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The 15 Greatest Horror Films Of The 1930s

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jamesenstein31	The 15 Greatest Horror Films Of The 1930s	Lead	[-]
Apr 6 12 11:40 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	This was an earlier list I compiled focusing on the golden age of terror films. Compiling this list was the hardest to do, because there were just so many classics to choose from. I'm positive that quite a few would have altered lists, but i'm curious as to what you monster kids think. I loved the comments on the "Silver Horrors" list! And yes, the title of "Golden Horrors" is an homage to that wonderful book by Bryan Senn. http://monstermania-batcat31.blogspot.com/2011/10/golden-horrors-15-greatest-horror-films.html
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Frankensteinhead		#1	[-]
Apr 6 12 10:18 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Terrific blog James! I was going to suggest a couple of other films for your list but you included them in your last paragraph. About the only ones thet didn't get mentioned were Mystery Of The Wax Museum or Dr. X. Did you know that after viewing M, Charles Chaplin was public quoted as calling Peter Lorre the worlds finest actor? Good to see that one included in your list.
Rick		#2	[-]
Apr 6 12 10:32 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Another nice list. 15 seems to be about the right number to cram in all the really greats for that Golden decade. I don't think there's any inclusion or omission that's worth an argument. But a quibble...yes. The one movie that comes to mind which you didn't (I think) mention at all was THE WALKING DEAD. It probably wouldn't crack my top 15, but it'd be close. Personally, I'd have to include MAD LOVE and probably WHITE ZOMBIE, but not (quite) THE BLACK ROOM. To make room for those two, I'd probably drop SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and, just because it's so very borderline, M. Just quibbles, though.
bela lugosi		#3	[-]
Apr 6 12 10:42 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I agree, that's a great blog piece, very well written. My only quibble is the ranking of DRACULA, but otherwise, I find myself in total agreement with the premise, the 30's, to me is really the pinnacle of film, in this genre, as well as many others. Great work!
Geezermonster		#4	[-]
Apr 6 12 10:57 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Other candidates for the list: THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE DRACULA'S DAUGHTER WEREWOLF OF LONDON THE INVISIBLE RAY SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
pulp novelties		#5	[-]
Apr 7 12 12:38 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	My own list would move VAMPYR way up, and drop HUNCHBACK (because it's not horror to me), M (same reason), and possibly DRACULA. I might squeeze on MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM and definitely WHITE ZOMBIE. I freely admit MYSTERY creaks a little, but melting waxworks, a truly ghastly monster, Wall-to wall Atwill and Technicolor bump it's stature to me. It's also one of the few bravely "contemporary" horror films of it's day.
dcwillis9		#6	[-]
Apr 7 12 1:09 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Much easier than a Best Ten! The iffy titles can be included. Of course, yes, Bride, Kong, Invisible Man, The Mummy, Vampyr, White Z, Island of LS, Black Cat, The Old Dark House, Murders/Morgue, Testament/Mabuse, Frankenstein, Mark of the Vampire, Son of Frankenstein, & a player to be named later (maybe Dwight Frye in Dracula)....
jamesenstein31		#7	[-]
Apr 7 12 7:25 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Rick wrote: Another nice list. 15 seems to be about the right number to cram in all the really greats for that Golden decade. I don't think there's any inclusion or omission that's worth an argument. But a quibble...yes. The one movie that comes to mind which you didn't (I think) mention at all was THE WALKING DEAD. It probably wouldn't crack my top 15, but it'd be close. Personally, I'd have to include MAD LOVE and probably WHITE ZOMBIE, but not (quite) THE BLACK ROOM. To make room for those two, I'd probably drop SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and, just because it's so very borderline, M. Just quibbles, though. I'm surprised at myself for not mentioning THE WALKING DEAD, as i've always considered it vastly underrated and one of Karloff's best performances! MAD LOVE would probably have been 16, followed by WHITE ZOMBIE(both of which are on my personal top 100 favorite films) M was a tough call, but enough critics and compilations included it, so I did as well, though with some trepidation. Yeah, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN is a toughie to rank. It's liked by us all, and it's undeniably a fine film, but odd when comparing to others of the period.
jamesenstein31		#8	[-]
Apr 7 12 7:26 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Frankensteinhead wrote: Terrific blog James! I was going to suggest a couple of other films for your list but you included them in your last paragraph. About the only ones thet didn't get mentioned were Mystery Of The Wax Museum or Dr. X. Did you know that after viewing M, Charles Chaplin was public quoted as calling Peter Lorre the worlds finest actor? Good to see that one included in your list. I read that about Chaplin, but thought it pertained to MAD LOVE? I would totally understand his admiration for Lorre as he was one of the finest character actors we've ever seen.
