Mallory, Michꦏael, and Jason Blum. Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror. Revised and updated edition. Universe, 2021.

Featuring artwork by Karl Godwin and depicting the film’s volatile conclusion—a battle between two of the most iconic monsters Universal brought to the screen—the present lot is a half sheet poster for Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943).

Measuring approximately half of 🔜the standard one sheet, half sheets are an archival poster format printed on cardstock, making them more versatile and durable than other paper materials sent to theaters for display. The half sheet on offer here sets the titular monsters, Gwen, and village mystic Maleva against the backdrop of an expressionistic village forest rendered in yellow, blue, and grey tones.

Functioning as a sequel to both The Wolf Man (1941) and The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), FMTWM is more firmly considered to be part of the Wolf Man series, with another original screenplay by Wolf Man screenwriter Curt Siodmak. Lon Chaney Jr.—Universal’s one and only Larry Talbot—was originally slated to play both monsters; however, production costs forced the studio to abandon this gimmick. 60-year-old Bela Lugosi, who had performed voiceover work for Chaney on Ghost the year prior, was then assigned to the role—one that he had initially refused in 1931, fresh off his screen debut and star turn as Dracula. Little consideration was givenᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ to Lugosi’s𒈔 age at the time of casting, and several stunt doubles were hired to perform the more strenuous actions undertaken by the Monster throughout the film.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is the first of Universal’s “monster rallies”—features that brought together several of horror’s households names into a singular film. In a 2006 repertory review of the film, critic Kim James names FMTWM “one of the most-often excerpted films” in the cinematic canon, even noting that a clip from the film screens in the background of a scene in 2004’s Alien vs Predator.