*** THE BEST HORROR-1940-1959! ***

The Very Best Horror Movies of the Forties and Fifties



1940-1959

The decade of the Forties was the first major slump in the horror genre, due partly from the war and a creative dry spell after two decades of repeated monster movies. The only company to have any sucess was RKO Radio Pictures which would produce Cat People, The Leopard Man and Isle of The Dead. The British would release a notable film titled Dead of Night which would be released in 1945 due to Britain's ban on Horror films during the war.

The Fifties would become a new era in filmdom as horror would regain its place, yet often we would see crossovers into Science Fiction as both would share many common traits. This was the era of Atomic Monster and Communist Invasions and with the Red Scare we would see many films using mutated creatures and alien invasions. Many of the most noted films of this mixed genre were diretced by the venerable Jack Arnold. The real relief to horror would come in the latter part of the decade which would be the rebirth of horror with Alfred Hitchcock, William Castle, Roger Corman and Henri-Georges Clouzet.


Body Snatcher, The (1945)

Finely crafted atmospheric tale from Robert Louis Stevenson short story about a doctor played by Henry Daniell who is forced to deal with the sinister character Karloff in order to get bodies for experiments. Like many films of this type what we see is the medical ethic conflicting with the morals of society. Beautifully shot period piece sets the scene in the last film to team Karloff and Lugosi. Their scenes together are eerie and compelling. A great film which was one of the few notable horror films of the 40’s. One of the best Val Lewton thrillers.

Bucket of Blood, A (1959)

A standard Roger Corman quickie that does the job. A film that spoofs the beatnik movement as well as the new craze of Horror movies like House of Wax. A bumbling busboy has a fascination in art and tries a new and unique style. After accidentally killing a neighbors cat he gets inspired to cover up the evidence with some molding clay. He then half wittingly murders people and covers their body with clay and displays them at his coffee house to get attention from the customers. All in the hopes of impressing the artistic types with whom he wishes to hang with. Yet with all idiots comes his eventual discovery and the finale is some what novel in his wanting to go out in style. In the style of Corman's more famous Little Shop of Horrors which he would make the next year. A real delight to those who want to see even more of Corman's early little known work.

Cat People- (1942)

I found myself enticed by the beautiful and exotic Simone Simon, the Serbian actress who portrays the tragic Irena. The story begins at the zoo, where a young ship designer named Oliver is taken back by the exotic and charming Irena, she is strangely drawn to the panthers and sketches them with great pleasure. The two hit it off and they soon marry, however Irena becomes withdrawn and expresses her fear of intimacy. She believes she is on of the Cat People, a race of Serbian exiles who mated with panthers when they were driven out by the King. Oliver is distressed and turns to an associate for comfort, even though he loves Irena he discovers a jealousy that seems to posses Irena when Oliver turns to his coworker. When they turn to a psychologist he seems more interested In seducing her then helping poor Irena. The film boasts excellent scenes including a chase where Irena seems to stalk her husbands friend as a human and a cat and a pool scene that is truly frightening. Although the remake focuses more on the sexual aspects of the story we find a beautiful film with great visuals and a decent script. The tragic conclusion is both enlightening and depressing in positive ways. This is a great film and I highly recommend it for those who have seen the 1982 remake. If nothing more them too watch the lovely and seductive Simone Simon. Grrrrrrr!

Creature From the Black Lagoon- (1954)

Arguably the most recent of the classic movie monsters and one of the most misunderstood. While on an expedition in the Amazon, a group of explorers discover a half-man/half-fish who is captured and later escapes. He then returns and kidnaps the fair woman onboard and takes her to his cave. The expedition would eventually find the cave and mortally wound the Gill Man. More then just a simple monster movie, The Creature was a complex intelligent individual, who was looking for companionship and understanding. The movie itself was full of steamy eroticism and in its day was pretty racy. Originally filmed in 3-D, the movie would lead to 2 sequels which never really lived up to the charm and originality of this film.

Curse of the Demon- (1958)

A psychologist who is skeptical of the supernatural finds himself in real trouble when he is marked for death by a black magician and to die at the hands of a hideous monster. A real scary film which was is considered to be one of the best monster movies of the fifties. The demon was so scary looking that it was shown at the beginning against the wishes of its director as to not scare the audience, don't you just hate when they do that. Great acting, good use of plot and setting and a very well made monster contribute to Jacques Tourneur's classic. The movie was trimmed for it's US release and thankfully it is available uncut.

Dead of Night (1945)

Classic chiller involves a gathering of people who have experienced dreams which seem to repeat themselves in reality; talk about wild deja vu! The tales involve everything from phantom hearses to haunted mirrors. The final sequence with Michael Redgrave as a ventriloquist is a knockout. The movie progresses from great to outstanding as the tales go on and the twist ending is most enjoyable. Produced before the war and held up due to a war time ban on Horror films, the Dead of Night is one of the best made Horror anthologies. American theatrical version ran 77 minutes, but a complete edition has been restored for TV. I recommend that you locate the fully restored version to enjoy the complete magnificence of this classic British thriller.

