Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and More: Karoly Grosz’s Classic Posters for Universal 1930’s Monster Movies

Karoly Grosz (1896-1938) was arguably the greatest illustrator of Golden Age Hollywood movie posters.

Karoly Grosz, Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, James Whale, film, horror movies, Mary Shelley, books, film, posters

‘Frankenstein’ 1931.

Ephemera: From the Greek ephemeros, meaning “lasting only one day, short-lived.”

Many things once considered ephemeral are now highly valued and sought-after objects. DC and Marvel Comic Books. Music magazines and papers. Toys. Wrapping papers for sweets and candies. Anything intended for a quick turn-around in pleasure now has a price tag higher than its original RRP.

Karoly Grosz (1896-1938) was arguably the greatest illustrator of Golden Age Hollywood movie posters. Grosz’s work (if you can find it) sells for hundreds of thousands today. It’s not just because his work is rare or he designed posters for the some of the greatest horror films ever made. Nay, nay, and thrice nay! It’s because his designs are works of art.

Grosz created movie posters which offered a feeling about a movie without giving anything away. A sense of fear. A sense of thrills. Of joy. Of forbidden delights. Unlike those later artists who followed him–Reynold Brown, Albert Kallis, and Frank McCarthy–Grosz never gave any spoilers in the work he produced.

Karoly Grosz was born somewhere, sometime in Hungary circa 1896. Hee-haw is known about his early years. He doesn’t have any known biography until he turns up in America in 1921. By then he’s an artist. A very good one. He is hired by a movie company to produce advertising material, posters, throwaway stuff, ephemera to bring in customers. He impresses the people who count. He’s hired by Universal Pictures in 1930. For the next eight years, until his early death, Grosz produces classic posters for films like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Old Dark House, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Invisible Man. He created or oversaw hundreds of posters while at Universal. He also gave ideas to producers and movie directors. For example, suggesting to director James Whale Frankenstein‘s Monster should have bolts in his neck and a flat head.

Grosz was the man who turned ephemeral movie posters into collectible works of art.

 

Frankenstein, Boris Karloff, Karoly Grosz, film posters, horror, 1931, James Whale

‘Frankenstein’ 1931.

 

Frankenstein, Boris Karloff, Karoly Grosz, film posters, horror, 1931, James Whale

‘Frankenstein’ 1931.

 

Frankenstein, Boris Karloff, Karoly Grosz, Colin Clive, James Whale, Mary Shelley, film, book, posters, movie posters

‘Frankenstein’ 1931.

 

Dracula, Bram Stoker, Tod Browning, Bela Lugosi, Count Dracula, Dracula, film, movies, posters, 1930s

‘Dracula’ 1931.

 

Dracula, Bram Stoker, Tod Browning, Bela Lugosi, Count Dracula, Dracula, film, movies, posters, 1930s

‘Dracula’ 1931.

 

Karoly Grosz, James Whale, Boris Karloff, horror movies, film posters,

‘The Old Dark House’ 1932.

 

Karoly Grosz, James Whale, Boris Karloff, horror movies, film posters, J B Priestley

‘The Old Dark House’ 1932.

 

The Mummy, Boris Karloff, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies

‘The Mummy’ 1932.

 

The Mummy, Boris Karloff, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies

‘The Mummy’ 1932.

 

Bela Lugosi, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies, books, Edgar, Allan Poe

‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’ 1932.

 

Bela Lugosi, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies, books, Edgar, Allan Poe

‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’ 1932.

 

James Whale, Colin Clive, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies, H G Wells

‘The Invisible Man’ 1933.

 

James Whale, Colin Clive, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies, H G Wells

‘The Invisible Man’ 1933.

 

Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies, books, Edgar, Allan Poe

‘The Black Cat’ 1934.

 

Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies, books, Edgar, Allan Poe

‘The Raven’ 1935.

 

Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Karoly Grosz, film posters, design, horror movies, books, Edgar, Allan Poe

‘The Raven’ 1935.

 

Boris, Karloff, Elsa Lancaster, Colin Clive, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, film, horror movies, movie posters, 1930s

‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ 1935.

 

Boris, Karloff, Elsa Lancaster, Colin Clive, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, film, horror movies, movie posters, 1930s

‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ 1935.

 

Boris, Karloff, Elsa Lancaster, Colin Clive, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, film, horror movies, movie posters, 1930s

‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ 1935.

 

Karoly Grosz, Dracula, Bram Stoker, horror movies, film, movie posters, film posters, 1930s

‘Dracula’s daughter’ 1936.  Buy the print

 

Karoly Grosz, Boris Karlof, Bela Lugosi, horror movies, movie posters, film, film posters, art design, 1930s

‘The Invisible Ray’ 1936.

 

Karoly Grosz, William Powell, Carole, Lombard, movies, film, movie posters, design, film posters, art, 1930s

‘My Man Godfrey’ 1936.

 

Karoly Grosz, posters, movie posters, film, 1930s, design, art

‘Wives Under Suspicion’ 1938.

 

Karoly Grosz, movie posters, Lew Ayres, film, war movies, movie posters, design, art, 1930

‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ 1930.

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