Universal Horrors

Revised and updated since its first publication in 1990, this acclaimed critical survey covers the classic chillers produced by Universal Studios during the golden age of hollywood horror, 1931 through 1946.
Trekking boldly through haunts and horrors from The Frankenstein Monster, The Wolf Man, Count Dracula, and The Invisible Man, to The Mummy, Paula the Ape Woman, The Creeper, and The Inner Sanctum, the authors offer a definitive study of the 86 films produced during this era and present a general overview of the period. Coverage of the films includes complete cast lists, credits, storyline, behind-the-scenes information, production history, critical analysis, and commentary from the cast and crew (much of it drawn from interviews by Tom Weaver, whom USA Today calls “the king of the monster hunters”). Unique to this edition are a new selection of photographs and poster reproductions and an appendix listing additional films of interest.

Tom Weaver lives in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and has been interviewing moviemakers since the early 1980s. The New York Times called him one of the leading scholars in the horror field and USA Today has described him as the king of the monster hunters. Classic Images called him “the best interviewer we have today.” He is a frequent contributor to numerous film magazines and has been featured in the prestigious Best American Movie Writing. A frequent DVD audio commentator, he is the author of numerous reference and other nonfiction books about American popular culture.

Michael Brunas of Palisades Park, New Jersey, is a writer, collector and lifelong fan of the horror film.

John Brunas of Palisades Park, New Jersey, is a writer, collector and lifelong fan of the horror film.

Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas and John Brunas

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 616
Bibliographic Info: 208 photos, appendices, index
Copyright Date: 2017 [2007]
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7295-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9150-6
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction      1
Milestones in the History of Universal Studios      11

The Movies, 1931–1946    21

Epilogue      559
Appendices      565
Index      589

• “informative…excellent”—Library Journal
• “even better this time around. This is the book to get…a must…remarkable…essential…valuable”—Classic Images
• “the definitive text on the classic monsters”—USA Today
• “Weaver’s writing comes alive”—Big Reel
• “as close as it gets to being a primary source without being composed of celluloid”—Choice
• “fascinating”—Monsters from the Vault
• “masterful examination…deft and knowledgeable…is a definitive work”—Film Review
• “fascinating”—Critical Mass
• “superb…a must-have…definitive”—SF Crowsnest
• “thorough and masterful revision”—Video Watchdog
• “an absolute must have. Tom Weaver has been considered one of the preeminent horror film historians. Weaver has built a career on tracking down surviving members of the films’ casts and crews…invaluable and incomparable”—Scary Monsters Magazine
• “outstanding…definitive…simply fabulous…meticulously researched…extraordinarily entertaining. This is THE Bible to fans of Universal’s classic horror films….one of the finest film reference books I’ve ever read”—Mania.com
• “insightful and valuable”—Midnight Marquee
• “exhaustively researched and deftly written…fright-film scholarship at its unpretentious best”—New York Daily News
• “absolutely indispensible…a steal”—Cornerstone
• “a gruesome gem…lots of striking, rare photos”—San Francisco Examiner Magazine
• “A great deal of valuable information, especially on the effects of censorship by the powerful Hays Office, and a fine selection of stills.”—Neil Barron, Editor of Fantasy and Horror.