Mego Universal Monsters Hunchback is Somehow Laughton

[YoungestMonsterKid]

Now don't get me wrong, I love it. The Laughton Hunchback is my personal preference of all the Hunchbacks out there. So I was so happy to pick this figure up today. However, I have some questions about the legality of it. Cause the action figure is Charles Laughton as Quasimodo. (Y'know, from the RKO film that is now owned by Warner Bros). Yet the copyright on the back says "Universal Studios" and "Universal Monsters" and everything. Universal, of course, made the Lon Chaney version, which is now public domain. (However, you still gotta pay royalties to the Chaney family and stuff to make a toy, but that's beside the point.)

How did this happen? I'm real curious. This seems like a mistake that would've happened decades ago, but not today. After all, I'm sure many of you all remember a very similar story about how the Aurora Hunchback box art originally resembled Anthony Quinn before it was changed to Chaney.

[Mike Scott]

How did this happen? I'm real curious.

Me too!

[MonsterBaker666]

It's called a boo-boo. 

People often don't know and dont research it very well.

Like the original Frankenstein dvd.  The menu starts with a photo of the monster...only it wasn't Karloff...it was Glenn Strange.  Whoopsie!

[Dr.Terror]

More amateur hour stuff from modern Mego's card "designer".   Im sure they'll blame Universal. Like they did when they put Kharis on the bsck of the Karloff figure,   ride Franj on the Son card.  Uni Frank lab on a hammer card, shuttershock imagrs  etc....  But they seem to be the only company that has this problem....🤷‍♂️.

[Mike Scott]

It's called a boo-boo. 

A big one, if WB finds out about it!

[Mike Scott]

. . ride Franj on the Son card.

Took me a few seconds to figure out what that was. 

[aura of foreboding]

Of all the major media corporations, I feel WB cares the least.  They probably didn't even consider licensing this character.  They probably thought it was only licensed through Disney.   

[YoungestMonsterKid]

Yeah, again, I'm just happy to have a figure of this version of the character. It's sort of a stroke of luck that Mego screwed up. Cause I doubt we ever would've got it officially.

[Subatomic_Matt]

A pretty wild mistake but definitely a fortunate one for fans of this version. What’s the hump on his back like? A lot of fabric padding?

[Dr.Terror]

A pretty wild mistake but definitely a fortunate one for fans of this version. What’s the hump on his back like? A lot of fabric padding?

I heard they are leftover Joe Namath footballs.   Not sure if the person was joking or not.

[YoungestMonsterKid]

I heard they are leftover Joe Namath footballs.   Not sure if the person was joking or not.

That might be it. It's basically something very football shaped. You can move it around as it's under his shirt, but it doesn't fall out. In it's packaging, the hump is sticking out on one of his shoulders but I think it stays in the direct back better. As for accuracy, the football "hump" is too small to be Laughton's. It's closer to Quinn's, maybe.

Nevertheless the head is 100% Laughton. The removable hood is also an interesting, if inaccurate touch.

[MonsterBaker666]

"What hump?" 

[Haunted hearse]

That might be it. It's basically something very football shaped. You can move it around as it's under his shirt, but it doesn't fall out. In it's packaging, the hump is sticking out on one of his shoulders but I think it stays in the direct back better. As for accuracy, the football "hump" is too small to be Laughton's. It's closer to Quinn's, maybe.

Sounds like Marty Feldmen's  "Igor" from "Young Frankenstein".

[YoungestMonsterKid]

Sounds like Marty Feldmen's  "Igor" from "Young Frankenstein".

Not to mention the fact he has a hood for some reason.

[Haunted hearse]

Not to mention the fact he has a hood for some reason.

There was a planned sequel, where a descendant of the Quasimodo was in Detroit, but "Hunchback in the Hood", was never filmed.