On a recent visit to Universal Studios Orlando I enjoyed the delights of the Universal Horror Make-Up Show which included an array of make-up secrets and props from the classic Universal monster movies. This fantastic display of masks, life casts, props and movie memorabilia was photographed on September 23, 2010.
Make-up and life cast of Lon Chaney Jr. from The Wolf Man
In 1941 Lon Chaney Jr. made his horror film debut as The Wolf Man and was the only actor ever to play all the classic monsters onscreen, with roles in Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula and The Mummy.
The Wolf Man movie poster
The Phantom of the Opera prop and make-up display
Lon Chaney Sr. starred as the titular Phantom of the Opera in the 1925 silent horror classic. The Phantom's make-up was designed to resemble a skull. Lon Chaney attached a strip of thin, translucent material to his nostrils with spirit gum, pulled it back until he got the tilt he wanted, then attached the other end to his bald cap. To create his distinctive look, his ears were glued back, cheeks built up with a combination of cotton and collodion, and the rest was greasepaint shaded in the appropriate places of his face.
The Phantom of the Opera movie poster
Original Dracula movie props
Bela Lugosi starred as the vampiric Dracula in the 1931 Universal horror movie. To create the abundant spider webs in Count Dracula's castle they shot rubber cement from a rotary gun.
Dracula movie poster
Boris Karloff's Frankenstein's Monster make-up display
During the filming of 1935's The Bride of Frankenstein, Boris Karloff sweated off twenty pounds wearing the creature's hot costume and make-up. Early in filming he slipped and fell, breaking his leg. Metal struts used to stiffen his legs (for the infamous 'monster lurch') helped keep his bones in place until they could be set properly.
The Bride of Frankenstein movie poster
Boris Karloff wore heavy boots with lifts to cate the look of the towering Frankenstein's Monster.
Frankenstein movie props on display
Buy classic Universal monster movies: The Phantom of the Opera - The Ultimate Edition (1925 Original Version and 1929 Restored Version)
