Universal Monster Series Completionism

[AxelGripp]

If your as into classic horror as I am, you most likely have a great appreciation for Universal's monster movies. For horror collection completionists, this question has come up time and time again, "exactly which movies belong in that dynasty"?

Personally, this is my definitive list:

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Cat and the Canary (1927)
The Man Who Laughs (1928) 
The Last Warning (1929)
The Last Performance (1929)
The Cat Creeps (1930) Lost
La Voluntad del muerto (1930) Lost
Dracula (1931)
Dracula (Spanish version) (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
The Old Dark House (1932)
The Mummy (1932)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Black Cat (1934)
The Raven (1935)
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935)
Werewolf of London (1935)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Dracula's Daughter (1936)
The Invisible Ray (1936)
Night Key (1937)
The Phantom Creeps (1939)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Tower of London (1939)
Black Friday (1940)
The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
The Invisible Woman (1940)
The Mummy's Hand (1940)
Man Made Monster (1941)
The Wolf Man (1941)
The Black Cat (1941)
Horror Island (1941)
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
Night Monster (1942)
Invisible Agent (1942)
The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Son of Dracula (1943)
Captive Wild Woman (1943)
The Mad Ghoul (1943)
Calling Dr. Death (1943)
Weird Woman (1944)
Dead Man's Eyes (1944)
The Climax (1944)
House of Frankenstein (1944)
The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)
Jungle Woman (1944)
The Mummy's Ghost (1944)
The Mummy's Curse (1944)
The Jungle Captive (1945)
House of Dracula (1945)
The Frozen Ghost (1945)
Strange Confession (1945)
Pillow of Death (1945)
House of Horrors (1946)
The Brute Man (1946)
She-Wolf of London (1946)
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
The Strange Door (1951)
The Black Castle (1952)
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Revenge of the Creature (1955)
Cult of the Cobra (1955)
This Island Earth (1955)
Tarantula (1955)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
The Mole People (1956)
The Deadly Mantis (1957)
The Monolith Monsters (1957)
The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
Monster on the Campus (1958)
The Leech Woman (1960)
(What do you think?)


If this is the case, then that means the so-called "Complete" Universal Monsters 30-Film DVD Collection isn't technically complete, not even with the ones they still own distribution rights too. Most of the others are all scattered on other Universal DVD sets such as the Boris Karloff Collection, or the Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection Vol. 1 & 2. I don't know if it's a marketing thing or if Universal's trying to narrow their canon down to their fundamental monsters or what. But if they were to release a more complete collection, then which of these movies does Universal still own the rights to, other than the Lon Chaney movies?

Any thoughts on all this?

[Mike Scott]

Welcome to the UMA, AxelGripp!

As you say, the 30 film set is the main monsters that had their own series, like Frankenstein and The Invisible Man, but included a couple of extra werewolf movies to pad out the Wolf Man set. Phantom was popular enough to include, even though they only had the one movie.

As far as I know, all of the silent movies are PD. The other ones Universal doesn't own are The Old Dark House and The Brute Man.

Your list looks pretty complete to me! About the only thing different on mine is the Holmes series.
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=20536.msg329949#msg329949

[Memphremagog]

Also:

Secret Of the Blue Room(1933)
House Of Seven Gables(1940)
Hold That Ghost!(1941)
Mad Doctor Of Market Street(1942)
Mystery Of Marie Roget(1942)
Strange Case Of Dr.Rx(1942)
Murder In the Blue Room(1944)
The Cat Creeps(1946)
The Spider Woman Strikes Back(1946)
The Time Of Their Lives(1946)
The Incredible Shrinking Man(1957)
The Land Unknown(1957)
Curse Of the Undead(1959)

[Mike Scott]

Wow, how'd I miss all those!   You'd think I would've caught the missing '50s sci-fi titles!

He may have excluded some as more mystery than horror, though I have them on my list.

You missed the 2nd "Blue Room" movie.

[ChristineBCW]

EDIT:
Here's the combined list from all 'sets' in alpha format (removing the leading THE's, adding SHERLOCK and ABBOTT AND COSTELLO for the box-set effect - cough cough)...

