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Classic Horror Films

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I've been researching horror films of the 30s and 40s lately for a writing project, and I have to say, I am deeply disappointed in the professional literature and in the fandom writings.

Simply put, there are approximately FIFTY Universal Horror films from those years (give or take some that might be categorized into other genres). Yet almost all of the books or websites or documentaries act as if there are JUST the main ones, and even then they often ignore or gloss over the sequals. 

They ignore the existence of over half of these great films. They usually skip over any mention of actress Evelyn Ankers (in eight movies) or the "Paula the Ape Woman" films (she had three movies, more than Wolfman). 

I mean, Star Wars fandom has disected every frame of every movie, but nobody has a paragraph to spare for "She Wolf of London?" 

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Got it on my Amazon wishlist. But that is a lotta bread. 

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Here's the companion set to the big 8 Film "Essential Collection" they should release:  The Universal "Unloved Stepchildren Collection" (also not included on the "Classic Monster" collection)

  • Old Dark House
  • The Raven
  • The Mad Ghoul
  • Captive Wild Woman
  • The Night Monster
  • House of Horrors
  • The Climax
  • Cult of the Cobra

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Is it possible a lot of those films didn't get much exposure on television?

I saw most of the Frankenstein, Dracula, and Mummy sequels on tv growing up, but never even heard of the Paula films before.

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Where were you in '77?

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That's a really good list, Boost. I can't understand why the Old Dark House doesn't get more exposure. I guess because it has no sequels like the Big Names?

It seemed like a big wasted opportunity to not do a few discs like the one you've suggested back when they did the Legacy DVDs. Those had multiple films on each disc in order to have the complete series in each respective collection. Why not make a set or two that covers stand alone films?
(I guess those sets are on BD now... I should upgrade!)

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Biggs in ANH edit idea
ROTJ opening edit idea

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Yeah, it would have been great if the Universal legacy titles had continued with the rest of the films. At least they would all have been in one place.

Apart from the legacy sets, I have Universal horrors spread out over at least five other box sets and some single DVDS and cover the films Boost mentions. Some of the films from the box sets are now starting to be released on their own as part of the Universal Vault series. From the Universal Vault series I picked up Jungle Woman and the rare The Secret Of The Blue Room. Still waiting for the last of the Paula films, Jungle Captive.

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SilverWook said:

Is it possible a lot of those films didn't get much exposure on television?

I saw most of the Frankenstein, Dracula, and Mummy sequels on tv growing up, but never even heard of the Paula films before.

 Give that man a cookie.

After reading your comment, I looked it up. That's it! The original "Shock Theater" syndicated horror film package for television, that guys like Svengoolie and Vampira used to host, did not include a great many of these unloved films. 

That avalanched into Forrest Ackerman not loving them, them not being in "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine, and not being remade by Hammer. 

Imagine an alternate world where David Prowse starred in "The Brute Man" remake, and Peter Cushing turned an ape into Ingrid Pitt. 

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That book is the essential tome.

I try each year to watch as many Unis as I can stomach but after the initial wave of classics and the fresh start in 1939, they really peter out in quality very quickly.

The Old Dark House is a classic, should be fully restored and represented to the public in all its glory. It is pure Whale and glorious for being so. Kino's DVD is sourced from a LD master of a worn 16mm reduction and just pitiful.

The most underrated is Son of Frankenstein, a classic in its own right. This singlehandedly jump-started the second wave of Uni horrors.

For my money the only ones really worth anything are:

Dracula, Spanish version, Frankenstein, Bride, Son, TODH, The Mummy, Mummy's Hand, Invisible Man, Invisible Man Returns, Invisible Agent, Phantom '25, Man Who Laughs, Wolf Man, F. Meets the WM and Creature.

The rest can still have their charm but drag on, even the quickie hour long bottom bill fillers. When the new studio heads decided these would be cheap programmers it signaled the end of the horror film's prominence. The lesser films can have their moments, but are not very good. Like turning Karloff's tragic Imhotep into the pathetic Kharis. (Though I love Hand, Chaney's mummy is just awful.)

The non-monster ones really feel more B-picture. The Karloff and Lugosi starrers are made by their stars and not so much the story. The Black Cat works because of the atmosphere and star turns. It was cut to ribbons which damages the narrative terribly. The Raven is terribly silly but again made by the star turns. Otherwise the rest start to decline in quality terribly.

I like to have my brain stimulated in horrors. Not jump scares, which are stupid and pathetic. The problem is that only a few Unis were made by Whale, Freund, or even a Rowland V. Lee. After their quality left it was only in the few great horrors pre-Curse of Frankenstein that anything worthwhile happened. And Hammer had the same problem of quality lessening over time, due to studio desires to make program filler and increase profit margins with talent leaving over time.

This just made me think, you know Night of the Demon cannot be praised enough. For all the discussion Cat People generates Demon is an unbelievably good picture.

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