History Franchise / UniversalHorror

* 1955, Jun -- ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy''

* 1953, Aug -- ''Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''

The 1947-1952 hiatus was less thorough than the 1936-1938 hiatus. FilmNoir, a genre very closely related to Hollywood's horror, was going strong and the end of the second horror cycle coincides with the rise of horror comics. But what would truly revive the horror film was ScienceFiction. The early Golden Age of Science Fiction coincides with the second horror cycle and matured with the [[UsefulNotes/AtomicBombingsOfHiroshimaAndNagasaki atom bomb]] into the late Golden Age. What separates the two halves is medium: the early age fiction were predominantly magazines, while in the late age every medium welcomed sci-fi. For the film industry in particular, sci-fi was a means to turn the tide. During the postwar economic boom, it became the norm for households to have their own television sets and the audience for the cinema experience thus dwindled. A means to get people back was extras they couldn't get at home, such as [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie 3-D]], scent, vibrating chairs, moving props in the auditorium, and so on. That kind of stuff doesn't combine well with prestige films, so sci-fi took the lead. As it introduced audiences to {{alien inva|sion}}ders, [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear trouble]], [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever big critters]], horror returned naturally. Prehistoric remnants also reared their heads, which came about due to the long-awaited discovery of the [[NotSoExtinct coelacanth in 1952]] and is the thought behind Universal's final iconic horror film: ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954. Other films of note from this era are ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'' in 1955, ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956, and ''Monster on the Campus'' in 1958.

* 1949, Aug -- ''Abbot and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff''
* 1951, Mar -- ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man''

** Jeff Rovin's 1998 book ''Literature/ReturnOfTheWolfman'', which continued the adventures of Larry Talbot, and itself received two sequels (''The Devil's Brood'' and ''The Devil's Night'') by David Jacobs.

* 1946, Feb -- ''House of Horrors''

* 1946, October -- ''Film/TheBruteMan'' (Sold to Producers Releasing Corporation prior to release. Currently owned by Cinedigm.)

The 1947-1952 hiatus was less thorough than the 1936-1938 hiatus. FilmNoir, a genre very closely related to Hollywood's horror, was going strong and the end of the second horror cycle coincides with the rise of horror comics. But what would truly revive the horror film was ScienceFiction. The early Golden Age of Science Fiction coincides with the second horror cycle and matured with the [[UsefulNotes/AtomicBombingsOfHiroshimaAndNagasaki atom bomb]] into the late Golden Age. What separates the two halves is medium: the early age fiction were predominantly magazines, while the late age is every medium available. It introduced {{alien inva|sion}}ders, [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear trouble]], [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever big critters]], , and prehistoric remnants rearing their heads. The latter concept came about due to the long-awaited discovery of the [[NotSoExtinct coelacanth in 1952]] and is the thought behind Universal's final iconic horror film: ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954. Other films of note from this era are ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'' in 1955, ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956, and ''Monster on the Campus'' in 1958.

The 1947-1952 hiatus was less thorough than the 1936-1938 hiatus. FilmNoir, a genre very closely related to Hollywood's horror, was going strong and the end of the second horror cycle coincides with the rise of horror comics. Therefore, nothing big needed to happen for the genre to eventually return to cinema. Although the 1950s started with classic horror, it was swiftly done away with in favor of {{alien inva|sion}}ders, [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever big critters]], [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear trouble]], and prehistoric remnants rearing their heads. The latter concept came about due to the long-awaited discovery of the [[NotSoExtinct coelacanth in 1952]] and is the thought behind Universal's final iconic horror film: ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954. Other films of note from this era are ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'' in 1955, ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956, and ''Monster on the Campus'' in 1958.

The 1940s are the domain of horror [[BMovie B-Movies]] as studios on one hand wanted in on the renewed interest but on the other didn't want to get ambitious on a genre that in particular was on the PCA's radar. Despite repeated successes, supernatural horror remained a rarity and instead the impossible was provided by [[MadScientist Mad Scientists]]. After all, UsefulNotes/WorldWarII was raging and its technological and scientific advancements equally amazed and terrified society. Another effect of the war was the need for propaganda, which found its way in several horror films. ''Invisible Agent'' is Universal Horror's only overt call to action, but many films of this period are female-centric, such as ''Film/SonOfDracula'' and the [[Film/CaptiveWildWoman ape woman series]], to entertain and rouse the women war workers.

In 1944, Universal Horror had to consider its future. Half of the studio's horror stars had walked by then and the other half was going to follow suit when their contracts would expire in 1945. Ben Pivar was given the task of renewing the horror output, the first film representing the new direction being ''Film/JungleCaptive''. The star of this period was Creator/RondoHatton, who on account of his acromegaly was promoted as the monster without a need for makeup. From 1944 to 1946, he played four different characters for Universal, all small variations of the Creeper, his defining role. Then on February 2, 1946, Hatton died from acromegaly-related complications.

Hatton's death occurred in the final year of the second horror era. From November 1945 to July 1946, Universal prepared for a merge with International Pictures. The new strategy for the postwar economic boom was a return to prestige and horror films had become the antithesis of that. William Goetz is specifically credited for putting a lock on the genre. With still a good amount of Pivar films on the shelves, they were rushed out on a monthly basis to make some money while ensuring they would be gone before the post-merge logo came into use. Hatton's final film, ''Film/TheBruteMan'', was sold off outright to PRC, making it the only Universal Horror film neither owned by Universal nor in the PublicDomain. Of the three other Hollywood studios still releasing horror films in 1946, [[Creator/AlliedArtists Monogram]] went the same horror-free prestige route as Universal. PRC was taken over by Eagle-Lion Films, which didn't care much for horror. And over at RKO, the death of Charles Koerner, coincidentally on the same day as Hatton passed away, critically soured the working conditions for Creator/ValLewton and so he left. RKO failed to replace him. Collectively, the studios' individual reasons affirmed that horror was over.

Unlike the 1936-1938 hiatus, the 1947-1951 hiatus was less harsh. FilmNoir, a genre very closely related to Hollywood's horror, was going strong and the end of the second horror cycle coincides with the rise of horror comics. Although the 1950s started with classic horror, it was swiftly done away with in favor of {{alien inva|sion}}ders, [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever big critters]], [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear trouble]], and prehistoric remnants rearing their heads. The latter concept came about due to the long-awaited discovery of the [[NotSoExtinct coelacanth in 1952]] and is the thought behind Universal's final iconic horror film: ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954. Other films of note from this era are ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'' in 1955, ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956, and ''Monster on the Campus'' in 1958.