jamesenstein31		#9	[-]
Apr 7 12 7:28 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	bela lugosi wrote: I agree, that's a great blog piece, very well written. My only quibble is the ranking of DRACULA, but otherwise, I find myself in total agreement with the premise, the 30's, to me is really the pinnacle of film, in this genre, as well as many others. Great work! DRACULA is probably the sentimental favorite of the 1930s. I love to quote it, myself.
jamesenstein31		#10	[-]
Apr 7 12 7:36 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	pulp novelties wrote: My own list would move VAMPYR way up, and drop HUNCHBACK (because it's not horror to me), M (same reason), and possibly DRACULA. I might squeeze on MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM and definitely WHITE ZOMBIE. I freely admit MYSTERY creaks a little, but melting waxworks, a truly ghastly monster, Wall-to wall Atwill and Technicolor bump it's stature to me. It's also one of the few bravely "contemporary" horror films of it's day. Geezermonster-DRACULA'S DAUGHTER is a fine film. Grown on me a bit. Pulp Novelties-VAMPYR is an artistic masterpiece and would surely rank in my top 50 greatest horror classics ever. Dcwillis9-The 1930s had an INSANE amount of good horror films. Even the more mediocre titles were gems! This list could have easily been a top twenty. There's just so many essentials!
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dcwillis9		#11	[-]
Apr 7 12 12:10 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I agree. The 30s were THE time for horror, especially the early 30s. My 15th "player" would be I realize now, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, which I like more than I used to. Among those other gems would be The Black Room, The Ninth Guest, Chandu, The Raven (mainly for camp purposes, but it has its other strengths), Dracula, Dr. X, The Walking Dead, The Ghoul, etc.
Rick		#12	[-]
Apr 7 12 12:48 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Have to admit, when I started reading the list, I was fearful that I'd find THE RAVEN there. I enjoy watching it, but purely for camp value. And, yes, 1931-36 really is the bedrock period upon which the Horror Film rests. I wouldn't want to have been a kid then (because I'd probably be dead now), but I'd love to have been able to time-travel back and experience all those wonderful movies when they were new and unknown. From DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN to DRACULA'S DAUGHTER and THE INVISIBLE RAY, it was a real treasure trove.
jamesenstein31		#13	[-]
Apr 7 12 12:50 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Rick wrote: Have to admit, when I started reading the list, I was fearful that I'd find THE RAVEN there. I enjoy watching it, but purely for camp value. And, yes, 1931-36 really is the bedrock period upon which the Horror Film rests. I wouldn't want to have been a kid then (because I'd probably be dead now), but I'd love to have been able to time-travel back and experience all those wonderful movies when they were new and unknown. From DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN to DRACULA'S DAUGHTER and THE INVISIBLE RAY, it was a real treasure trove. THE RAVEN is a good time, but yeah, not no classic. I'd love to travel back to that period and experience those films with first-time audiences in the old movie houses. That had to be something.
jamesenstein31		#14	[-]
Apr 7 12 12:52 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	dcwillis9 wrote: I agree. The 30s were THE time for horror, especially the early 30s. My 15th "player" would be I realize now, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, which I like more than I used to. Among those other gems would be The Black Room, The Ninth Guest, Chandu, The Raven (mainly for camp purposes, but it has its other strengths), Dracula, Dr. X, The Walking Dead, The Ghoul, etc. A wonderful time for scare movies. I'm fond of nearly all that were mentioned.
pulp novelties		#15	[-]
Apr 7 12 1:03 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	jamesenstein31 wrote: dcwillis9 wrote: I agree. The 30s were THE time for horror, especially the early 30s. My 15th "player" would be I realize now, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, which I like more than I used to. Among those other gems would be The Black Room, The Ninth Guest, Chandu, The Raven (mainly for camp purposes, but it has its other strengths), Dracula, Dr. X, The Walking Dead, The Ghoul, etc. A wonderful time for scare movies. I'm fond of nearly all that were mentioned. Do you have a pet otter or prairie-dog?
atenolol		#16	[-]
Apr 7 12 1:09 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	A fine list. Well done. Your top four would be my top four in the same order (I bounce back and forth between Bride and Kong, probably on the basis of which I have seen more recently-I am in a slight edge to Bride phase today) My only significant quibble would be with M. Not a horror movie for me. MAD LOVE would fit in that slot very well. The 1930's were a sensational period for horror and fantasy. I rate Kong the best movie of its year. Bride was a contender in its year (against tougher competition). Snow White was the best of its year, and The Wizard of Oz a contender in a tough year. Put another way, Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, King Kong, Bride of Frankenstein, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and The Wizard of Oz were among the top two or three movies of their years. I can't off hand think of another decade in which fantasy/horror did so well. (Yes, I do think Snow White and Oz have aspects of fairy tale horror) Among those which could be on this list--Mad Love, Doctor X, Mystery of the Wax Museum, White Zombie, Murders in the Zoo, The Most Dangerous Game, The Black Room, The Raven, Werewolf of London, The Man Who Changed His Mind, Dracula's Daughter, The Devil Doll, The Man They Could Not Hang, Tower of London--I'm sure I'm missing some--all have strengths which make then worthy of inclusion. Two I would give special mention to: The Walking Dead--A really outstanding, and thoughtful, B flick. Mark of the Vampire--The cop-out ending probably kept it off your list, but the first fifty minutes are about the best and most atmospheric vampire horror ever put on film. *and March of the Wooden Soldiers deserves at least a mention. As does the serial Flash Gordon. Last Edited By: atenolol Apr 7 12 1:20 PM. Edited 2 times.
