Bad Movie Logo
"A website to the detriment of good film"
Custom Search
HOMEB-MOVIE REVIEWSREADER REVIEWSFORUMINTERVIEWSUPDATESABOUT
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 29, 2024, 04:14:58 AM
713389 Posts in 53058 Topics by 7725 Members
Latest Member: wibwao
Badmovies.org Forum  |  Movies  |  Good Movies  |  Classic Universal Horrors/Sci-Fi from the silents to 1960 « previous next »
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: Classic Universal Horrors/Sci-Fi from the silents to 1960  (Read 8595 times)
Ticonderoga 64
Disillusionist
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 231
Posts: 2074



« on: May 11, 2014, 02:37:39 PM »

I didnt see a thread for this already available. so excuse me if I may be treading over some old ground here. How many of you members grew up seeing these films on television when you were kids? There are so many classics here even amongst the B films that Universal produced during the 1940's. From the early days of the silents like HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA with Lon Chaney, Sr., to stuff like the Gill-Man trilogy and big bugs of the 50's, Universal covered a lot of territory in a 40 year span.

A lot of the genre film greats of that era gave some iconic portrayal during that time as well..Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Jr., Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, John Carradine, Lionel Atwill, George Zucco and more made these movies the classics they are today.

Some hits from the 20's:

Hunchback Of Notre Dame(1923), Phantom Of the Opera(1925), The Cat & the Canary(1927). The Man Who Laughs(1928)


The Thirties:

Dracula(1931), Frankenstein(1931), The Mummy(1932), The Invisible Man(1933), The Black Cat(1934), Bride Of Frankenstein(1935), Werewolf Of London(1935), The Invisible Ray(1936), Son Of Frankenstein(1939)

The Forties:

The Mummy's Hand(1940), The Wolf Man(1941), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man(1943), Captive Wild Woman(1943),
Son Of Dracula(1943), The Mad Ghoul(1943), Weird Woman(1944), House Of Frankenstein(1944), The Scarlet Claw(1944), The Pearl Of Death(1944), The Mummy's Ghost(1944), House Of Dracula(1945)

The Fifties:

It Came From Outer Space(1953), Creature From the Black Lagoon(1954), Tarantula(1955), Revenge Of the Creature(1955), This Island Earth(1955), The Mole People(1956), The Incredible Shrinking Man(1957), The Deadly Mantis(1957), Monster On the Campus(1958), The Thing That Couldnt Die(1958), Curse Of the Undead(1959), The Leech Woman(1960)


These are only partial listings as there are so many more gems from Universal's catalogue from that era.

I'd like to hear from those who enjoys these films..what are your favorites? Well-known or not so well known. Smile
Logged
Chainsawmidget
Guest
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2014, 04:24:43 PM »

There's a lot of really great stuff here, so it's hard to narrow it down to just a few.

Bela's Dracula, the classic Frankenstein's, Invisible Man, and the Lon Chaney Phantom of the Opera are particulate favorites.   

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein being by far the most fun.
Logged
VenomX73
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 385
Posts: 2796



« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2014, 04:32:51 PM »

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)


The Wolf Man (1941)


Dracula (1931)
Logged

Gilligan's island, Goonies and Godzilla information booth here!
Rev. Powell
Global Moderator
B-Movie Kraken
****

Karma: 3100
Posts: 26772


Click on that globe for 366 Weird Movies


WWW
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2014, 05:38:01 PM »

Silent horror: THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI & NOSFERATU are two that hold up by modern standards.

My favorite Universals are the Frankenstein series. Also worth mentioning is THE BLACK CAT.

Non-Universals from the 1930s: FREAKS and WHITE ZOMBIE.

Don't forget Val Lewton's movies of the 40s and 50s that reinvigorated the genre. Especially the two CAT PEOPLE movies, THE BODY SNATCHER, and Jacques Tourneur's NIGHT OF THE DEMON (not a Lewton production but in the same style).

EYES WITHOUT A FACE just barely makes it under the 1960 dividing line.

So-bad-it's-good roadshow classic horror: MANIAC (1934).

(Not all of those are Universals, of course, but they all have the same classic horror feel...)
« Last Edit: May 12, 2014, 05:40:58 PM by Rev. Powell » Logged

I'll take you places the hand of man has not yet set foot...
JaseSF
Super Space Age Freaky Geek
B-Movie Kraken
*****

Karma: 719
Posts: 13871


Soon, your brain will turn to jelly.


