List of horror films of the 1930s

A list of horror films released in the 1930s.

History

The American horror film was properly created in the 1930s, most notably the Universal Horror film productions.^[1] White Zombie is considered the first feature-length zombie film and has been described as the archetype and model of all zombie movies.^[2]^[3] 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). Fredric March won an Academy Award for Best Actor in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 1931.^[4] Films of this era frequently took their inspiration from the literature of gothic horror^[5] and more often dealt with themes of science versus religion rather than supernatural themes.^[6]

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, Island of Lost Souls and The Black Cat.^[7]^[8] In 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"^[9] and only a year later Hollywood initiated a strict production code limiting the violence and sexuality that could be portrayed in films.^[10] 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."^[9] 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.^[9] 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]."^[9]

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.^[11]

List

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

References

Citations

^ Chibnall & Petley 2002, p. 58.
^ Rhodes 2001, p. 13.
^ Prawer 1989, p. 68.
^ "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)". Allmovie. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
^ Worland 2007, p. 55.
^ Rhodes 2001, p. 19.
^ Baumgartner & Davis 2008, p. 217.
^ Prince 2004, p. 6.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Chibnall & Petley 2002, p. 59.
^ Doherty, Thomas "The Code Before 'Da Vinci'" Washington Post (May 20, 2006)
^ Worland 2007, p. 68.
^ ^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.
^ Erickson, Hal. "Dracula (Spanish Version)". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ Wollstein, Hans J. "The Phantom". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ "Castle Sinister". 75 Most Wanted. British Film Institute National Archive. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Mank 2001, p. xvii.
^ Brennan, Sandra. "Kongo". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mank 2001, p. xvi.
^ Hardy 1995, pp. 52–53.
^ Hardy 1995, pp. 54–55.
^ Wells 2000, p. 50.
^ Hardy 1995, p. 56.
^ Brennan, Sandra. "The Monkey's Paw". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ Hardy 1995, p. 57.
^ Firsching, Robert. "Chloe". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ Hardy 1995, p. 60.
^ Hardy 1995, p. 59.
^ Chibnall & Petley 2002, p. 64.
^ Hardy 1995, p. 63.
^ Hardy 1995, p. 64.
^ Erickson, Hal. "The Devil-Doll". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ ^a ^b Hardy 1995, p. 66.
^ Hardy 1995, p. 65.
^ Hobart, Tana. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ Hobart, Tana. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DVD). Allmovie. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
^ Blaise, Judd. "Buried Alive". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ Hardy 1995, p. 67.
^ Hardy 1995, pp. 67–68.
^ Binion, Cavett. "The Face at the Window". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ Blackburn, Steve. "The Gorilla". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ Hardy 1995, pp. 68–69.
^ Brennan, Sandra. "The Return of Doctor X". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^ Eder, Bruce. "Torture Ship". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

Bibliography

American Film Institute (1993). The American Film Institute catalog of motion pictures produced in the United States, Volume 1, Part 2. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-07908-6.
Baumgartner, Holly Lynn; Davis, Roger (2008). Hosting the Monster. Rodopi. ISBN 978-0-7864-0988-4.
Chibnall, Steve; Petley, Julian (2002). British horror cinema. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-23004-7.
Hardy, Phil, ed. (1995). The Overlook Film Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. Overlook Press. ISBN 0-87951-624-0.
Mank, Gregory William (2001). Hollywood Cauldron: Thirteen Horror Films from the Genre's Golden Age. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-1112-0.
Prawer, Siegbert Salomon (1989). Caligari's Children: The Film as Tale of Terror. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80347-X.
Prince, Stephen (2004). The Horror Film. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0-8135-3363-5.
Rhodes, Gary Don (2001). White Zombie: Anatomy of a Horror Film. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0988-6.
Wells, Paul (2000). The horror genre: from Beelzebub to Blair Witch. Wallflower Press. ISBN 1-903364-00-0.
Worland, Rick (2007). The Horror Film: A Brief Introduction. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4051-3902-1.

External links

Horror films of the 1930s on Internet Movie Database

[FOOTNOTEChibnallPetley200258-1] Chibnall & Petley 2002, p. 58.

[FOOTNOTERhodes200113-2] Rhodes 2001, p. 13.

[FOOTNOTEPrawer198968-3] Prawer 1989, p. 68.

[4] "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)". Allmovie. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

[FOOTNOTEWorland200755-5] Worland 2007, p. 55.

[FOOTNOTERhodes200119-6] Rhodes 2001, p. 19.

[FOOTNOTEBaumgartnerDavis2008217-7] Baumgartner & Davis 2008, p. 217.

[FOOTNOTEPrince20046-8] Prince 2004, p. 6.

[FOOTNOTEChibnallPetley200259-9] Chibnall & Petley 2002, p. 59.

[Doherty-10] Doherty, Thomas "The Code Before 'Da Vinci'" Washington Post (May 20, 2006)

[FOOTNOTEWorland200768-11] Worland 2007, p. 68.

[FOOTNOTEAFI19931090-12] ^ ^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.

[13] Erickson, Hal. "Dracula (Spanish Version)". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[14] Wollstein, Hans J. "The Phantom". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[15] "Castle Sinister". 75 Most Wanted. British Film Institute National Archive. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2010.

[FOOTNOTEMank2001xvii-16] Mank 2001, p. xvii.

[17] Brennan, Sandra. "Kongo". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[FOOTNOTEMank2001xvi-18] Mank 2001, p. xvi.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199552–53-19] Hardy 1995, pp. 52–53.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199554–55-20] Hardy 1995, pp. 54–55.

[FOOTNOTEWells200050-21] Wells 2000, p. 50.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199556-22] Hardy 1995, p. 56.

[23] Brennan, Sandra. "The Monkey's Paw". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199557-24] Hardy 1995, p. 57.

[25] Firsching, Robert. "Chloe". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199560-26] Hardy 1995, p. 60.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199559-27] Hardy 1995, p. 59.

[FOOTNOTEChibnallPetley200264-28] Chibnall & Petley 2002, p. 64.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199563-29] Hardy 1995, p. 63.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199564-30] Hardy 1995, p. 64.

[31] Erickson, Hal. "The Devil-Doll". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199566-32] Hardy 1995, p. 66.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199565-33] Hardy 1995, p. 65.

[34] Hobart, Tana. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[35] Hobart, Tana. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DVD). Allmovie. Retrieved July 25, 2011.

[36] Blaise, Judd. "Buried Alive". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199567-37] Hardy 1995, p. 67.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199567–68-38] Hardy 1995, pp. 67–68.

[39] Binion, Cavett. "The Face at the Window". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[40] Blackburn, Steve. "The Gorilla". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[FOOTNOTEHardy199568–69-41] Hardy 1995, pp. 68–69.

[42] Brennan, Sandra. "The Return of Doctor X". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

[43] Eder, Bruce. "Torture Ship". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

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List of horror films of the 1930s

History

List

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

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