* 1928, Dec -- ''The Last Warning'' (CreatorDrivenSuccessor to ''The Cat and the Canary''.)

** 1930, Dec -- ''La Voluntad del Muerto'' ([[ForeignRemake Spanish-language version]]) ('''lost''')
* 1931, Feb -- ''Film/{{Dracula|1931}}''
** 1931, Mar -- ''Drácula'' ([[ForeignRemake Spanish-language version]])

The first horror films that fall under the Universal banner were produced in the early 1910s and are ''Film/DrJekyllAndMrHyde'', ''The Werewolf'', and ''The White Wolf''. These films were all produced by companies that had recently merged or would soon after merge with Universal and represent continuations of their respective line-ups. A lull followed, as horror in films was more of a novelty at this point in time. The catalyst for change were the highly regarded horror films produced by [[UsefulNotes/WeimarRepublic Germany]], notably the ''[[Film/TheGolem Golem]]'' trilogy and ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari''. Taking a cue, Universal found its own horror footing in the mid 1920s with ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1923 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' and ''[[Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925 The Phantom of the Opera]]''. These films star Creator/LonChaney, a prolific actor with a reputation for macabre roles, and are the last two Universal films he made, dying five years later in 1930. In the long run, the vacuum he left gave others a chance to make their horror mark. More directly, without Chaney, his two films weren't ideal for sequels or [[UsefulNotes/RiseOfTheTalkies sound remakes]], which meant that it was the third horror hit of the 1920s, ''Theatre/TheCatAndTheCanary'', that received the royal treatment. Its success led to the [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual do-over]] ''The Last Warning'', Universal's first horror film to come with some sound, and a remake known as ''The Cat Creeps'', Universal's first full sound entry into the genre.

Universal hit the next high note in 1941 with ''[[Film/TheWolfMan1941 The Wolf Man]]'', starring Creator/LonChaneyJr. At this point, Universal was well into the sequel and remake game of their key properties. Possibly inspired by the "The Three Horror Men" marketing tactic of Creator/RKOPictures's 1940 ''You'll Find Out'', the first monster {{crossover}} hit the screen in 1943 with ''Film/FrankensteinMeetsTheWolfMan''. That same year, a much bigger MonsterMash to be known as ''Chamber of Horrors'' was announced, which ended up as the fun but decidedly less ambitious ''Film/HouseOfFrankenstein''. ''Film/HouseOfDracula'' followed, with the crossovers culminating in ''Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetFrankenstein'', an AffectionateParody of the horror genre and the first of a series in which Creator/AbbottAndCostello have all kinds of encounters, some of which involving other Universal monsters.

Universal did try to set up brand new monsters in the 1940s, but after near-continuous losses in the 1930s, budget considerations made the cookie-cutter BMovie the favored option. 1943's ''Film/TheMadGhoul'' stands out as one of the few horror movies not to receive a sequel, but this isn't for lack of trying. The Mad Ghoul himself was announced to be part of the ''Chamber of Horrors'' crossover, but didn't make it into the final product. 1943 also premiered ''Film/CaptiveWildWoman'', the first of an eventual trilogy. ''Captive Wild Woman'' in particular is a product of the wartime female-centric cinema and the series as a whole is the only one in the Universal line-up to focus on a female monster. In 1944, the ''[[Film/TheBakerStreetDozen Sherlock Holmes]]'' film ''The Pearl of Death'' brought about a horror series SpinOff centered on the Creeper as played by Creator/RondoHatton. And from 1943 to 1945, the ''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'' name was licensed for the production of six films, starring Lon Chaney Jr. as leading man and David Hoffman as the HorrorHost of the series.

The horror genre entered another period of dormancy in the late 1940s; this time without a clear culprit. Proposed explanations include the desire for normalcy in the post-war era, staleness and oversaturation of the genre, and a shift to FilmNoir as the new source of gloom and thrills. As with the first dormancy, horror returned just before the turn of the decade. Classic horror was done away with in favor of {{alien inva|sion}}ders, [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever big critters]], [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear trouble]], and prehistoric remnants rearing their heads. The latter concept came about due to the long-awaited discovery of the [[NotSoExtinct coelacanth in 1952]] and is the thought behind Universal's final iconic horror film: ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954. Other films of note from this era are ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'' in 1955, ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956, and ''Monster on the Campus'' in 1958.

* ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1923 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1923)
* ''[[Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925 The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1925)
* ''Theatre/TheCatAndTheCanary'' (1927)
* ''Haunted Island'' (1928) (serial; '''lost''')
* ''Literature/TheManWhoLaughs'' (1928)
* ''The Last Warning'' (1929) (SpiritualSuccessor to ''The Cat and the Canary''. Made both as silent film and as part-talkie.)
* ''The Last Performance'' (1929) (Made both as silent film and as part-talkie.)
* ''The Cat Creeps'' (1930) (Sound remake of ''The Cat and the Canary''.) ('''lost''')[[/index]]
** ''La Voluntad del Muerto'' (1930) ([[ForeignRemake Spanish-language version]]) ('''lost''')[[index]]
* ''Film/{{Dracula|1931}}'' (1931) [[/index]]
** ''Drácula'' (1931) ([[ForeignRemake Spanish-language version]])[[index]]
* ''Film/{{Frankenstein|1931}}'' (1931)
* ''Film/MurdersInTheRueMorgue'' (1932)
* ''[[Film/TheOldDarkHouse1932 The Old Dark House]]'' (1932)
* ''[[Film/TheMummy1932 The Mummy]]'' (1932)
* ''Secret of the Blue Room'' (1933)
* ''[[Film/TheInvisibleMan1933 The Invisible Man]]'' (1933)
* ''Film/TheBlackCat'' (1934)
* ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' (1935)
* ''Film/BrideOfFrankenstein'' (1935)
* ''Film/WerewolfOfLondon'' (1935)
* ''[[Film/TheRaven1935 The Raven]]'' (1935)
* ''Film/TheInvisibleRay'' (1936)
* ''Film/DraculasDaughter'' (1936)
* ''Night Key'' (1937)
* ''The Phantom Creeps'' (1939) (serial)
* ''Film/SonOfFrankenstein'' (1939)
* ''Film/TowerOfLondon'' (1939)
* ''Film/TheInvisibleManReturns'' (1940)
* ''Black Friday'' (1940)
* ''Film/TheMummysHand'' (1940)
* ''Film/TheInvisibleWoman1940''
* ''Man Made Monster'' (1941)
* ''Horror Island'' (1941)
* ''The Black Cat'' (1941) (No relation to the 1934 film of the same name.)
* ''[[Film/TheWolfMan1941 The Wolf Man]]'' (1941)
* ''The Mad Doctor of Market Street'' (1942)
* ''Film/TheGhostOfFrankenstein'' (1942)
* ''The Strange Case of Doctor RX'' (1942)
* ''The Mystery of Marie Roget'' (1942)
* ''Invisible Agent'' (1942) (Universal Horror meets wartime propaganda.)
* ''Night Monster'' (1942)
* ''The Mummy's Tomb'' (1942)
* ''Film/FrankensteinMeetsTheWolfMan'' (1943) (First film to [[CanonWelding combine the sub-series]] into a shared universe.)
* ''Film/CaptiveWildWoman'' (1943) (Universal Horror meets woman's film.)
* ''[[Film/PhantomOfTheOpera1943 Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1943) (Sound-enabled remake of the 1925 film.)
* ''Film/SonOfDracula'' (1943)
* ''Film/TheMadGhoul'' (1943)
* ''Calling Dr. Death'' (1943) (''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'')
* ''Weird Woman'' (1944) (''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'')
* ''[[Film/JungleWoman1944 Jungle Woman]]'' (1944)
* ''The Invisible Man's Revenge'' (1944)
* ''The Mummy's Ghost'' (1944)
* ''Film/TheClimax'' (1944) (Originally meant to be a sequel to ''Phantom of the Opera'' of 1943.)
* ''Dead Man's Eyes'' (1944) (''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'')
* ''Film/HouseOfFrankenstein'' (1944)
* ''The Mummy's Curse'' (1944)
* ''The Frozen Ghost'' (1945) (''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'')
* ''Film/JungleCaptive'' (1945)
* ''Strange Confession'' (1945) (''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'')
* ''Film/HouseOfDracula'' (1945)
* ''Pillow of Death'' (1945) (''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'')
* 1946, Feb -- ''Film/{{House of Horrors|1946}}''
* ''The Spider Woman Strikes Back'' (1946)
* ''Film/SheWolfOfLondon'' (1946)
* ''The Cat Creeps'' (1946) (No relation to the 1930 film of the same name.)
* ''Film/TheBruteMan'' (1946) (Sold to Producers Releasing Corporation prior to release. Currently owned by Cinedigm.)
* ''Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetFrankenstein'' (1948)
* ''Abbot and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff'' (1949)
* ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man'' (1951)
* ''Film/TheStrangeDoor'' (1951)
* ''Film/TheBlackCastle'' (1952)
* ''Film/ItCameFromOuterSpace'' (1953)
* ''Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1953)
* ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' (1954)
* ''Film/RevengeOfTheCreature'' (1955)
* ''Film/ThisIslandEarth'' (1955)
* ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy'' (1955)
* ''Film/{{Tarantula}}'' (1955)
* ''Cult of the Cobra'' (1955)
* ''Film/TheCreatureWalksAmongUs'' (1956)
* ''Film/TheMolePeople'' (1956)
* ''Film/TheIncredibleShrinkingMan'' (1957)
* ''Film/TheDeadlyMantis'' (1957)
* ''Film/TheLandUnknown'' (1957)
* ''Film/TheMonolithMonsters'' (1957)
* ''Film/TheThingThatCouldntDie'' (1958)
* ''Monster on the Campus'' (1958)
* ''Curse of the Undead'' (1959)
* ''Film/TheLeechWoman'' (1960)

* ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1913) (Made by the Independent Moving Pictures branch of Universal.)
* ''The Werewolf'' (1913) (Made by Bison Film Company, published by Universal; '''lost''')
* ''The White Wolf'' (1914) (Made by Nestor Film Company branch of Universal.)
* ''Curucu, Beast of the Amazon'' (1955) (Made by Jewel Productions, published by Universal.)
* ''Film/IslandOfLostSouls'' (1932) (Made and published by Paramount, but Universal released it on VHS in the 1990s, associating it with the "Universal Monsters" label.)

* ''House of Horrors'' (1946)

Back in UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, several of the studios found a genre to build themselves a reputation for in order to stand out from the competition. For [[Creator/{{Universal}} Universal Pictures]], this genre was {{horror}}. Horror wasn't an obvious choice because of the high risk, high reward nature of the genre, but the outcome of five decades of on-and-off commitment is a franchise which cultural impact few can match.

The first horror films that fall under the Universal banner were produced in the early 1910s and are ''Film/DrJekyllAndMrHyde'', ''The Werewolf'', and ''The White Wolf''. These films were all produced by companies that had a year or two prior merged with Universal and represent continuations of their respective line-ups. A lull followed, as horror in films was more of a novelty at this point in time. The catalyst for change were the highly regarded horror films produced by [[UsefulNotes/WeimarRepublic Germany]], notably the ''[[Film/TheGolem Golem]]'' trilogy and ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari''. Taking a cue, Universal found its own horror footing in the mid 1920s with ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1923 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' and ''[[Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925 The Phantom of the Opera]]''. These films star Creator/LonChaney, a prolific actor with a reputation for macabre roles, and are the last two Universal films he made, dying five years later in 1930. In the long run, the vacuum he left gave others a chance to make their horror mark. More directly, without Chaney, his two films weren't ideal for sequels or [[UsefulNotes/RiseOfTheTalkies sound remakes]], which meant that it was the third horror hit of the 1920s, ''Theatre/TheCatAndTheCanary'', that received the royal treatment. Its success led to the [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual do-over]] ''The Last Warning'', Universal's first horror film to come with some sound, and a remake known as ''The Cat Creeps'', Universal's first full sound entry into the genre.

