The Mummy hits our screens this week, and with it the beginning of Universal’s Dark Universe, a new, ambitious shared universe which brings together all their classic monsters under the same banner. We’re talking Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, even The Creature from the Black Lagoon all getting re-imagined for a new generation. Running from the 1930’s to the 1950’s, the studio's iconic creations have endured until today, but some facts have been lost to history. So, here’s five things you didn’t about Universal’s classic monsters.
1. The name of The Mummy’s titular bandage enthusiast, Imhotep, was the name of an actual ancient Egyptian. However, the real Imhotep was the architect who designed the Pyramids, and instead of dying in disgrace, he was the only Egyptian, other than the pharaohs, to be made a god after his death.
2. Even though the movie is named after her, Elsa Lanchester’s Bride of Frankenstein only has three minutes of screen time in the entire movie. However, her performance and iconic shock hairdo went a long way to cement her place in horror movie history.
3. To achieve the effect of his character not being there when he takes off his bandages, The Invisble Man director James Whale had his leading man, Claude Rains, dress head to toe in black velvet in front of black velvet background. Take that, modern visual effects!
4. Dracula actor Bela Lugosi was buried in the character’s iconic black, silk cape, as per his request, following his death in 1956.
5. It may have been called The Wolf Man, but never once is Lon Chaney Jr’s character called that in the movie.
