Super 7 "Official Universal Monsters Thread"

[michblk]

My ent earth Creature shipped too.

Brian K

[aura of foreboding]

Which products use a Chaney Jr. Universal character, but don't have a Universal copyright/TM?

The TOT ornaments and busts.  Now, I know that TOT holds a Uni license, but their Chaney products don't have any Uni markings.  Atlantis holds some Uni license, because of the S7 Creature kit, but their Mutant and Phantom make no mention of Universal.  I will be interested in seeing if these Chaney kits do.  Perhaps if companies hold the Uni license, there's some agreement they need only mention a Chaney license on particular products.  We'll see. 

[Mike Scott]

Perhaps if companies hold the Uni license, there's some agreement they need only mention a Chaney license on particular products. 

Ya got me! It's baffling alright.

[MonsterBaker666]

The TOT ornaments and busts.  Now, I know that TOT holds a Uni license, but their Chaney products don't have any Uni markings.  Atlantis holds some Uni license, because of the S7 Creature kit, but their Mutant and Phantom make no mention of Universal.  I will be interested in seeing if these Chaney kits do.  Perhaps if companies hold the Uni license, there's some agreement they need only mention a Chaney license on particular products.  We'll see.

Well, Universal does not have a copyright on the 1925 Phantom Of The Opera - it's in the public domain, so naturally it would not have a Universal copyright on the TOTS ornaments and busts.  The Wolf Man oddly also doesn't list Universal, but does list the Chaney likeness copyright by Chaney Ent. 

[Anton Phibes]

Chaney Entertainment/Estates won a legal battle awhile back. It basically states that they can sell Chaney Jr. Likenesses without Universal's involvement. That's why Universal draws the Wolfman at times no longer resembling Chaney at all.

[marsattacks666]

Chaney Entertainment/Estates won a legal battle awhile back. It basically states that they can sell Chaney Jr. Likenesses without Universal's involvement. That's why Universal draws the Wolfman at times no longer resembling Chaney at all.

Now that makes sense. Thank you, Anton.

[MonsterBaker666]

Surprised Ron Chaney isn't pushing for Lon Chaney Jr Frankenstein action figures, etc.  I will say that the Aurora Monster Scenes model kit of Frankenstein did resemble Chaney Jr. 

[MonsterBaker666]

Just got notified by Super 7 that my order (Visible Creature / Godzilla Boxed figure with oxygen destroyer) has shipped...which means they just printed the shipping label.  Should actually go out later tonight.  So I should get that order and my thin Glow boxed Creature next week some time. 

[Anton Phibes]

Surprised Ron Chaney isn't pushing for Lon Chaney Jr Frankenstein action figures, etc.  I will say that the Aurora Monster Scenes model kit of Frankenstein did resemble Chaney Jr.

Honestly, if they do well with this, and the judgement/ruling wasn't specifically limited to The Wolfman (given Chaney Jr. was the sole actor to play him in the entire film series, and may be why they received a favorable ruling) then Chaney Enterprises/Entertainment may be our best chance of eventually seeing Kharis merchandise. Chaney's visage was very pronounced in Ghost of Frankie, and was the first to pick up the mantle after Karloff.....so we may see something. Fingers crossed for Son of Dracula too.

[MonsterBaker666]

Like I said, Atlantis is releasing the old Aurora models Wolf Man and The Mummy and advertising them as Lon Chaney Mummy and Lon Chaney Wolf Man.  So perhaps a Chaney Kharis action figure might be a possibility

[aura of foreboding]

Chaney Entertainment/Estates won a legal battle awhile back. It basically states that they can sell Chaney Jr. Likenesses without Universal's involvement. That's why Universal draws the Wolfman at times no longer resembling Chaney at all.

This is what I wanted to know.  I never heard the outcome of the lawsuit.  I just heard it was over, and the results were hush-hush. 

Thank you, Anton.  It's really amazing that Universal has lost rights to its makeup and designs!  I want to know all of the deets! 

[Anton Phibes]

This is what I wanted to know.  I never heard the outcome of the lawsuit.  I just heard it was over, and the results were hush-hush. 

Thank you, Anton.  It's really amazing that Universal has lost rights to its makeup and designs!  I want to know all of the deets!

I don't know that they so much "lost" Pierce's design as Chaney Entertainment gained a right to use Lon's likeness despite whatever make up in on top of his face. I'm sure the details will emerge eventually and we can all know all the details. In the meantime, I am hoping for a Wolfman that is given the same treatment as Lugosi got from Kaustic.

[aura of foreboding]

I don't know that they so much "lost" Pierce's design as Chaney Entertainment gained a right to use Lon's likeness despite whatever make up in on top of his face. I'm sure the details will emerge eventually and we can all know all the details. In the meantime, I am hoping for a Wolfman that is given the same treatment as Lugosi got from Kaustic.

Either way you look at it, it's astounding.  Universal is basically giving what they have claimed as their intellectual property for over half a century to a third party... including the very unique "Wolf Man" name.  I really want to know how we got to this point.  I believe Lugosi's move to license the Broadway Dracula played a major role.  Lugosi has always been one step ahead of the game, and everyone else just sort of profits from what they do.  Sad thing is that Lugosi's likeness rights expire in a few years, so, while Chaney can profit for many years from this, what will this look like for Lugosi?  Just imagine if this had been done decades ago when Lugosi first went to court...  All of these years of legal battles and missing character merchandise need never have happened.  That's why this is so shocking.  Never did I think Universal would give in on the very things they've been fighting for years.  I want to know if Chaney can use the Monster makeup or the Dracula costume, because, if they can, this basically means they become Universal Monsters, missing only the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the Bride of Frankenstein from the Big 6 lineup.  It's true that Universal makes bank on the Creature, and maybe that is where we are at.  Companies license Universal Monsters for access to the Creature.  You get a Karloff license deal with it as a bonus.  Fascinating.  If Universal had reached Karloff-like deals with Chaney and Lugosi, just imagine how much stronger the franchise would have been.  So extremely shortsighted... and all for nothing now, apparently.  Whatever deal they gave Karloff, they should have given Lugosi and Chaney, and they'd still have all of those characters... with actual likenesses.   

[Anton Phibes]

I think Sarah Karloff basically sold her father's likeness to Universal, according to what I have gleaned here at the UMA. I can't remember though.

[MonsterBaker666]

I've wondered why I haven't seen the Karloff Enterprises markings on all Karloff stuff lately.  Guess that explains it.