List of horror films of the 1930s

1930s

A list of horror films released in the 1930s. The American horror film was properly created in the 1930s, most notably the Universal Horror film productions.[1] A number of Hollywood actors made a name for themselves in horror films of this decade, in particular Bela Lugosi (Dracula, 1931) and Boris Karloff (Frankenstein,1931). Films of this era frequently took their inspiration from the literature of gothic horror[2] and more often dealt with themes of science versus religion rather than supernatural themes.[3]

Many horror films of this era provoked public outcry and censors cut many of the more violent and gruesome scenes from such films as Frankenstein, The Black Cat and Island of Lost Souls.[4][5] In the 1933, the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) introduced an "H" rating for films labeled "Horrific" for "any films likely to frighten or horrify children under the age of 16 years"[6] and only a year later Hollywood initiated a strict production code limiting the violence and sexuality that could be portrayed in films.[7] In 1935, the President of the BBFC Edward Shortt, wrote "although a separate category has been established for these [horrific] films, I am sorry to learn they are on the increase...I hope that the producers and renters will accept this word of warning, and discourage this type of subject as far as possible."[6] As the United Kingdom was a significant market for Hollywood, American producers listened to Shortt's warning, and the number of Hollywood produced horror films decreased in 1936.[6] A trade paper Variety reported that Universal Studios abandonment of horror films after the release of Dracula's Daughter was that "European countries, especially England are prejudiced against this type product [sic]."[6]

At the end of the decade, a profitable re-release of Dracula and Frankenstein would encourage Universal to produce Son of Frankenstein (1939), starting off a resurgence of the horror film that would continue into the mid-1940s.[8]

Title Director Cast Country Notes
1930
The Bat Whispers Roland West Spencer Charters, Chester Morris, Una Merkel [9]
The Cat Creeps Rupert Julian Helen Twelvetrees, Raymond Haskell, Neil Hamilton [10]
1931
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Rouben Mamoulian Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose Hobart [11]
Dracula Tod Browning Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan [11]
Dracula George Melford Carlos Villarias, Lupita Tovar, Barry Norton [12]
Frankenstein James Whale Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, Mae Clarke [11]
The Phantom Alan James Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Allene Ray, Niles Welch [13]
1932
Castle Sinister Widgey R. Newman Haddon Mason, Wally Patch [14]
Dr. X Michael Curtiz Lionel Atwill, Lee Tracy, Fay Wray [11]
Freaks Tod Browning Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams [11]
Kongo William J. Cowen Walter Huston, Lupe Vélez, Conrad Nagel [15][16]
The Mask of Fu Manchu Charles J. Brabin, Charles Vidor, King Vidor Boris Karloff, Lewis Stone, Karen Morley [16]
The Monster Walks Frank Strayer Vera Reynolds, Sheldon Lewis [11]
The Most Dangerous Game Ernest B. Schoedsack Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks [17]
The Mummy Karl Freund Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners [11]
Murders in the Rue Morgue Robert Florey Sidney Fox, Bela Lugosi [11][16]
The Old Dark House James Whale Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Gloria Stuart, Lillian Bond [11][16]
Tales of the Uncanny Richard Oswald Paul Wegener, Harald Paulsen, Roma Bahn [18]
Vampyr Carl Theodor Dreyer Julian West, Maurice Schutz, Jan Hieronimko [19]
White Zombie Victor Halperin Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn [11]
1933
The Crying Woman Ramón Peon Ramón Pereda, Virginia Zuri, Carlos Orellana [20]
The Ghoul T. Hayes Hunter Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke, Ernest Thesiger, Dorothy Hyson, Anthony Bushell [11]
The Invisible Man James Whale Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, Henry Travers, William Harrigan [21]
Island of Lost Souls Erle C. Kenton Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams [21]
The Monkey's Paw Wesley Ruggles, Ernest B. Schoedsack Ivan Simpson, C. Aubrey Smith, Bramwell Fletcher [11][22]
Murders in the Zoo Edward Sutherland Charlie Ruggles, Lionel Atwill, Gail Patrick, Randolph Scott [11]
Mystery of the Wax Museum Michael Curtiz Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh [11]
Night of Terror Benjamin Stoloff Bela Lugosi, George Meeker, Tully Marshall [23]
Supernatural Victor Halperin Carole Lombard, Alan Dinehart, Vivienne Osborne [11]
The Vampire Bat Frank Strayer Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne [11]
1934
The Black Cat Edgar G. Ulmer Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Jacqueline Wells [11]
Black Moon Roy William Neill Jack Holt, Fay Wray, Dorothy Burgess [11]
Chloe, Love is Calling You Marshall Neilan Olive Borden, Georgette Harvey, Reed Howes [24]
House of Mystery William Nigh Ed Lowry, Verna Hillie, John Sheehan [25]
Maniac Dwain Esper Bill Woods, Thea Ramsey [11]
The Phantom of the Convent Fernando de Fuentes Marta Roel, Carlos Villatoro, Enrique del Campo [26]
The Tell-Tale Heart Brian Desmond Hurst Norman Dryden, John Kelt, Yolande Terrell [27]
1935
The Black Room Roy William Neill Boris Karloff, Marian Marsh [11]
Bride of Frankenstein James Whale Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Thesiger, Dwight Frye [11]
Condemned to Live Frank Strayer Ralph Morgan, Maxine Doyle, Russell Gleason [11]
The Crime of Dr. Crespi John H. Auer Erich Von Stroheim, Dwight Frye, Paul Guilfoyle [11]
Mad Love Karl Freund Peter Lorre, Frances Drake, Colin Clive, Ted Healy, Sara Haden [11]
Mark of the Vampire Tod Browning Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan, Bela Lugosi [11]
Ouanga George Terwilliger Fredi Washington, Sheldon Leonard, Philip Brandon [28]
The Raven Lew Landers, Louis Friedlander Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Irene Ware [11]
The Student of Prague Arthur Robison Anton Wohlbrueck, Dorothea Wieck, Theodor Loos [29]
Werewolf of London Stuart Walker Henry Hull, Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson [11]
1936
The Devil-Doll Tod Browning Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan [30]
Dracula's Daughter Lambert Hillyer Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden [11]
The Ferryboat Woman Maria Frank Wisbar Sybille Schmitz, Peter Voss, Aribert Mog [31]
The Golem Julien Duvivier Harry Baur, Germaine Dussey, Roger Karl [31]
The Invisible Ray Lambert Hillyer Bela Lugosi, Frances Drake, Frank Lawton, Walter Kingsford [11]
The Macabre Trunk Miguel Zacarias Esther Fernandez, Ramón Pereda, René Cardona [32]
The Man Who Changed His Mind Robert Stevenson Boris Karloff, Anna Lee, John Loder, Frank Cellier [11]
Revolt of the Zombies Victor Halperin Dorothy Stone, Dean Jagger, Roy D'Arcy, Robert Noland [11]
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street George King Tod Slaughter, Stella Rho, John Singer, Eve Lister [33][34]
The Walking Dead Michael Curtiz Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Edmund Gwenn, Marguerite Churchill [11]
1939
Buried Alive Victor Halperin Paul McVey, Beverly Roberts, Wheeler Oakman [35]
The Cat and the Canary Elliott Nugent Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, John Beal [36]
The Dark Eyes of London Walter Summers Béla Lugosi, Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt [37]
The Devil's Daughter Arthur H. Leonard Nina Mae McKinney, Jack Carter, Hamtree Harrington, Ida James [38]
The Face at the Window George King Tod Slaughter, John Warwick [39]
The Gorilla Allan Dwan The Ritz Brothers, Anita Louise, Patsy Kelly [40]
The Macabre Legacy José Bohr Miguel Arenas, Consuela Frank, Ramón Armengod [41]
The Man They Could Not Hang Nick Grinde Lorna Gray, Robert Wilcox, Roger Pryor, Don Beddoe [11]
The Return of Dr. X Vincent Sherman Humphrey Bogart, Rosemary Lane, Dennis Morgan, John Litel [42]
Son of Frankenstein Rowland V. Lee Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, Josephine Hutchinson [11]
Torture Ship Victor Halperin Lyle Talbot, Irving Pichel, Julie Bishop, Sheila Bromley [43]

