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The Monster Movies of Universal Studios
This history and critique of classic scary films “honors Universal’s horror legacy. . . . an excellent resource for film students and monster movie fanatics” (Library Journal). In 1931 Universal Studios released Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. This box office success was followed by a string of films featuring macabre characters and chilling atmospherics, including Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man. With each new film, Universal established its place in the Hollywood firmament as the leading producer of horror films, a status it enjoyed for more than twenty years. In The Monster Movies of Universal Studios, James L. Neibaur examines the key films produced by the studio from the early 1930s through the mid-1950s. In each entry, Neibaur recounts the movie’s production, provides critical commentary, considers the film’s commercial reception, and offers an overall assessment of the movie’s significance. Neibaur also examines the impact these films had on popular culture, an influence that resonates in the cinema of fear today. From the world premiere of Dracula to the 1956 release of The Creature Walks among Us, Universal excelled at scaring viewers of all ages—and even elicited a few chuckles along the way by pitting their iconic creatures against the comedic pair of Abbott and Costello. The Monster Movies of Universal Studios captures the thrills of these films, making this book a treat for fans of the golden age of horror cinema. “Studio stills and trade ads for several of the films add a suitably scary touch to this treat for fans and scholars alike. ― Booklist “An impressive work of film scholarship.” ― Cinema Retro
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2017
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January 10, 2018
The Monster Movies of Universal Studios by James L. Neibaur is a 2017 Rowman & Littlefield Publishers -publication.
Fun look back at true classic horror films-
I was checking on my library holds this past weekend, and ended up browsing through ‘recent adds’ on Overdrive, when I stumbled across this book. There was no wait time, so on impulse, I checked it out.
Beginning in 1931, Universal Studios was saved from deep debt by a string of horror movies, beginning with ‘Dracula’.
For the next two decades, Universal Studios enjoyed much box office success by capitalizing on the popularity of these five mainstays:
Dracula- Frankenstein- The Wolfman- The Mummy- and The Invisible Man.
These monsters had sons, daughters, wives, revenge, and even showed up in the same movies, eventually finding themselves teamed up with comedians- Abbott & Costello, before the studio retired them.
These movies made Lon Chaney, Lon Chaney Jr. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff famous, creating a legacy that has remained in place for generations- even if it is much more muted these days, as the definition of ‘classic’ has changed drastically.
The sheer volume of movies made in their various incarnations is mind boggling. Even more curious, is how every single one of them were box office successes. As long as there was public demand, the studio was happy to oblige. (Perhaps in the same way they do today, with a plethora of movies based on comic book heroes?)
The information, trivia, and commentary, is very interesting, and brought back memories. I watched many of these films while growing up- only on television, instead of at the theatre.
The material is organized, and it is obvious the author is a real fan, writing about what seems to be a serious interest for him. However, I must warn readers, that while the commentary is sincere, and the author makes many interesting points, the writing suffered from very poor editing. This makes the book appear hastily put together, or rushed to publication before it went through a ‘triple wash’, which is a shame.
But, if you can find a way to overlook that, the book is a condensed look at these fabulous horror movies that have entertained generations of fans. It is filled with trivia, and includes a smattering of photographs, while pointing out the depth many may not realize these scripts contained, or the stellar acting performances, some may have a tendency to overlook.
One thing that stood out for me was the run time for these films, which was often less than ninety minutes, and many were barely an hour long. They seemed much longer when I was a kid!
I had not thought of these movies in a very long time, and did enjoy the trivia and the author’s assessments of the films.
If you are an aficionado of classic films or are looking for more of an in-depth study, this book doesn’t fit into that category.
I think it will primarily appeal to those looking for easy, nostalgic, and fun entertainment, but it could certainly spark a more serious interest, or create a deeper appreciation for these films.
Although the book has some writing and construction issues, if you are a fan of or have an interest in classic horror films, pop culture, nostalgia, or trivia, this book will be of interest to you.
-
Fun look back at true classic horror films-
I was checking on my library holds this past weekend, and ended up browsing through ‘recent adds’ on Overdrive, when I stumbled across this book. There was no wait time, so on impulse, I checked it out.
Beginning in 1931, Universal Studios was saved from deep debt by a string of horror movies, beginning with ‘Dracula’.
For the next two decades, Universal Studios enjoyed much box office success by capitalizing on the popularity of these five mainstays:
Dracula- Frankenstein- The Wolfman- The Mummy- and The Invisible Man.
These monsters had sons, daughters, wives, revenge, and even showed up in the same movies, eventually finding themselves teamed up with comedians- Abbott & Costello, before the studio retired them.
