We live in a more genteel time now, and it's infinitely less weird and frightening than the period 1935--45. I've never been convinced of a correlation between the state of the world and the popularity of horror. There may be something to it, but I don't see the correlation, and there's a natural boom/bust cycle to pop culture trends that explains it well enough. There does seem to be some connection with the preoccupations of an age to the subject of horror, though; e.g., atomic weapons and paranoia in the 50s, nature strikes back in the 70s. One problem may be that a far better-educated public isn't satisfied with a fake professor talking nonsense---that kind of thing comes across as comedy now. Without mad science and without superstitions, we're left with people running around stabbing each other---and mad slasher movies are the most boring thing ever invented. I like your idea about the anti-Shirley Temples. Maybe another problem is that they themselves became an institution and became tiresome. Above all, the reason that there are no such movies anymore is that no one is making them. Someone needs to make like the French New Wave---grab a camera and just do it.