Universal Studios was saved from almost complete failure when, in 1931, an A-Picture adaptation of a horror play made Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi an instant icon, followed immediately by the star-making role of a re-animated Goliath of a corpse played by Boris Karloff decimated the box office that same year. Dracula and Frankenstein remain two of the most iconic monsters ever created for the silver screen, followed closely by their other Universal counterparts, The Mummy (1932) and The Invisible Man (1933). These four films, along with Bride of Frankenstein (1935), make up the legendary first run of Universal’s beloved monster movie canon. Today, we look back at the foundation these five films laid for the entire horror genre to follow, and how their legacy has held up over more than 80 years since their inception.

Timestamps:

0:00 – 3:55: Happy Spider Season

3:55 – 29:13: Parasite; Gemini Man; The Addams Family; and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Universal Monsters:

29:13 – 38:38: Dracula

38:38 – 45:00: Frankenstein

45:00 – 50:40: The Mummy

50:40 – 58:15: The Invisible Man

58:15 – 1:07:08: Bride of Frankenstein

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