References

  1. ^ Chibnall 2002, p. 58.
  2. ^ Worland 2007, p. 55.
  3. ^ Rhodes 2001, p. 19.
  4. ^ Baumgartner 2008, p. 217.
  5. ^ Prince 2004, p. 6.
  6. ^ a b c d Chibnall 2002, p. 59.
  7. ^ Doherty, Thomas "The Code Before 'Da Vinci'" Washington Post (May 20, 2006)
  8. ^ Worland 2007, p. 68.
  9. ^ Wollstein, Hans J. "The Bat Whisperers". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v4270. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  10. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 47.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah AFI 1993, p. 1090.
  12. ^ Erickson, Hal. "Dracula (Spanish Version)". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v14642. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  13. ^ Wollstein, Hans J. "The Phantom". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v37914. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  14. ^ "Castle Sinister". 75 Most Wanted. British Film Institute National Archive. http://www.bfi.org.uk/nationalarchive/news/mostwanted/castle-sinister.html. Retrieved October 18, 2010. 
  15. ^ Brennan, Sandra. "Kongo". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v97958. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  16. ^ a b c d Mank 2001, p. xvi.
  17. ^ Hardy 1995, pp. 52-53.
  18. ^ Hardy 1995, pp. 54-55.
  19. ^ Wells 2000, p. 50.
  20. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 56.
  21. ^ a b Mank 2001, p. xvii.
  22. ^ Brennan, Sandra. "The Monkey's Paw". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v102738. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  23. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 57.
  24. ^ Firsching, Robert. "Chloe". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v161588. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  25. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 60.
  26. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 59.
  27. ^ Chibnall, 2002. p. 64
  28. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 63.
  29. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 64.
  30. ^ Erickson, Hal. "The Devil-Doll". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v13499. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  31. ^ a b Hardy 1995, p. 66.
  32. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 65.
  33. ^ Hobart, Tana. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v120115. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  34. ^ Hobart, Tana. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DVD). Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/release/sweeney-todd-the-demon-barber-of-fleet-street-e58766. Retrieved July 25, 2011. 
  35. ^ Blaise, Judd. "Buried Alive". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v7578. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  36. ^ Hardy 1995, p. 67.
  37. ^ Hardy 1995, pp. 67-68.
  38. ^ Bush, John. "Pocomania". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v106292. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  39. ^ Binion, Cavett. "The Face at the Window". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v16534. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  40. ^ Blackburn, Steve. "The Gorilla". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v203918. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  41. ^ Hardy 1995, pp. 68-69.
  42. ^ Brennan, Sandra. "The Return of Dr. X". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v107671. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 
  43. ^ Eder, Bruce. "Torture Ship". Allrovi. http://www.allrovi.com/movies/movie/v50498. Retrieved August 7, 2011. 

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