Monsters: A Celebration of the Classics from Universal Studios

by Roy Milano, Jennifer Osborne

“When the bats fly low and night’s in the sky, Universal Studios are at their best.” That’s how a critic in the 1930s described the magic of Universal monster movie. This was a genre that the studio essentially invented - enabling it to survive and thrive–and that led to cinematic classics that continue to influence entertainment of all kinds.

Now, from Universal itself, comes a lavishly illustrated book that provides the words and images behind these legendary films–plus heartfelt tributes from some of Hollywood’s most famous fans. Here are beautiful on-screen and behind-the-scenes photos from the studio’s vaults; the background stories of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man, and the other classic characters that scared audiences and scared up profits; the makeup secrets; the censorship battles; and words of praise from friends, family, and fans.

With today’s fantasy and horror films ruling the box-office–and special edition DVDs available of Universal’s masterpieces– Monsters is an invaluable guide for a new generation. It shows where the “creature feature” began, from the twenties silent classic The Phantom of the Opera to fifties favorite Creature from the Black Lagoon . Frightening and fun, this splendid volume is perfect for monster fans of any age.

For more than ninety years, Universal Studios has been bringing unique entertainment experiences to millions of people around the world. Through their motion pictures, home videos, theme parks, television networks and programming, they are in the business of thrills and chills as well as tears and laughter. And with their extensive library of legendary films they have set the standard for inspiring wonder and ultimately transforming moments into lasting memories.

Genres: Nonfiction, Horror, Film, Classics

176 pages, Hardcover

First published September 26, 2006

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I desperately needed a FUN read and got it here, Sooooo......"Fasten your safety belts as we verbally venture back to the dark decades when monsters walked among us. Or roamed. Or crawled. Or prowled. Or howled. Or crept. Or slithered."

Anyway......MONSTERS is a Big picture book of just that....creepy monster types from old classic movies produced by Universal Studios....with wonderful spooktacular illustrations giving on and off screen photos with background stories of the actors and how the movies came to be part of their lives.

"When bats fly low and night's in the sky, Universal Studios are at their best." That's how a critic from the 1930's described the magic of the Universal monster movie."

Of course, my interest in picking this up....besides the cool photos and stories....was more for the classic horror books associated with the movies. Many here I've read are my favorites like....Dracula, Frankenstein, (nothing like the movie by the way) Phantom of the Opera, Arsenic and Old Lace and The Invisible Man....but some I hope to read this year and featured here are.......

Creature from the Black Lagoon....The Mummy....The Wolf Man....The Cat and the Canary....The Body Snatcher....and Isle of the Dead.

And gosh darn....what a resemblance between Gill-Man in Creature from the Black Lagoon who just wants to be left alone and "craved attention" says Marilyn Monroe to Gill-God from The Shape of Water who desires same....very interesting!

And, there's some great stuff about Boris Karloff (who played Frankenstein 3 times and The Mummy once) from daughter Sara....."Q: What was it like at your house on Halloween? A: Probably a lot duller than most homes. People were afraid to knock on the door!" Oh boy, wouldn't it have been fun to trick or treat there....I'd be a witch for sure!

"Just think of how similar Frankenstein's monster is to Lenny in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men; you feel almost as bad for him as for his victims."

MONSTERS really is a great look back at horror movie classics. "Frightening and fun, this splendid volume is perfect for monster fans of any age."

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite things ever. My favorite is the Invisible Man.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney
Dracula with Bela Lugosi
Frankenstein's Monster with Boris Karloff
The Bride of Frankenstein with Elsa Lancaster and Boris Karloff
The Mummy with Boris Karloff
The Invisible Man with Claude Rains
The Wolf Man with Lon Chaney, Jr
The Creature of the Black Lagoon with Browning and Chapman

The so-called black-and-white classical monster movies from Universal Studios. Each 'chapter' covers the the movie, the actors that played the monster in the classic as well as the sequels followed by photos - some publicity stills, some candid shots - and ending with personal insights and tributes from an assortment of people connected with the actor - Bela Lugosi's son and Lon Chaney's great-grandson - and to the horror film industry - John Landis (director); Stephen Somers (writer and director); Gloria Stuart and Jennifer Beals (actors) among others.

The book ends with a short salute to the series of movies "Abbott and Costello Meets ((insert your monster here))". For some it is amusing, for others it is a sad attempt at revitalizing of the monster movie genre.