EDIT: I'll attempt to maintain the additional ADDs and NOTES with later "Modify This Thread"...

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953)
Abbott and Costello Hold That Ghost!(1941)
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
Among the Living (1941)

Black Castle (1952)
Black Cat (1934)
Black Cat (1941)
Black Friday (1940)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Brute Man (1946)  IMAGE has recommended DVD release.
Buck Rogers (1939)

Calling Dr. Death (1943)
Captive Wild Woman (1943)
Cat Creeps (1930 lost film) ** NOT AVAILABLE
Cat Creeps (1946) **NOT AVAILABLE
Cat and the Canary (1927)
Cat and the Canary (1939 Univ MOD DVD)
Climax (1944)
Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Cult of the Cobra (1955)
Curse Of the Undead (1959) **NOT AVAILABLE

Dead Man's Eyes (1944)
Deadly Mantis (1957)
Death Takes A Holiday (1934 Univ MOD DVD)
Death Takes A Holiday (1934)
Dr. Cyclops (1940 Univ DVD)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) WB owns this
Dracula (1931)
Dracula (Spanish version) (1931)
Dracula's Daughter (1936)

Flash Gordon (1936)
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)
Frankenstein (1931)
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
Frozen Ghost (1945)

Ghost Breakers (1940 Univ DVD)
Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

Horror Island (1941)
House Of Seven Gables (1940)
House of Dracula (1945)
House of Frankenstein (1944)
House of Horrors (1946)
House of the Seven Gables (1940)
Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

Incredible Shrinking Man(1957)
Invisible Agent (1942)
Invisible Man (1933)
Invisible Man Returns (1940)
Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)
Invisible Ray (1936)
Invisible Woman (1940)
Island of Lost Souls (1932 Criterion DVD)
It Came From Outer Space (1953)

Jungle Captive (1945) **NOT AVAILABLE
Jungle Woman (1944)

Land Unknown (1957)
Last Performance (1929)
Last Warning (1929)
Leech Woman (1960)

Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942)
Mad Doctor (1941)
Mad Ghoul (1943)
Man Made Monster (1941)
Man Who Laughs (1928)
Man in Half Moon Street (1945)
Man of a Thousand Faces (1957 Chaney Sr. biopic)
Missing Guest (1938 Remake "Secret of the Blue Room") **NOT AVAILABLE
Mole People (1956)
Monolith Monsters (1957)
Monster and the Girl (1941 Univ MOD DVD)
Monster on the Campus (1958)
Mummy (1932)
Mummy's Curse (1944)
Mummy's Ghost (1944)
Mummy's Hand (1940)
Mummy's Tomb (1942)
Murder By The Clock (1931)
Murder By the Clock (1931)
Murder In the Blue Room (1944) **NOT AVAILABLE
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Murders in the Zoo (1933 Univ MOD DVD)
Mystery Of Marie Roget(1942)
Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935)
Mystery of Marie Roget (1942)

Night Key (1937)
Night Monster (1942)

Old Dark House (1932) KINO has recommended DVD release.

Phantom Creeps (1939)
Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Pillow of Death (1945)

Raven (1935)
Revenge of the Creature (1955)

Secret Of the Blue Room (1933)
She-Wolf of London (1946)
Sherlock Holmes Dressed to Kill (1946)
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)
Sherlock Holmes House of Fear (1945)
Sherlock Holmes Pearl of Death (1944)
Sherlock Holmes Pursuit to Algiers (1945)
Sherlock Holmes Scarlet Claw (1944)
Sherlock Holmes Secret Weapon (1943)
Sherlock Holmes Spider Woman (1944)
Sherlock Holmes Terror by Night (1946)
Sherlock Holmes Voice of Terror (1942)
Sherlock Holmes Woman in Green (1945)
Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)
Son of Dracula (1943)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946) **NOT AVAILABLE
Strange Case of Doctor Rx (1942)
Strange Confession (1945)
Strange Door (1951)
Supernatural (1933 Univ MOD DVD)

Tarantula (1955)
Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)
This Island Earth (1955)
Time Of Their Lives (1946)
Tower of London (1939)

Uninvited, The (1944 Criterion DVD)

Vanishing Shadow (1934)

Weird Woman (1944)
Werewolf (1913 lost film)
Werewolf of London (1935)
Wolf Man (1941)

[Mike Scott]

Mike, what's the "2nd Bllue Room" - Secret Of and Murder In?  Is there another one?  (I couldn't find a remake of either title)

Now I've got to trick hubby into researching which we have, which we lack and how many are unavailable on home-video.