Hollywood's Golden Age of Horror came to a screeching halt in 1936 due to three factors. Since its founding, Universal had been headed by Carl Laemmle and later his son Carl Laemmle Jr, who in particular had faith in horror. They invested a lot of money in the studio's A-Movies and while each did immensely well, rarely did these films make up for the costs. The Laemmles were ousted in 1936 as a result and while Universal returned to horror later, they were never done as lavishly again. Another factor was the sudden enforcement of the UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode in 1934. The terror, fright, and shock horror relied on suddenly was restricted by the [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} Catholic]] whims of the Production Code Administration as headed by Joseph Breen. He in particular did not take kindly to horror, but could only muzzle and discourage it. This leads into the supposed British horror ban of 1935, ignited by the poor reception of Universal's ''[[Film/TheRaven1935 The Raven]]''. Rather than an adaptation of the [[Literature/TheRaven poem]], it is a [[Creator/EdgarAllanPoe Poe]]-inspired torture horror. It was not banned in Great Britain, but its controversial content did lead to harsher regulation by the British Board of Film Classification. Back in the United States, this was exaggerated by the PCA as equating a technical ban. With the British market supposedly being lost to horror films and the PCA being as difficult as they could get away with, there was no more incentive for America to make horror films.

A funny thing about ''The Raven'' is that it co-stars Lugosi and Karloff, the two actors who are at the core of Universal Horror. And they would be at its revival. In 1938, Emil Umann of the Regina Theatre in Beverly Hills packaged together ''Dracula'', ''Frankenstein'', and RKO's ''Film/TheSonOfKong'' for a run of four days. The novelty here was a full horror experience, as Universal's own reissues always paired a horror film with a comedy to increase the range of people willing to pay for a ticket. Umann had the better idea, because opening day already required crowd control. As Umann increased the duration of the run, Universal took notice and packaged ''Dracula'' and ''Frankenstein'' together themselves to offer other theaters. This evidence that there very much was an audience for horror led Universal to produce ''Film/SonOfFrankenstein'', ringing in the second horror era for Hollywood.

Hollywood's Golden Age of Horror came to a screeching halt in 1936 due to three factors. Since its founding, Universal had been headed by Carl Laemmle and later his son Carl Laemmle Jr, who in particular had faith in horror. They invested a lot of money in the studio's A-Movies and while each did immensely well, rarely did these films make up for the costs. The Laemmles were ousted in 1936 as a result and while Universal returned to horror later, they were never done as lavishly again. Another factor was the sudden enforcement of the UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode in 1934. The terror, fright, and shock horror relied on suddenly was restricted by the [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} Catholic]] whims of the Production Code Administration as headed by Joseph Breen. He in particular did not take kindly to horror, but could only muzzle and discourage it. This leads into the supposed British horror ban of 1935, ignited by the poor reception of Universal's ''[[Film/TheRaven1935 The Raven]]''. Rather than an adaptation of the [[Literature/TheRaven poem]], it is a [[Creator/EdgarAllanPoe|Poe]]-inspired torture horror. It was not banned in Great Britain, but its controversial content did lead to harsher regulation by the British Board of Film Classification. Back in the United States, this was exaggerated by the PCA as equating a technical ban. With the British market supposedly being lost to horror films and the PCA being as difficult as they could get away with, there was no more incentive for America to make horror films.

[[UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood Back in]] [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood the day]], [[Creator/{{Universal}} Universal Pictures]] was a minor film studio of modest means, looking to stand out from its competition. Their solution? Create some of the most classic and enduring {{horror}} movie icons in history.

Universal first dabbled in the horror genre in 1913 with ''Film/DrJekyllAndMrHyde'' (starring King Baggot) and ''The Werewolf'', the latter of which is a lost film. The next year it made ''The White Wolf'', which is another lost werewolf film. The studio's first two hit horror films were the 1923 adaptation of ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1923 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' and its 1925 adaptation of ''[[Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925 The Phantom of the Opera]]'', both starring Creator/LonChaney. A string of successful silent films with German expressionist director Paul Leni and actor Creator/ConradVeidt followed before Universal came roaring into the "talkie" era in 1931 with two movies: ''Film/{{Frankenstein|1931}}'' and ''Film/{{Dracula|1931}}''. These two films were smash hits that [[TropeMakers laid the foundation]] for the modern horror genre, helped to establish Universal as a studio to be respected, and made leading men out of their respective stars, Creator/BorisKarloff and Creator/BelaLugosi. Universal followed this up with ''[[Film/TheMummy1932 The Mummy]]'' in 1932, ''[[Film/TheInvisibleMan1933 The Invisible Man]]'' in 1933, and a trilogy of movies based on the works of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe (''Film/MurdersInTheRueMorgue, Film/TheBlackCat'' and ''[[Film/TheRaven1935 The Raven]]''), as well as sequels to its 1931 giants: ''Film/BrideOfFrankenstein'' and ''Film/DraculasDaughter''.

Universal took time off from making horror movies in the late 1930s due to the initial impact of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode. The studio's return to fright came in 1939 with ''Film/SonOfFrankenstein'' and hit the next high note in 1941 with ''[[Film/TheWolfMan1941 The Wolf Man]]'', starring Creator/LonChaneyJr. At this point, Universal was well into the sequel and remake game of their key properties. Possibly inspired by the "The Three Horror Men" marketing tactic of Creator/RKOPictures's 1940 ''You'll Find Out'', the first monster {{crossover}} hit the screen in 1943 with ''Film/FrankensteinMeetsTheWolfMan''. That same year, a much bigger MonsterMash to be known as ''Chamber of Horrors'' was announced, which ended up as the fun but decidedly less ambitious ''Film/HouseOfFrankenstein''. ''Film/HouseOfDracula'' followed, with the crossovers culminating in ''Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetFrankenstein'', an AffectionateParody of the horror genre and the first of a series in which Creator/AbbottAndCostello have all kinds of encounters, some of which involving other Universal monsters.

* ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1913)
* ''The Werewolf'' (1913) ('''lost''')

* ''The Last Warning'' (1929)
* ''The Last Performance'' (1929)

* ''The Climax'' (1944) (Originally meant to be a sequel to ''Phantom of the Opera'' of 1943.)

* ''Curucu, Beast of the Amazon'' (1955)

* ''Film/IslandOfLostSouls'' (1932) is sometimes listed as a Universal horror film, despite being made by Paramount. This is because Universal released it on VHS in the nineties, and included it under the "Universal Monsters" label in the process.