These movies made Lon Chaney, Lon Chaney Jr. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff famous, creating a legacy that has remained in place for generations- even if it is much more muted these days, as the definition of ‘classic’ has changed drastically.
The sheer volume of movies made in their various incarnations is mind boggling. Even more curious, is how every single one of them were box office successes. As long as there was public demand, the studio was happy to oblige. (Perhaps in the same way they do today, with a plethora of movies based on comic book heroes?)
The information, trivia, and commentary, is very interesting, and brought back memories. I watched many of these films while growing up- only on television, instead of at the theatre.
The material is organized, and it is obvious the author is a real fan, writing about what seems to be a serious interest for him. However, I must warn readers, that while the commentary is sincere, and the author makes many interesting points, the writing suffered from very poor editing. This makes the book appear hastily put together, or rushed to publication before it went through a ‘triple wash’, which is a shame.
But, if you can find a way to overlook that, the book is a condensed look at these fabulous horror movies that have entertained generations of fans. It is filled with trivia, and includes a smattering of photographs, while pointing out the depth many may not realize these scripts contained, or the stellar acting performances, some may have a tendency to overlook.
One thing that stood out for me was the run time for these films, which was often less than ninety minutes, and many were barely an hour long. They seemed much longer when I was a kid!
I had not thought of these movies in a very long time, and did enjoy the trivia and the author’s assessments of the films.
If you are an aficionado of classic films or are looking for more of an in-depth study, this book doesn’t fit into that category.
I think it will primarily appeal to those looking for easy, nostalgic, and fun entertainment, but it could certainly spark a more serious interest, or create a deeper appreciation for these films.
Although the book has some writing and construction issues, if you are a fan of or have an interest in classic horror films, pop culture, nostalgia, or trivia, this book will be of interest to you.
-
August 3, 2019
Apart from saving Universal Studios in its early days, the standard monsters it featured have become cultural icons. Each spawning a series of sequels, the big six: Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, the mummy, the invisible man, the wolf-man, and the creature from the Black Lagoon, gave many monster boomers their childhood thrills and nightmares. Having grown up watching these “creature features” on television, I was glad to find that Neibaur’s book follows their development in individual chapters on each movie from 1931 until the series ended in 1956. If you grew up watching these films, as I note elsewhere (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World), there’ll be a good bit of nostalgia for you here.
The book doesn’t go into deep technical analysis. Written for general readers, it tells the basic plot of each movie and a few facts or interesting aspects of the filming of the feature. Neibaur obviously has his own favorites among them, and he’s not shy about calling out where the series had its failures. Not all monsters are created equal. The book does give a good look into one aspect of early Hollywood and how one studio managed to get through the Depression and War Years with the unlikeliest of heroes (who were mostly really villains). In doing so, Universal really developed the genre of the horror movie.
Each chapter is fairly brief here—most are about 5 or 6 pages. This makes for good reading when you’re going to have lots of interruptions, or if you want a book you can pick up and read for a few minutes and find a natural stopping place to pick up next time. It’s also a good deal of fun. It doesn’t provide much insight into the monsters themselves, but it explores their cinematic context and backstories. It is a welcome guide to a world at once haunted and very fun to watch.
The book doesn’t go into deep technical analysis. Written for general readers, it tells the basic plot of each movie and a few facts or interesting aspects of the filming of the feature. Neibaur obviously has his own favorites among them, and he’s not shy about calling out where the series had its failures. Not all monsters are created equal. The book does give a good look into one aspect of early Hollywood and how one studio managed to get through the Depression and War Years with the unlikeliest of heroes (who were mostly really villains). In doing so, Universal really developed the genre of the horror movie.
Each chapter is fairly brief here—most are about 5 or 6 pages. This makes for good reading when you’re going to have lots of interruptions, or if you want a book you can pick up and read for a few minutes and find a natural stopping place to pick up next time. It’s also a good deal of fun. It doesn’t provide much insight into the monsters themselves, but it explores their cinematic context and backstories. It is a welcome guide to a world at once haunted and very fun to watch.
August 25, 2023
In February of 1931 a new horror film debuted across movie screens around the country. The film starred Hungarian-American actor Bela Lugosi in a role that would not only be one of the defining roles of his career, but also one of the definitive portrayals of this character in general. "Dracula" would launch a series of successful monster movies for Universal Studios that would run from the 1930's through the 1950's. Author James L. Neibaur digs into each of these films in his highly entertaining book "The Monster Movies of Universal Studios."
