6. The Classic Universal Monsters were portrayed in a manner to gain sympathy from the audience
One of the secrets of the success of the initial monsters in Universal’s horror films was the depiction of the monsters in a sympathetic manner, as victims of tragedy themselves. Frankenstein’s monster was made evil by the insertion of a faulty brain by its creator, making the monster as much of a victim as the child he threw into a well. Dracula was stricken by the curse of the undead, forced to roam eternally in search of victims through no fault of his own. The same was true of Larry Talbot/The Wolf Man, who became the victim of a werewolf, and constantly sought ways of overcoming the curse.
Universal played on the audience’s sympathy in a sequel to Frankenstein, 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein. Critics and fans considered it one of the most successful sequels ever made, and despite encountering censorship issues due to the enactment of the Hays Code, it was well-received at the box office. Elsa Lanchester portrayed a female version of the creature, created by Dr. Frankenstein to be a mate for his original reanimated man, somehow resurrected for the film. Karloff’s monster cries when he realizes the mate intended for him had rejected him and caused both of their “deaths”, neither of which was permanent.