jamesenstein31		#17	[-]
Apr 7 12 4:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	pulp novelties wrote: jamesenstein31 wrote: dcwillis9 wrote: I agree. The 30s were THE time for horror, especially the early 30s. My 15th "player" would be I realize now, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, which I like more than I used to. Among those other gems would be The Black Room, The Ninth Guest, Chandu, The Raven (mainly for camp purposes, but it has its other strengths), Dracula, Dr. X, The Walking Dead, The Ghoul, etc. A wonderful time for scare movies. I'm fond of nearly all that were mentioned. Do you have a pet otter or prairie-dog? He's not mine, unfortunately, though I do have one that swims in my lake by my house I just have random profile pics, and the baby otter was cute and made me laugh. I just have some cats and a dog :P
jamesenstein31		#18	[-]
Apr 7 12 4:41 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	atenolol wrote: A fine list. Well done. Your top four would be my top four in the same order (I bounce back and forth between Bride and Kong, probably on the basis of which I have seen more recently-I am in a slight edge to Bride phase today) My only significant quibble would be with M. Not a horror movie for me. MAD LOVE would fit in that slot very well. The 1930's were a sensational period for horror and fantasy. I rate Kong the best movie of its year. Bride was a contender in its year (against tougher competition). Snow White was the best of its year, and The Wizard of Oz a contender in a tough year. Put another way, Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, King Kong, Bride of Frankenstein, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and The Wizard of Oz were among the top two or three movies of their years. I can't off hand think of another decade in which fantasy/horror did so well. (Yes, I do think Snow White and Oz have aspects of fairy tale horror) Among those which could be on this list--Mad Love, Doctor X, Mystery of the Wax Museum, White Zombie, Murders in the Zoo, The Most Dangerous Game, The Black Room, The Raven, Werewolf of London, The Man Who Changed His Mind, Dracula's Daughter, The Devil Doll, The Man They Could Not Hang, Tower of London--I'm sure I'm missing some--all have strengths which make then worthy of inclusion. Two I would give special mention to: The Walking Dead--A really outstanding, and thoughtful, B flick. Mark of the Vampire--The cop-out ending probably kept it off your list, but the first fifty minutes are about the best and most atmospheric vampire horror ever put on film. *and March of the Wooden Soldiers deserves at least a mention. As does the serial Flash Gordon. M was included in several horror guides, as well as lists, so that gave me the impetus to include it. I confess that I think it's borderline, but we do include films like PSYCHO and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS as horror, so why not? I actually feel a bit torn up about MAD LOVE, as I think it's truly astounding, with Lorre delivering one of the best performances in the history of the genre. That is one twisted and delightful film. The 1930s were truly outstanding, especially for the genre of the fantastic. I do think that BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN would have had tough competition for 1935(I might have to go for MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY), but horror films would be featured on the top ten in virtually every year in the decade, especially 1931-1932. I love MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS. That's actually one of my favorites of all time, and I have a review of that on my blog! I always have loved Laurel and Hardy, and the combination of them and a fantasy setting, complete with monsters has always appealed to me. The fantasies of that period are all horror-friendly, and I confess that as a kid, SNOW WHITE was more terrifying to me than the Universal monsters.( Why would the beautiful, but evil queen, turn herself into that ugly old crone? That scene really freaked me out and still feels like something from a David Cronenberg film) I'm very happy that i've been able to get a pretty good discussion out of these lists
dcwillis9		#19	[-]
Apr 8 12 7:10 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	atenolol wrote: The Walking Dead--A really outstanding, and thoughtful, B flick. Mark of the Vampire--The cop-out ending probably kept it off your list, but the first fifty minutes are about the best and most atmospheric vampire horror ever put on film. *and March of the Wooden Soldiers deserves at least a mention. As does the serial Flash Gordon. I agree wholeheartedly with your "Mark of the V" comment. Sometimes, I think I've spent my whole life writing about the atmospheric effects in same. And yes my vanity license plate read "Mora 35". Now, I realize that Barrymore & the sweet young things break up the atmosphere now & then... too now & too then.... But all that's missing is Dwight Frye....
dcwillis9		#20	[-]
Apr 8 12 7:13 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I never thought I'd be forced into the position of defender of "The Raven", but.... And I still won't be....
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The 15 Greatest Horror Films Of The 1930s

The 15 Greatest Horror Films Of The 1930s