Diabolique- (1955)

One of the most influential horror/thrillers of its day, Diabolique pretty much set all the standards by which most thrillers often imitate. The movie is set in France at a boys school where the tyrannical Headmaster maintains an iron grip on both his students and employees. His battered wife and his former mistress both conspire to murder him and get rid of his body during a student holiday. They travel to the mistresses home town and lure the headmaster to his wife where she poisons and drowns him in the bathtub. They then bring the body back to the school and dump it in the neglected pool, hoping to use his intoxication as an alibi for his death. A few days later the pool is drained and the body is found to be missing. In the course of the film subtle clues are found which lead the two to believe that the headmaster is either still alive or that someone knows of their deed. The wife is then followed by a retired investigator who wishes to find the real answers to the mystery. The finale is both shocking and well worth the wait. Over the many years since its release many films have imitated and /or ripped off the style of Diabolique. The style and overall technique is very reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock film, so much so that Hitchcock tried unsuccessfully to remake Diabolique. One of the most influential thrillers of the period, Diabolique still remains a great film that would inspire so many films and directors for years to come. Remade several times over the years, most recently in 1996 with Sharon Stone, Isabelle Adjani, Kathy Bates and Chazz Palminteri.

Fly, The- (1958)

A man is found dead, crushed under an industrial press and his wife takes the blame for the crime. Facing most certain charges of prison, she is really hiding a terrible secret. Vincent Price plays the brother of the dead scientist and in his investigation he hears a most shocking tale which seems unbelievable. The scientist was working on a machine that teleported matter from room to room. Yet a tragic mistake results in his transformation into a monster, half man, half fly. Based on a short story by George Langelaan, The Fly boasted excellent special effects and great acting, especially Price and David Hedison who plays the scientist. Good nods to the director and writer for turning a simple and silly sounding tale and delivering an excellent tale of tension and regret. The ending in a classic and its infamous phrase "Help Me!" was even used in the remake. Followed by two sequels and a 1986 remake which really set new bounds in grossness. Price is indeed the master.

Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus, The- (1959)

Georges Franju directed this classic about a mad scientist who kidnaps young woman and removes their faces in the hope of restoring the lost beauty of hid daughter who wears a china mask. The movie display great settings and is beautifully photographed yet the dialogue seems tacked on. With its subtle blend of horror and poetry, the film carries with it an aura similar to Psycho and boasts one of the earliest gore scenes on record.

Horror of Dracula- (1958)

In contrast to the many Dracula movies made a generation before director Terrence Fisher decided to employ a unique British flare to his Dracula film. Horror of Dracula was the first Dracula film produced by Hammer and the first to use the acting talents of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as Dracula and Van Helsing. The story was pretty much the same as Bela Lugosi's classic yet what made this film unique was that much of British history mirrored the caste systems and aristocracy of Eastern Europe. This tradition of closed doors and repressed desires made this Dracula a more sexually charged and dynamic feeling movie where Dracula's sexual prowess could be played up even more then before. The trip to the homeland was discarded for a more local setting that made use of England's many castles. This was the most ambitious Dracula to date and the best of the Hammer Dracula movies to be produced, there would be 8 sequels. Yet the acting talents of Lee and Cushing would prove to be a match made in Horror heaven for the studio of Hammer.

House of Wax- (1953)

This film was one of the best made 3-D films and it was the efforts of Director Andre De Toth. He believed that if well employed, 3-D could be used as an extension of the movie to make it an even more satisfying experience. Vincent Price plays a mad sculptor who produces superbly realistic wax figures for his museum. With the adoration of his patrons no one is aware that the sculptures are actually real humans dipped in wax. The movie makes good use of the surroundings to create an atmosphere reminiscent of 19th century Victorian London. Although the movie was based on the 1930's film Mystery of the Wax Museum, House of Wax makes a radical change in the story by employing a finale more reminiscent of Phantom of the Opera, but I'm not telling..... A film that seems to bank entirely on the performance of its star and in this case was successful. Vincent Price was a great actor who starred in many classic films, yet he would always be type casted into horror roles. A real pity, for Vincent Price was a great performer with plenty of range.

House on Haunted Hill- (1958)

William Castle is to gimmicks what John Waters is to sleaze, and his horror film The House on Haunted Hill would be one of his best. Vincent Price plays an eccentric millionaire who invites a group of people to a haunted mansion and bets them $10,000 to spend the night. The house is rumored to have been responsible for the deaths of seven people, so far... Using many of the classic haunted house tricks, we are witnessed to falling chandeliers, walls that drip blood, severed limbs, witches on roller skates and a cool vat of acid. We later learn his reasons are really meant for revenge as Price suspects he is about to be murdered by someone in the party. The real charm of the movie was its wonderful gimmick, called "Emergo" it employed a skeleton which was released from a box at the climax and flew over the audience. "Emergo" was meant to be the ultimate in thrills, pushing beyond conventional 3-D. What is certain was that Castle did indeed turn out a great film with many frightening moments and as for the gimmick, well I guess that is the only real letdown as you can't see the skeleton fly over your head, at on video anyway.....

Wolf Man, The (1941)

One of the finest and best remembered horror films ever made: Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr) is an unlucky heir bitten by gypsy werewolf Lugosi, and survives to carry the curse himself. Outstanding cast includes Claude Rains as the unknowing father, Evelyn Ankers as his perplexed girl friend, but kudos go to Maria Ouspenskaya as the wise gypsy woman who foretells his fate and attempts to care for him. One of the last of the classic monsters to appear yet it is Chaney’s wonderful portrayal that leaves us with such a great monster classic. Literate and very engrossing, with superb makeup by the maestro Jack Pierce, atmospheric music (re-used in many other Universal chillers) by Charles Previn and Hans J. Salter. Script by Curt Siodmak. Followed by a number of sequels: Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man being the first and a multitude of derivative imitations.


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