The Universal Studios Monsters and their entourage have had an indelible effect on our understanding of classic gothic texts like Frankenstein and Dracula. The differences between Frankenstein 1931 and the original text are too numerous to name… believe me, we tried. The essence of these stories can be completely changed and become a caricature of their former nuanced selves. We’re going to have a crack at examining most of these movies and the texts that they draw inspiration from (I should hesitate from calling most of these films adaptions because it is very often just the very bare monstrosity that is translated to screen)

Here are some of the characters of the Universal Monsters stable that we are planning to have a look at on The FrankenPod in the future, or maybe have already…..

 

Universal Monsters and Associated Characters

Frankensteins Creature in his Universal Studios form as Frankenstein’s Monster

Played By Boris Karloff in:

• Frankenstein (1931)
• Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
• Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Played By Lon Chaney Jr. in The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

Played By Bela Lugosi in Frankenstein Vs. The Wolf Man (1943)

Played By Glenn Strange in:

• House of Frankenstein (1944)
• House of Dracula (1945)
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

 

The Bride of Frankenstein based on the unanimated second creature of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein.

Played By Elsa Lancaster in Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

 

Dracula of Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Played by Bela Lugosi in:

• Dracula (1931)
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Played By Lon Chaney Jr. in Son of Dracula (1943)

Played By John Carradine in:

• House of Frankenstein (1944)
• House of Dracula (1945)

 

Dracula’s daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska, potentially based on the Vampiress in the Fragment Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker

Played by Gloria Holden in Dracula’s Daughter (1936)

 

Van Helsing of Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Played By Edward Van Sloan in:

• Dracula (1931)
• Dracula’s Daughter (1936)

 

Henry Frankenstein (eye twitch) based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Played By Colin Clive in:

• Frankenstein (1931)
• Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Played By Cedric Hardwick in Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

 

Elizabeth based on Elizabeth Lavenza in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Played By Mae Clarke in Frankenstein (1931)

Played by Valerie Hobson in Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

 

Ygor based on Fritz from Peake’s play Presumption or Renfield from Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Played by Bela Lugosi in:

• Son of Frankenstein (1939)
• Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

 

The Invisible Man of H.G. Wells novel The Invisible Man

Jack Griffin

Played By Claude Rains in:

• The Invisible Man (1933)
• The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)

Geoffery Radcliffe

Played By Vincent Price in:

• The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

 

Larry Talbot aka the Wolf Man based on Werewolf Mythology

Played by Lon Chaney Jr. in:

• The Wolf Man (1941)
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
• House of Frankenstein (1944)
• House of Dracula (1945)
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)