Charles Lamont, starring Boris Karloff
• It Came From Outer Space (1953)
• Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) Directed By Jack Arnold, starring Julie Adams, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning
• Revenge of the Creature (1955) Directed By Jack Arnold, starring Lori Nelson, John Agar, John Bromfield
• Cult of the Cobra (1955) starring Faith Domergue
• This Island Earth (1955) starring Faith Domergue
• Tarantula (1955)
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) Directed By Charles Lamont.
• The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) Directed By John Sherwood, starring Jeff Morrow, Rex Reason, Leigh Snowden, Gregg Palmer
• The Mole People (1956)
• The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) starring Craig Stevens
• The Deadly Mantis (1957)
• The Land Unknown (1957) starring Jock Mahoney and Shirley Patterson
• The Monolith Monsters (1957)
• The Thing That Couldn’t Die (1958)
• Monster on the Campus (1958)
• Curse of the Undead (1959) starring Eric Fleming
• The Leech Woman (1960) starring Coleen Gray

This article looks at answering your questions about The Original Universal Monsters. If you are a fan of horror movies, you will be interested in our other related articles on the topic.

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