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[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book because it had some more information on the film The Creature From the Black Lagoon which I read about in The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O’Meara which was really interesting. This is a pretty short book about some of the first monsters in film history but it has some great photographs from the films plus some interesting facts about the actors and the monster films they were in.

[☠︎︎ A.K. ☠︎︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ✩

For Universal Monster fans, this is a charming little tribute to the creatures we know and love. Don't expect any substantial history in this one - its a feature of photos and essays from a variety of people tied to these films and/or actors in some way. Knowing a lot of the history already, I noticed some mistakes, though nothing affronting. I was personally victimized by a particular photo caption in the Wolf Man section that credited Lon Chaney Jr. as being a different character lol.

R.E.A.D.S. SCORE
R: 9/10
E: 7/10
A: 8/10
D: 7/10
S: 6/10
Total: 7.40/10.00

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the original monster movies.

[Duffy Laudick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice overview of the big monster movies made by universal. Each movie is given a brief overview and then moves on to the next. Each movie could have a whole book or more written about it.

[Aaron Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures from onset and behind the scenes on classic horror monsters.

[Rick Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for anyone interested in the Universal Studios' Monster Series of Movies.

[cia sunshine ☭ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun read I loved reading about The Bride of Frankenstein and Dracula.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice coffee table book with tons of gorgeous pictures. I learned a lot, but I noticed at least 2 typos which turned me off.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine collection of beautiful black and white photographs and various essays from actors, writers and others associated with the pantheon of Universal monsters. The black and white photographs stunningly convey the menace and mystery of these horror movie superstars. The accompanying essays all make for pleasurable reads for the aficionado as all of the writers are obviously fanatics of these creations. Especially noteworthy I found were those by Bela Lugosi Jr. (who pens a very moving tribute to his father) and Jennifer Beals of the underrated The Bride (writing of her interest in the Bride of Frankenstein). The informational text is concise and offered some surprise factoids for me, but I question all of them after reading in one chapter that Dracula, the Wolfman and the Frankenstein monster all featured in Frankenstein meets the Wolfman. For a book of so few words to begin with, to feature such a glaring error I find inexcusable frankly.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read but a fun one for anyone like myself who remembers and loves the classic Universal Movie Monsters. A lot of beautiful still photos and some short essays from actors/directors about their favorites, as well brief pieces on the history of each Monster and the films they appeared in. The individual pieces on the films present little information that I either didn't know or couldn't get from more in depth sources but this book is done with such affection toward these films and the Monsters who populated them that I'm willing to give the author a pass. As coffee table type books go, this is a good one.

[Jim Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one isn't selected for the reading. It is selected for the beautiful photography from the sets of the classic Universal horror movies. Looking through it is like attending the ultimate Double Chiller Theater on a Friday night.

For those who want narrative, there are the standard stories that fans have known for years, mixed in with glowing words of appreciation.

The photography is beautifully produced. This is virtually a coffee table book for those of us who still celebrate with Monster Movie Nights at home.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great pictorial of Universal Studios "monsters" through the years, including Dracula, Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, and the Wolfman, and many more. Although there are some editorials, I would have enjoyed the book even more if there were more descriptions and commentary throughout.

But it still works great as either a coffee table book or for just fun, informative reading (looking!).

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glossy photographs enliven what is essentially a coffee-table book. However, fascinating (and very compassionate and human) interviews with the children of both Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff made it entirely worthwhile. Those two emerged as complex, fiction-worthy individuals with believable, understandable relationships with their famous fathers.

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful black and white photos from the classic monster films, with essays by descendants of the famous actors, such as Ron Chaney, Bela G. Lugosi, and Sara Karloff. There are additional essays by actor Jennifer Beals, director John Landis, and makeup artist Rick Baker. But the full page, stunning photos are the highlight of the book. A movie fan must!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of great pictures, behind-the-scenes stories, and memorable anecdotes about the actors that brought these monsters to life. A fun read for fans of classic horror.

[Garrett Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice photos, but little valuable info. Not much of a read. Worthy of a quick examination over a cup of coffee at the bookstore.

[Barry Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summary of Classic Monsters from Universal from the Golden Age.

[Arthur O'dell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of photographs and memories; worthwhile for any fan of Universal's iconic monster movies.

[Hugh Mulligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Library book

[taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cool look at the history of the monster movie world and where it all started!