THE MISSING GUEST (1938)

The movies not available on a Universal DVD (or DVD-R) are (not including titles no longer c. by Universal) THE MISSING GUEST, MURDER IN THE BLUE ROOM, THE CAT CREEPS ('46), THE SPIDER WOMAN STRIKES BACK, THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE and CUSE OF THE UNDEAD.

IMAGE released an excellent DVD of THE BRUTE MAN.
KINO has the best DVD of THE OLD DARK HOUSE.

[ChristineBCW]

Thanks, Mike.  You've saved me a lot of trouble. When I unchain Hubby from the dungeon wall, it's always such a problem for me to trick him back down there.  Or heck, catch him all over again.

[Mord]

 How about movies that were not made by Universal, but are now owned & released by Universal (Island of Lost Souls, Dr. Cyclops, Murders in the Zoo, etc.)?

[Mike Scott]

How about movies that were not made by Universal, but are now owned & released by Universal (Island of Lost Souls, Dr. Cyclops, Murders in the Zoo, etc.)?

Everything pre 1950 Paramount, so probably . . .

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) (WB owns this one.)
Murder By the Clock (1931)
Island of Lost Souls (1932 Criterion DVD)
Supernatural (1933 Uni MOD DVD)
Murders in the Zoo (1933 Uni MOD DVD)
Death Takes A Holiday (1934 Uni MOD DVD)
Cat and the Canary, The (1939 Uni MOD DVD)

Ghost Breakers, The (1940 Uni DVD)
Dr. Cyclops (1940 Uni DVD)
Among the Living (1941)
Mad Doctor, The (1941)
Monster and the Girl, The (1941 Uni MOD DVD)
Uninvited, The (1944 Criterion DVD)
Man in Half Moon Street, The (1945)

[Mord]

 I thought the Fredric March "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was owned by Warner Bros. Did that change?

[Memphremagog]

Everything pre 1950, so probably . . .

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) (Nope, WB owns this one.)
Island of Lost Souls (1932 Lugosi)
Supernatural (1933)
Murders in the Zoo (1933 Atwill)
Cat and the Canary, The (1939)

Ghost Breakers, The (1940)
Dr. Cyclops (1940)
Among the Living (1941)
Mad Doctor, The (1941)
Monster and the Girl, The (1941)
One Body Too Many (1944 Lugosi, Pine-Thomas Productions) ... Distributor
Uninvited, The (1944)
Man in Half Moon Street, The (1945)
Scared Stiff (1945 Pine-Thomas Productions) ... Distributor

Also:

Murder By the Clock(1931)
Death Takes A Holiday(1934)

[Mike Scott]

I thought the Fredric March "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was owned by Warner Bros. Did that change?

I had a notation on that.

[Mike Scott]

Also:

Murder By the Clock(1931)
Death Takes A Holiday(1934)

Thanks!

[ChristineBCW]

Mike, I updated my original listing.  Do you want to take this and put it in your locked LIST OF thread?

I kind of liked your grouping of Frank, Drac, Invisible's, Creature Black Lagoon, etc.

[AxelGripp]

As far as I know, all of the silent movies are PD. The other ones Universal doesn't own are The Old Dark House and The Brute Man.

http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=20536.msg329949#msg329949

Well I looked at The Public Domain list on Wikipedia, and the only movies on my list on there were the Chaney films.

As for The Old Dark House and The Brute Man, who owns them now? Is it Kino and TCM respectively? Because they also released a boxset which contains the Cat and the Canary and The Man Who Laughs, the latter of which has the 1997 Universal logo on the cover. Also, TCM has also released The Mad Ghoul and House of Horrors, with the words "Presented by Universal" in the corner.