* ''The Black Cat'' (1941) (no relation to the 1934 movie with the same title)

* ''Invisible Agent'' (1942) (Universal Horror meets wartime propaganda)

* ''Film/FrankensteinMeetsTheWolfMan'' (1943) (First film to [[CanonWelding combine the sub-series]] into a shared universe)
* ''Film/CaptiveWildWoman'' (1943) (Universal Horror meets woman's film)
* ''[[Film/PhantomOfTheOpera1943 Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1943) (Sound-enabled remake of the 1925 original that incorporated many musical elements)

* ''The Climax'' (1944) (originally meant to be a sequel to ''Phantom of the Opera'' of 1943)

* ''House of Horrors'' (1946)

* ''The Cat Creeps'' (1946) (no relation to the 1930 film of the same name)
* ''Film/TheBruteMan'' (1946)

* ''The Jungle Captive'' (1945)

* ''The Invisible Woman'' (1940)

Universal Horror represents one of the earliest attempts at a [[TheVerse shared movie universe]]. Through sequels, its Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolf Man movies were established as sharing a loose continuity, which in turn [[TropeCodifier codified]] the {{Uberwald}} trope. Via the Creator/AbbottAndCostello fim series, the Invisible Man[[note]]Notwithstanding that the Invisible Man movies are set in a number of different continuities.[[/note]] and the Mummy[[note]]The version from ''Film/TheMummysHand'' and its sequels, not from the original ''Film/TheMummy1932''.[[/note]] were also added to this shared universe. During the 1960s Horror Boom, these five classic Universal monsters and the then-new Creature from the Black Lagoon were treated as a package deal for purposes of homage and satire. Decades later, Universal gave its official stamp of approval to these six classic monsters -- Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Wolf Man, and Gill Man -- by releasing a ''Legacy'' collection for each as a way of promoting ''Van Helsing''.

Universal did try to set up brand new monsters in the 1940s, but after near-continuous losses in the 1930s, budget considerations made the cookie-cutter BMovie the favored option. 1943's ''The Mad Ghoul'' stands out as one of the few horror movies not to receive a sequel, but this isn't for lack of trying. The Mad Ghoul himself was announced to be part of the ''Chamber of Horrors'' crossover, but didn't make it into the final product. 1943 also premiered ''Film/CaptiveWildWoman'', the first of an eventual trilogy. ''Captive Wild Woman'' in particular is a product of the wartime female-centric cinema and the series as a whole is the only one in the Universal line-up to focus on a female monster. In 1944, the ''[[Film/TheBakerStreetDozen Sherlock Holmes]]'' film ''The Pearl of Death'' brought about a horror series SpinOff centered on the Creeper as played by Creator/RondoHatton. And from 1943 to 1945, the ''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'' name was licensed for the production of seven films, starring Lon Chaney Jr. as leading man and David Hoffman as the HorrorHost of the series.

* ''The Werewolf'' (1913) (a lost film)

* ''The Cat Creeps'' (1930) -- Sound remake of ''The Cat and the Canary''. [[/index]]
** ''La Voluntad del Muerto'' (1930) -- A [[ForeignRemake Spanish-language version]], made by Universal for the Spanish and Latin American markets in the days before dubbing was technologically feasible. Incidentally, both are considered to be [[MissingEpisode lost]]. [[index]]

** ''Drácula'' (1931) -- Another [[ForeignRemake Spanish-language version]]. Often known simply as "Spanish Dracula". [[index]]

* ''Invisible Agent'' (1942) (the result of Universal horror meeting wartime propaganda)

* ''Film/FrankensteinMeetsTheWolfMan'' (1943) (the first film to [[CanonWelding combine the sub-series]] into a shared universe)

* ''[[Film/PhantomOfTheOpera1943 Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1943) (a sound-enabled remake of the 1925 original that incorporated many musical elements)

* ''The Mad Ghoul'' (1943)
* ''Calling Dr. Death'' (1943)
* ''Weird Woman'' (1944)

* ''Dead Man's Eyes'' (1944)

* ''The Frozen Ghost'' (1945)

* ''Strange Confession'' (1945)

* ''Pillow of Death'' (1945)

The horror genre entered another period of dormancy in the late 1940s; this time without a clear culprit. Proposed explanations include the desire for normalcy in the post-war era, staleness and oversaturation of the genre, and a shift to FilmNoir as the new source of gloom and thrills. As with the first dormancy, horror returned just before the turn of the decade. Classic horror was done away with in favor of {{alien inva|sion}}ders, [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever big critters]], [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear trouble]], and prehistoric remnants rearing their heads. The latter concept came about due to the long-awaited discovery of the [[NotSoExtinct coelacanth in 1952]] and is the thought behind Universal's final iconic horror film: ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954. Other films of note from this era are ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956 and ''Monster on the Campus'' in 1958.

* ''Jungle Woman'' (1944)

Due to the successes of ''The Mummy Trilogy'' and ''Van Helsing'', as well as the impact of the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, Universal went to work setting up a new, rebooted Universal Horror universe under the name of the Film/DarkUniverse. ''Film/DraculaUntold'' was intended to be the first film in this shared setting, but its underperformance caused it to be scrapped from continuity and ''Film/TheMummy2017'' used as the new first film. The new ''Mummy'' also features [[Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde Dr. Jekyll]] in a supporting role, and movies featuring other characters were in development, with Creator/JohnnyDepp signed up for the Invisible Man and Creator/JavierBardem to play Frankenstein's Monster. Revamps for Van Helsing and Gill Man were also planned. However, after ''The Mummy'' bombed even more spectacularly than ''Dracula Untold'', the plans for the Dark Universe were shelved. A rejected pitch by Creator/GuillermoDelToro for an [[InterspeciesRomance unconventional take]] on ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' did eventually get made (though not by Universal) as ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'', and a few years after that, there was ''Film/TheInvisibleMan2020'', made by [[Creator/BlumhouseProductions Blumhouse]] and distributed by Universal. Although ''The Invisible Man'' was a sleeper hit - making back its budget many times over - it was very much a standalone film, and the idea of a new shared universe is no closer to materializing.

