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But the first horror film need not be supernatural.  And again, there is the supernatural in A STUDENT OF PRAGUE (1913).  DRACULA is nowhere near being the first horror film.  Not even the first talkie horror film.  It did start the trend, but it was surely preceded by quite a few sound films.  Consider MURDER BY THE CLOCK with its very creepy fog horn in the crypt and which was released toward the end of July of 1931.  William K. Everson stated in a pre screening lecture I attended, that people were filled with horror at just the sound of it.  I wonder if it was produced because of DRACULA's box office?  More likely it was because of the success of things like THE BAT or CAT AND THE CANARY.  Yet it is cold and clamy with not nearly as much humor as those two.  It is more Poe- Premature Burial" influenced to me.  And was it possibly the first use of sound producing a horror effect?  Most people give that credit to Lewton's bus.
Also, to get back to the VERY first horror film, I don't think it is in this thread, but Melies' LE MANOIR DU DIABLE (1896) was mentioned elsewhere as being a possibility.  I need to watch that one again to see if it is more than just a trick film.  I've got my excellent Flicker Alley box out and am ready to give it a go later today.
Speaking of firsts, I just watched the Kino collection called THE LUMIERE BROTHERS' FIRST FILMS.  Bertrand Tavernier, the narrator, makes the claim that they were the first filmmakers.  He goes on to say that they were also responsible for the first commercial, tracking shot, comedy, home movie, remake, etc, and that they even used the first actors. I'm not sure who he is, but his enjoyment of the short films is really infectious and I quite enjoyed his commentary. I think I agree with some of his statements, as film was only experimental until they came along.  The brothers actually directed the films making sure that the action and subject matter were staged properly in order to produce a film that ran for 50 seconds. That was the total amount of footage that could be shoot when they made their first films.
The very first film that they shot, he figures, was on March 19, 1895. It's the one we have all seen with the workers coming out of the studio supposedly at the end of a day's work. Since they appear aware of the camera Tavernier says that they are the first actors and that, since it is staged, the Brothers Lumiere are the first directors. He does make a pretty convincing argument although, I think Edison’s early experiments used actors and those films were definitely earlier. I think most historians agree the very earliest existing film on celluloid is ROUNDHAY GARDEN SCENE of 1888.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1i40rnpOsA

 It is so short that you can’t tell if those people are acting or if it was shot without their knowledge.  I’ve watched it a whole bunch of times and I can’t tell.
Anyway, about 6 minutes into this collection of films, Tavernier makes the claim that the Lumiere Brothers also made the first horror film! 
He never explains why, but on screen is that famous ARRIVAL OF A TRAIN AT LA CIOTAT (1895)
I am assuming he means because the audiences who first saw it thought the train was going to run them down causing a horrific sensation in the audience. I think I read somewhere that some people fled the theater in shock. (Good thing it wasn’t in 3D!!) I am not sure if this story is apocryphal, but, even though his accent is pretty heavy, at about 6 minutes into the documentary he does sound like he says that this is the first horror film. 
I, of course, do not agree, because of our definitions of what constitutes a horror film. 
You can see this fascinating documentary in 7 parts on You Tube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGugm8Dzmuc

This has noting to do with anything, but I thought this last clip that I’ll post was amazing.  I’ll bet that no one ever imagined that there was actual lost film footage of President Lincoln!  Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgqZhjQWJ1A

It looks to be filmed by Roger Patterson’s great granddaddy!