![]() It’s interesting that Frankenstein and his chums should have flourished during dark times (the depression, the war). Ignoring Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein-and, oh, how I want to ignore Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein-the monster lumbered his last in House of Dracula, the final Universal Horror proper, made just before the end of the Second World War. Karloff would don his bolts for one last hurrah, Son of Frankenstein in 1939 (the film most extensively parodied in Young Frankenstein, fact fans) before handing over to an assortment of other actors, including Bela Lugosi and the splendidly named Glenn Strange. Unlike the later Hammer films, Universal took ages bringing the Count back from the grave, although they managed a couple about his progeny- Dracula’s Daughter (unsurprisingly she has serious daddy issues) and Son of Dracula (he’s a chip off the old block).Īn even bigger hit than Dracula, Universal wasted no time bringing the monster back from the dead: The Bride of Frankenstein is probably the best regarded of the Universal Horror films, a beguiling mix of gothic fairytale and camp horror, in which the once-feared Monster becomes the most likeable character. But they’d never seen anything like it-a living corpse that drank the blood of the living? No wonder folks were fainting in cinemas. ![]() The film that launched Universal in the horror business-derived from Bram Stoker’s novel by way of a Broadway adaption-was a huge hit in 1931 and has been enduringly influential: very nearly every vampire, from Christopher Lee to The Count on Sesame Street owes at least something-and usually quite a lot-to Bela Lugosi’s turn here.īecause it’s been so influential, so imitated and so parodied, it can be hard for us to appreciate just how shocking it was to original audiences. Those who prefer monsters made of latex rather than computer pixels (not to mention a sound mix that doesn’t induce tinnitus) will find much to enjoy in them: these movies may be over three quarters of a century old but they’re a long way from showing their age. ![]() ![]() So that is what we here present, for your delectation and delight. ![]()
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