In the decades following, Universal has from time to time made new meaterial based on their key properties. They did [[Film/{{Dracula 1979}} a remake]] of ''Dracula'' in 1979 starring Creator/FrankLangella and Sir Creator/LaurenceOlivier, and at the TurnOfTheMillennium, they remade ''Film/TheMummy1932'' as a series of [[TwoFistedTales pulpy, two-fisted]] ActionAdventure movies, known as Film/TheMummyTrilogy. They reunited the Wolf Man, Dracula, and Frankenstein's monster for the [[SoBadItsGood cheesily good]] SummerBlockbuster ''Film/VanHelsing'' in 2004, and did [[Film/TheWolfman2010 a remake]] of ''The Wolf Man'' in 2010 starring Creator/BenicioDelToro and Sir Creator/AnthonyHopkins. Finally, it's perhaps not a coincidence that [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal's theme parks]] in Orlando and Hollywood are known across America for having some of the biggest [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]] celebrations around, collectively known as ''Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights''.

An interesting aspect of Universal Horror for film geeks is that it represents one of the earliest attempts at a [[TheVerse shared movie universe]]. Through sequels, its Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolf Man movies were established as sharing a loose continuity, effectively [[TropeCodifier codifying]] the {{Uberwald}} trope. Via movies by Creator/AbbottAndCostello, the Invisible Man[[note]]Albeit briefly in a cameo, and the Invisible Man movies were actually set in a number of different continuities.[[/note]] and the Mummy[[note]]The version from ''Film/TheMummysHand'' and its sequels, not from the original ''Film/TheMummy1932''.[[/note]] were also added to this shared universe. In later uses for homage and satire, these five "classic" Universal Monsters became somewhat inseparable, and were also frequently featured with the Creature from the Black Lagoon. "Gill Man" was never established as having any canonical ties to the others, his popularity appears to have gotten him into the club. Eventually, as a way of promoting ''Film/VanHelsing'', Universal gave its official stamp of approval to these six "classic" monsters -- Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Wolf Man, and Gill Man -- by releasing six "Legacy" collections, one for each, officially setting them apart from the remainder of Universal Horror (although the Wolf Man collection featured two unrelated films, one of which did not even feature an actual werewolf, to fill space).

More recently, there were plans to create a new, rebooted Universal Horror universe, [[http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/universal-announces-plans-for-a-classic-monster-revival-with-dark-universe-201 known as]] the Film/DarkUniverse. ''Film/DraculaUntold'' was intended to be [[http://www.aintitcool.com/node/68991 the first film]] in this shared setting, but its underperformance caused it to be scrapped from continuity and ''Film/TheMummy2017'' used as the new first film, similar to what happened with ''Film/GreenLantern2011'' in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. The new ''Mummy'' also features [[Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde Dr. Jekyll]] in a supporting role, and movies featuring other characters were in development, with Creator/JohnnyDepp signed up for the Invisible Man and Creator/JavierBardem to play Frankenstein's Monster. Revamps for Van Helsing and Gill Man were also planned. However, after ''The Mummy'' bombed even more spectacularly than ''Dracula Untold'', the plans for the Dark Universe were shelved. A rejected pitch by Creator/GuillermoDelToro for a rather [[InterspeciesRomance unconventional take]] on ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' did eventually get made (though not by Universal) as ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'', and a few years after that, there was ''Film/TheInvisibleMan2020'', made by [[Creator/BlumhouseProductions Blumhouse]] and distributed by Universal. Although ''The Invisible Man'' was a sleeper hit - making back its budget many times over - it was very much a standalone film, and the idea of a new shared universe is no closer to materializing.

It goes without saying that any horror fan is expected to have at least a passing familiarity with Universal's classic horror films. Until TheSeventies, the Universal monster movie was what most people thought of when they heard the phrase "horror movie". A large number of HorrorTropes were [[TropeMaker made]], [[TropeCodifier codified]], and employed by these movies, particularly those pertaining to the so-called "classic movie monsters" -- [[ClassicalMovieVampire vampires]], [[WolfMan werewolves]], {{mumm|y}}ies, etc. The modern images of said monsters were more or less created by Universal, to the point where [[OurVampiresAreDifferent deviations from]] [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent their classic blueprints]] are still regarded as {{subver|tedTrope}}sions of the "traditional" rules surrounding them. Also, since the limitations of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode meant that Universal couldn't rely on [[{{Gorn}} graphic violence]] and [[SexSells sex]] to frighten and titillate viewers, they remain a great way to [[GatewaySeries introduce younger or more squeamish viewers]] to horror -- which is exactly what they did once TV stations started using them as late-night movies in the 1950s.

Universal first dabbled in the horror genre in 1913 with ''Film/DrJekyllAndMrHyde'' (starring King Baggot) and ''The Werewolf'', the latter of which is a lost film. The next year it made ''The White Wolf'', which is another lost werewolf film. The studio's first two hit horror films were the 1923 adaptation of ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1923 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' and its 1925 adaptation of ''[[Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925 The Phantom of the Opera]]'', both starring Creator/LonChaney. A string of successful silent films with German expressionist director Paul Leni and actor Creator/ConradVeidt followed before Universal came roaring into the "talkie" era in 1931 with two movies: ''Film/{{Frankenstein|1931}}'' and ''Film/{{Dracula|1931}}''. These two films were smash hits that [[TropeMakers laid the foundation]] for the modern horror genre, helped to establish Universal as a studio to be respected, and made leading men out of their respective stars, Creator/BorisKarloff and Creator/BelaLugosi. Universal followed this up with ''[[Film/TheMummy1932 The Mummy]]'' in 1932, ''[[Film/TheInvisibleMan1933 The Invisible Man]]'' in 1933, and a trilogy of movies based on the works of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe (''Film/MurdersInTheRueMorgue, Film/TheBlackCat'' and ''[[Film/TheRaven1935 The Raven]]''), as well as sequels to ''Dracula'' and ''Frankenstein''.

Universal took time off from making horror movies in the late 1930s due to the initial impact of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode. The studio's return to fright came in 1939 with ''Film/SonOfFrankenstein'' and hit the next high note in 1941 with ''[[Film/TheWolfMan1941 The Wolf Man]]'', starring Creator/LonChaneyJr. Chaney would also be the leading man in all seven ''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'' films, named after the popular radio anthology. David Hoffman, as a head in a crystal ball, was the HorrorHost and Chaney played a different character in each story. Reviving another early monster, Universal remade ''[[Film/PhantomOfTheOpera1943 Phantom of the Opera]]'' in 1943 and continued making sequels to their now-classic properties. Possibly inspired by the "The Three Horror Men" marketing tactic of Creator/RKOPictures's 1940 ''You'll Find Out'', Universal introduced its first monster {{crossover}} in 1943 with ''Film/FrankensteinMeetsTheWolfMan'' and that same year announced a much bigger MonsterMash to be known as ''Chamber of Horrors'', which ended up as the fun but decidedly less ambitious ''Film/HouseOfFrankenstein''. ''Film/HouseOfDracula'' followed, with the crossovers culminating in ''Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetFrankenstein'', an AffectionateParody of the early horror genre and the first of a series in which Creator/AbbottAndCostello faced all sorts of fantasy adventures often involving the Universal monsters.