Each chapter is dedicated to a single Universal Monster movie that gives the reader a run down on the cast and crew for each feature along with production history and other interesting tidbits of note. Neibaur also goes into detail on how the film was received at the time of release from both critics and the movie going public. The book is written in chronological order and Neibaur does an excellent job of transitioning from each film in the series. One of my favorite things about the book is the reader is given insightful context on what was going on at Universal while these films were being made and released. I also gained a greater appreciation for Lon Chaney Jr. who was the only actor to portray four of the monsters in the series at least once. The book is also packed with interesting details on a number of the behind-the-scenes crew on each production in addition to the actors. If you are a fan of the Universal Monster films, you'll want to pick up this book. This is the type of book I will reference often around Halloween when many of these films air or are available to stream.
Each chapter is dedicated to a single Universal Monster movie that gives the reader a run down on the cast and crew for each feature along with production history and other interesting tidbits of note. Neibaur also goes into detail on how the film was received at the time of release from both critics and the movie going public. The book is written in chronological order and Neibaur does an excellent job of transitioning from each film in the series. One of my favorite things about the book is the reader is given insightful context on what was going on at Universal while these films were being made and released. I also gained a greater appreciation for Lon Chaney Jr. who was the only actor to portray four of the monsters in the series at least once. The book is also packed with interesting details on a number of the behind-the-scenes crew on each production in addition to the actors. If you are a fan of the Universal Monster films, you'll want to pick up this book. This is the type of book I will reference often around Halloween when many of these films air or are available to stream.
June 26, 2025
Awesome!!! Totally awesome!
Getting the whole story about so many of my favorite monster films was just pure joy! A truly incredible journey!
Getting the whole story about so many of my favorite monster films was just pure joy! A truly incredible journey!
September 18, 2025
James L. Neibaur's
The Monster Movies of Universal Studios
is a serviceable, but uninspired, overview of the classic horror movies from the first three decades of Universal Studios. Neibaur devotes a chapter to all of the films in the Universal "Monster" archives, providing a plot summary and contemporary critical reviews for each one. Unfortunately, the book reads more like a series of Wikipedia entries, rather than an engaging discussion of these fascinating films. If a book about Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and all their creepy kin feels tedious, you know that the author has missed his mark.
For a much more engaging, colorful, and captivating examination of these films, check out Michael Mallory's Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror. Unlike Neibaur's text, Mallory's book (which is officially licensed by Universal) presents the same material; however, Mallory doesn't suck out the fun like a didactic Dracula. In 1931's Frankenstein, the mad doctor screams out "It's alive! It's alive!" in a merrily unhinged fashion. Alas, Neibaur missed the memo from Dr. Frankenstein: The Monster Movies of Universal Studios is less electric and feels more like a cold corpse.
For a much more engaging, colorful, and captivating examination of these films, check out Michael Mallory's Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror. Unlike Neibaur's text, Mallory's book (which is officially licensed by Universal) presents the same material; however, Mallory doesn't suck out the fun like a didactic Dracula. In 1931's Frankenstein, the mad doctor screams out "It's alive! It's alive!" in a merrily unhinged fashion. Alas, Neibaur missed the memo from Dr. Frankenstein: The Monster Movies of Universal Studios is less electric and feels more like a cold corpse.
July 25, 2023
A Well-Written Overview Of The Universal Monster Movies
This is an excellent overview of Universal’s classic monster movies, beginning with Dracula in 1931 and ending with The Creature Walks Among Us in 1955. All the movies featuring Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Wolfman, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, including their comedy crossovers with Abbott and Costello, are included. Each film gets its own chapter, with a brief synopsis, information about its stars, and facts about its production, as well as contemporary reviews and box office results. The book is well researched and provides a great deal of interesting information about the movies, the history of Universal pictures, and the cultural context in which the films were presented. Anyone with an interest in these wonderful motion pictures will enjoy this book.
This is an excellent overview of Universal’s classic monster movies, beginning with Dracula in 1931 and ending with The Creature Walks Among Us in 1955. All the movies featuring Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Wolfman, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, including their comedy crossovers with Abbott and Costello, are included. Each film gets its own chapter, with a brief synopsis, information about its stars, and facts about its production, as well as contemporary reviews and box office results. The book is well researched and provides a great deal of interesting information about the movies, the history of Universal pictures, and the cultural context in which the films were presented. Anyone with an interest in these wonderful motion pictures will enjoy this book.
January 23, 2023
A nice overview of the history of Universal monster movies. I'm sure there is a lot more detail out there for each movie/franchise/actor, but since I didn't know anything, this was enough. Mostly I was curious why there were so many Frankenstein movies after I saw the list of the on a trip to Universal Studios. The answer is very similar to today - they made money so the studio kept making more (not really any specific cultural drive/need for horror and monster movies, though there was a little bit of suggestion that things like the Depression and WWII left people looking for a good thrill/escape from reality). Maybe the most interesting note is about how influential those first few movies were in establishing a cultural baseline for representations and lore about the monsters.
