"Bride of Frankenstein" was profitable for Universal, with a 1943 report showing that the film had by then earned approximately $2 million ($ in money) for the studio, a profit of about $950,000 ($ as of ). The film was critically praised upon its release, although some reviewers did qualify their opinions based on the film's being in the horror genre. The "New York World-Telegram" called the film "good entertainment of its kind". The "New York Post" described it as "a grotesque, gruesome tale which, of its kind, is swell". "The Hollywood Reporter" similarly called the film "a joy for those who can appreciate it".