Universal did try to set up brand new monsters in the 1940s, but after near-continuous losses in the 1930s, budget considerations made the low-prestige BMovie the favored option. Sporting a [[NonIndicativeName non-indicative title]], 1943's ''The Mad Ghoul'' features a VoodooZombie and it's one of the few horror movies not to receive a sequel. This isn't for lack of trying; the Mad Ghoul himself was announced to be part of the ''Chamber of Horrors'' crossover, but didn't make it into the final product. 1943 also premiered ''Film/CaptiveWildWoman'', the first of an eventual trilogy about a gorilla-turned-human. The first film in particular is a product of the wartime female-centric cinema and the series as a whole is the only one in the Universal line-up to focus on a female monster. In 1944, the ''[[Film/TheBakerStreetDozen Sherlock Holmes]]'' film ''The Pearl of Death'' brought about a horror series SpinOff centered on the Creeper, a brutish murderer played by Creator/RondoHatton. The last of these, ''Film/TheBruteMan'', is something of a proto-SlasherMovie.

The horror genre entered another period of dormancy in the late 1940s; this time without a clear culprit. Proposed explanations include the desire for normalcy in the post-war era, staleness and oversaturation of the genre, and a shift to FilmNoir as the new source of gloom and thrills. As with the first dormancy, horror returned just before the turn of the decade. Classic horror was largely done away with in favor of {{alien inva|sion}}ders, [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever big critters]], [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear trouble]], and prehistoric remnants. The latter was inspired by the long-awaited discovery of the [[NotSoExtinct coelacanth in 1952]] and is the thought behind Universal's final iconic horror film: ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954. Other films of note are ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956 and ''Monster on the Campus'' in 1958.

A move critical to the franchise occurred in 1957 when Universal teamed up with Creator/ColumbiaPictures to distribute their film catalogue up to August 1948 to television networks in themed packages. ''Shock!'' (1957) and ''Son of Shock'' (1958) were the horror offering and they were a massive hit, kickstarting the Horror Boom of the 1960s. This is when Universal Horror as a franchise was established and the MonsterMash was codified. Universal responded with a sharp but short-lived turn back to classic horror. Rather, in the late 1950s, the British [[Film/HammerHorror Hammer Film Productions]] began making their own movies based on the same material Universal worked with prior. Universal arranged to be the distributor of these films in America. [[TheEighties Decades later]], ''Film/TheMonsterSquad'' introduced Universal horror to a new generation of young people, becoming a cult classic in its own right. While it wasn't actually made by Universal (the monster designs were all changed slightly so as not to infringe upon trademarks), it was filmed on their backlots.

Universal itself has also mined its past for ideas. They did [[Film/{{Dracula 1979}} a remake]] of ''Dracula'' in 1979 starring Creator/FrankLangella and Sir Creator/LaurenceOlivier, and at the TurnOfTheMillennium, they remade ''Film/TheMummy1932'' as a series of [[TwoFistedTales pulpy, two-fisted]] ActionAdventure movies, known as Film/TheMummyTrilogy. They reunited the Wolf Man, Dracula, and Frankenstein's monster for the [[SoBadItsGood cheesily good]] SummerBlockbuster ''Film/VanHelsing'' in 2004, and did [[Film/TheWolfman2010 a remake]] of ''The Wolf Man'' in 2010 starring Creator/BenicioDelToro and Sir Creator/AnthonyHopkins. Finally, it's perhaps not a coincidence that [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal's theme parks]] in Orlando and Hollywood are known across America for having some of the biggest [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]] celebrations around, collectively known as ''Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights''.

The horror genre entered another period of dormancy in the late 1940s for debated reasons. Explanations to be considered are the desire for normalcy in the post-war era, staleness and oversaturation of the genre, and a shift to FilmNoir as the new source of thrills. As with the first dormancy, horror returned just before the turn of the decade. The new trend in horror movies was {{science|IsBad}} [[MadScientist gone]] [[ILoveNuclearPower wrong]] and {{alien inva|sion}}ders in [[TheFifties the Atomic Age]] — the only original horror films that Universal made after this point that are unanimously considered to be "Universal horror" are ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954 and ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956.

However, while production of new horror movies out of Universal came to an end, the monsters were by no means forgotten. Starting in the late 1950s, a British film studio called [[Film/HammerHorror Hammer Film Productions]] began making their own movies based on the same material, in color (often [[KensingtonGore very lurid color]]). These portrayals of the classic monsters would be distributed by Universal within America, and left their own mark on the popular image of the characters. [[TheEighties Decades later]], ''Film/TheMonsterSquad'' introduced Universal horror to a new generation of young people, becoming a cult classic in its own right. While it wasn't actually made by Universal (the monster designs were all changed slightly so as not to infringe upon trademarks), it was filmed on their backlots.

** ''Drácula'' (1931) -- Another [[ForeignRemake Spanish-language version]]. Often known simply as "Spanish Dracula". Considered by many film aficionados ([[http://www.cinemassacre.com/2009/10/02/02-spanish-dracula-1931/ including]] Creator/JamesRolfe) to be a superior film to the original, albeit without Creator/BelaLugosi's signature performance. [[index]]

* ''The Phantom Creeps'' (1939)

* ''The Black Cat'' (1941) (no relation to the movie made 7 years earlier with the same title)

* ''Film/FrankensteinMeetsTheWolfMan'' (1943) (the first film to explicitly [[CanonWelding combine the sub-series]] into a shared universe)
* ''Captive Wild Woman'' (1943)

* ''The Climax'' (1944)