October 20, 2023
This review of monster movies from the classic period (from the 1930s Dracula featuring Bela Lugosi and Frankenstein featuring Boris Karloff) hits all the monster films, finishing with the Creature from the Black Lagoon series and the Abbott and Costello Meets... movies. Each film gets a bit of background, a plot synopsis, some artistic discussion, and the reaction of critics and audiences. It's straightforward and easy to read, providing inspiration to visit or revisit (or avoid) some classics in the horror genre.
Mildly recommended--if you are a fan of this era and genre of film making, you will enjoy the book.
Mildly recommended--if you are a fan of this era and genre of film making, you will enjoy the book.
April 20, 2023
An excellent volume for those that wish to learn about this great movie genre. Universal studios in the early days of sound movies made some of the finest films of the period. This book reviews each movie in turn. In addition, the author reviews the period and the situation in which each film was produced. Contemporary insights and editorial review spice up what could have been a very bland accounting of these wonderful films.
Read
August 4, 2025The book covers a lot of movies and for each one it has the title, the director, the cast, the running time, the producer, when it was released and it's availability. It then goes into detail about each movie, whether it was good or bad, how it related to other movies and so on.
It's really a lot of fun to read about the movies and the book does a really good job basically bringing them to life via its words.
It's really a lot of fun to read about the movies and the book does a really good job basically bringing them to life via its words.
June 6, 2019
I thought this would be a great book detailing how each Universal monster movie was made, not in great detail, but at least giving us information we've never known before. However, the author relies on period movie reviews, photos from Hollywood trade magazines, and unnecessary plot synopses instead of showing us any details of vintage moviemaking.
November 28, 2017
There's not much to say. This is a loving tribute to the movies that made a studio, with much in the way of interesting background about the production of the movies, from Dracula to The Creature Walks Among Us. To a horror movie fan, it's a treasure. To the casual reader not so much.
November 15, 2019
Easy to follow overview of the movies, but it’s limited scope and gentleness to a lot of the movies leave something lacking. Also, Universal is misspelled as “Universale” throughout, which is just baffling.
November 14, 2017
Great info; horrible writing.
February 21, 2018
Neibaur takes on Universal Studio in its hey day of monster movies.
November 4, 2024
mediocre reviews but had fun watching the classic monster movies
March 29, 2025
Fun tribute
Fun overview of Universal's classic monsters. I grew up on these movies and learned some new things about them. Worth a read.
Fun overview of Universal's classic monsters. I grew up on these movies and learned some new things about them. Worth a read.
November 13, 2025
A quick and handy survey of a fascinating collection of films from a really cool time in Hollywood history. Mostly plot synopses with some interesting tidbits rather than in-depth analysis.
February 22, 2025
A very entertaining book of the Universal Monster franchises. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolfman. The Mummy, The Invisible Man, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Neibaur wisely focuses on these movies and their sequels, leaving out all the other Universal horror movies of the era. All of the stars and filmmakers are discussed respectfully and honestly. I plan to read more of this author.
January 11, 2023
With the inclusion of first-hand accounts as well as contemporary reviews and press statements, Neibaur shows his love and vast knowledge of the material, enough to satisfy horror movie fans. But unfortunately his writing suffers from poor, distracting editing.
September 20, 2017
There’s a lot of trivia in this book and if you’ve watched the Criterion Collection DVDs you probably know most of it. Each chapter has a cast list, some stats, and a very concise and complete synopsis of the movie. The narrative is serious and well written—none of the jokey puns and lame comments that authors in this field seem unable to resist. What I appreciated most was the author’s inclusion of reviews from the original movie release. I was surprised at the positive reception and box office figures for these. Most of us have gotten to know these films decades after they were made from cheesy late-night Fright Night/Shock Theater shows, sliced and diced, and stuffed with commercials. Another nice feature was the many mentions of quality performances by the unsung members of the supporting casts. What I cannot understand is the price. I read a library copy but there is no way I would shell out nearly $40 for a 196-page book (or $28+ for an ebook).
November 25, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book and loved learning new material about the beloved Universal monsters. These movies came out way before my time & I loved learning more about the making of. I enjoyed the reviews included from various critics at the time. This book is very concise, with detailed synopsis of each movie & gives information all about who was involved in making the movies and some of what went on behind the scenes. Tere are also some really neat posters/images included with the text. The book made me love the Universal monsters even more & has made me want to go back & revisit these films. :)
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