Common Themes of Universal Studios Monster Movies

When talking about classic horror movies, it is impossible not to talk about the classics that came out in the 1930s,1940s and 1950s from Universal Studios. What is interesting is that almost all of the infamous Universal Studios monster movies centered around four main themes in one capacity or another.

Current Love vs. Old Love

The Universal Studios monster movies pressed the fact that somehow people can love stronger and deeper in the modern world than in the old world. The strength of modern love can break the spell of Ardeth Bey/Imhotop in "The Mummy," counter the powers of the vampire in "Dracula" or keep Gil Man at bay in "Creature from the Black Lagoon."

I have always thought that this was a very arrogant plot tool for the Universal Studios monster movies. Granted, our technology is better than it ever was. We are more advanced now in science than was imagined in years gone past. Really, though, are we advanced in love? Isn't love a constant?

Xenophobia

During the time that the Universal Studios monster movies came out, many Americans were dealing with xenophobia. There were many Americans that feared that immigrants would take over their jobs, or that there would be some type of forced amassed outside of the borders that would come in and sweep us up. This fear led many to hatred of any type of person that was not naturally born in the United States. Enter the Universal Studios monsters.

In these movies, it was ok to hate the vampire that came from the mountains of Eastern Europe. In these movies, it was fine if you feared the constructed monster in "Frankenstein," remember that he came from Germany. Many of the werewolf movies of the time had strong connections to Europe and Asia. "The Mummy" was completely set in the unknown land of Northern Africa. Gil Man swam around in the bogs in the South around where many immigrants from mysterious countries settled.

Science vs. The Occult

The Universal Studios monster movies made people question both science and the occult, and the relationships between the two. Which one was stronger? Did the belief in one cancel out your belief in the other or could you deal with both at the same time? Are both science and occult based on the same principles, or are they based in each other?

The Elders are Right

What made the Universal Studios monster movies classic is because they secretly asked this question. At the time of these movies, the scars of the Great Depression were still seen everywhere. The elderly people who had feared the use of banks and the purchasing of stock were proven right in their fears when the stock market crashed.

On top of that, all of the Universal Studios monster movies were in some way attached to old European legends. With the emergence of science in the United States, there was no room for silly superstitions like grandma used to live by. These movies made people question if maybe the elders were right.

The Universal Studios monster movies set the stage for the horror movie industry to evolve. Strangely, though, if you look over this list, you will find that the plots of many (if not most) of the horror movies that have come out since could fall into these categories. Funny how the trends that were set decades ago by Universal Studios monster movies are still going today.