Universal first dabbled in the horror genre with two very little known films, ''Film/DrJekyllAndMrHyde'' (starring King Baggot) and ''The Werewolf'', both made in 1913, the latter of which is a lost film. The next year it made ''The White Wolf'' (both another lost film and another werewolf film). But its first two hit horror films were the 1923 adaptation of ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1923 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' and its 1925 adaptation of ''[[Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1925 The Phantom of the Opera]]'', both starring Creator/LonChaney. A string of successful silent films with German expressionist director Paul Leni and actor Creator/ConradVeidt followed before Universal came roaring into the "talkie" era in 1931 with two movies: ''Film/{{Frankenstein|1931}}'' and ''Film/{{Dracula|1931}}''. These two films were smash hits that [[TropeMakers laid the foundation]] for the modern horror genre, helped to establish Universal as a studio to be respected, and made leading men out of their respective stars, Creator/BorisKarloff and Creator/BelaLugosi. Universal followed this up with ''[[Film/TheMummy1932 The Mummy]]'' in 1932, ''[[Film/TheInvisibleMan1933 The Invisible Man]]'' in 1933, and a trilogy of movies based on the works of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe (''Film/MurdersInTheRueMorgue, Film/TheBlackCat'' and ''[[Film/TheRaven1935 The Raven]]''), as well as sequels to ''Dracula'' and ''Frankenstein''.

Universal took time off from making horror movies in the late 1930s due to the initial impact of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode. The studio's return to fright came in 1939 with ''Film/SonOfFrankenstein'' before introducing in 1941 one of its most enduring films: ''[[Film/TheWolfMan1941 The Wolf Man]]'', starring their new leading man, Creator/LonChaneyJr. He also starred in a series of ''Inner Sanctum Mysteries'' films, named after the popular radio anthology. David Hoffman, as a head in a crystal ball, was the HorrorHost and Chaney played a different character in each story. Reviving another early monster, Universal remade ''[[Film/PhantomOfTheOpera1943 Phantom of the Opera]]'' in 1943 and continued making sequels to their now-classic properties. Possibly inspired by the "The Three Horror Men" marketing tactic of [[Creator/RKOPictures]]'s 1940 ''You'll Find Out'', Universal introduced its first monster {{crossover}} in 1943 with ''Film/FrankensteinMeetsTheWolfMan'' and that same year announced a much bigger MonsterMash to be known as ''Chamber of Horrors'', which ended up as the fun but decidedly less ambitious ''Film/HouseOfFrankenstein''. ''Film/HouseOfDracula'' followed, with the crossovers culminating in ''Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetFrankenstein'', an AffectionateParody of the early horror genre and the first of a series of which Creator/AbbottAndCostello faced all sorts of fantasy adventures often involving the Universal monsters.

Universal did try to set up brand new monsters in the 1940s, but after near-continuous losses in the 1930s, budget considerations made the BMovie the favored option. Despite the title, 1943's ''The Mad Ghoul'' features a VoodooZombie and it's one of the few horror movies not to receive a sequel. The Mad Ghoul was announced to be part of the ''Chamber of Horrors'' crossover, but didn't make it into the final product. 1943 also premiered ''Film/CaptiveWildWoman'', the first of eventually three movies about a gorilla-turned-human. The first film in particular is a product of the wartime female-centric cinema and the series as a whole is the only one in the Universal line-up to focus on a female monster. In 1944, ''[[Film/TheBakerStreetDozen Sherlock Holmes]]'' film ''The Pearl of Death'' resulted in a horror series SpinOff centered on the Creeper, a brutish deformed murderer.

From here, Universal horror entered another period of dormancy, as the trend in horror movies began to shift toward {{science|IsBad}} [[MadScientist gone]] [[ILoveNuclearPower wrong]] and {{alien inva|sion}}ders in [[TheFifties the Atomic Age]] — the only original horror films (not based on existing properties) that Universal made after this point that are still unanimously considered to be "Universal horror" were ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954 and ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956.

An interesting aspect of Universal Horror for film geeks is that it represents one of the earliest attempts at a [[TheVerse shared movie universe]]. Through sequels, its Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolf Man movies were established as sharing a (somewhat loose) continuity, effectively [[TropeCodifier creating]] the {{Uberwald}} trope. Via movies by Creator/AbbottAndCostello, the Invisible Man[[note]]Albeit briefly in a cameo, and the Invisible Man movies were actually set in a number of different continuities.[[/note]] and the Mummy[[note]]The version from ''Film/TheMummysHand'' and its sequels, not from the original ''Film/TheMummy1932''.[[/note]] were also added to this shared universe. In later uses for homage and satire, these five "classic" Universal Monsters became somewhat inseparable, and were also frequently featured with the Creature from the Black Lagoon; while "Gill Man" was never established as having any canonical ties to the others[[note]]His first film came out significantly later than the others, at the tail end of the era[[/note]], his popularity appears to have gotten him into the club. Eventually, as a way of promoting ''Film/VanHelsing'', Universal gave its official stamp of approval to these six "classic" monsters -- Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, the Wolf Man, and Gill Man -- by releasing six "Legacy" collections, one for each, officially setting them apart from the remainder of Universal Horror (although the Wolf Man collection featured two unrelated films, one of which did not even feature an actual werewolf, to fill space).

It goes without saying that any horror fan is expected to have at least a passing familiarity with Universal's classic horror films. Until TheSeventies, the Universal monster movie was what most people thought of when they heard the phrase "horror movie". A large number of HorrorTropes were [[TropeMaker made]], [[TropeCodifier codified]], and employed by these movies, particularly those pertaining to the so-called "classic movie monsters" -- [[ClassicalMovieVampire vampires]], [[WolfMan werewolves]], {{mumm|y}}ies, etc. The modern images of said monsters were more or less created by Universal, to the point where [[OurVampiresAreDifferent deviations from]] [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent their classic blueprints]] are still regarded as {{subver|tedTrope}}sions of the "traditional" rules surrounding them. Also, since the limitations of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode meant that Universal couldn't rely on [[{{Gorn}} graphic violence]] and [[SexSells sex]] to frighten and titillate viewers, they remain a great way to [[GatewaySeries introduce younger or more squeamish viewers]] to horror -- which is exactly what they did once TV stations started using them as late-night movies.

From here, Universal horror entered a period of dormancy, as the trend in horror movies began to shift toward {{science|IsBad}} [[MadScientist gone]] [[ILoveNuclearPower wrong]] and {{alien inva|sion}}ders in [[TheFifties the Atomic Age]] — the only original horror films (not based on existing properties) that Universal made after this point that are still unanimously considered to be "Universal horror" were ''Film/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' in 1954 and ''Film/TheMolePeople'' in 1956.