« Reply #4 on: May 12, 2014, 06:16:14 PM »

I love pretty much everything mentioned in this thread so far. Throw in Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes and Bulldog Drummond movies to boot. Also there's the Thin Man films, Philo Vance films, etc.

I'll also mention VAMPYR, THE QUATERMASS films, THIS ISLAND EARTH, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, and of course the one and only:



King Kong
Logged

"This above all: To thine own self be true!"
VenomX73
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 385
Posts: 2796



« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2014, 07:46:26 PM »

I'd also like to add The Old Dark House (1932). 1 of the 1st haunted house movies.







indeed a creepy movie - It's a must watch horror classic.
Logged

Gilligan's island, Goonies and Godzilla information booth here!
Ticonderoga 64
Disillusionist
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 231
Posts: 2074



« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2014, 08:17:06 AM »

A few more Universals:

Man Made Monster(1941),House Of Seven Gables(1940), Strange Case Of Dr.Rx(1942), Sherlock Holmes Faces Death(1943), The Invisible Man's Revenge(1944), Frozen Ghost(1945), The Spider Woman Strikes Back(1946), The Black Castle(1952), Cult Of the Cobra(1955),  The Monolith Monsters(1957)

And before the Old Dark House there was Cat & the Canary(1927) for the "haunted house" mystery thing.

Other notables:

Silents: The Golem(1920), Waxworks(1924), The Unholy Three(1925), The Lost World(1925), The Bells(1926), Metropolis(1927), The Unknown(1927)

Others from this golden age:

Dr.Jekyll & Mr.Hyde(1931), Murder By the Clock(1931), The Most Dangerous Game(1932),  Mystery Of the Wax Museum(1933), Murders In the Zoo(1933), The Ghoul(1933),  Death Takes A Holiday(1934), Chandu the Magician(1932), Mask Of Fu Manchu(1932), The Black Room(1935), M(1931), The Walking Dead(1936), Mark Of the Vampire(1935), Mad Love(1935), Return Of Dr.X(1939)

Dr.Cyclops(1940),The Ghost Breakers(1940),The Devil Bat(1940), The Devil & Daniel Webster(1941), The Devil Commands(1941), Dr.Renault's Secret(1942), I Walked With A Zombie(1943), The Seventh Victim(1943), Return Of the Vampire(1944), The Lodger(1944), Picture Of Dorian Gray(1945), Hangover Square(1945), Strangler Of the Swamp(1946)

The Thing From Another World(1951), Donovan's Brain(1952), War Of the Worlds(1953), House Of Wax(1953), Beast From 20,000 Fathoms(1953), THEM!(1954), Godzilla(1954), Forbidden Planet(1956), Curse Of Frankenstein(1957), The Fly(1958), House On Haunted Hill(1959), I Was A Teenage Werewolf(1957), Horror Of Dracula(1958), Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad(1958), Fiend Without A Face(1958), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea(1954), Rodan(1956), The Mummy(1959)
Logged
The Burgomaster
Aggravating People Worldwide Since 1964
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 773
Posts: 9036



« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2014, 01:46:41 PM »

I loved watching these movies when I was a kid.  They were usually on TV on Saturday afternoons or Saturday nights with lots of commercial interruptions.  I have many, many of them on DVD now.
Logged

"Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone."
Ticonderoga 64
Disillusionist
Frightening Fanatic of Horrible Cinema
****

Karma: 231
Posts: 2074



« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2014, 09:06:04 AM »

Same here! Most of these were on late as you said, it made for creepy viewing after midnight when trying to watch these and sometimes adjusting the 'ol antenna on the tv to make sure I could see every little minute. Smile
Logged
RCMerchant
Bela
B-Movie Kraken
*****

Karma: 0
Posts: 30435


"Charlie,we're in HELL!"-"yeah,ain't it groovy?!"


WWW
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2014, 01:59:51 PM »

Cripes!
That's because this is BAD movies-not GOOD movies.  Wink

Lugosi is my favorite actor-DRACULA,WHITE ZOMBIE (which is NOT Universal),the RAVEN,and SON of FRANKENSTEIN are my favorite of his films.
I Grew up with Famous Monsters of Filmland in the late 60's and 70's-watched late night Creature Features on uhf channels....old school horror is my passion.
I still own 100's of old horror film fan mags from the 60's and 70's,have lotsa books about them too-,and I'm a Grandpa! my passion is still strong.

Look at my sig down below...at my Tumblr accounts-check it out.  Cheers
 
Logged

"Supernatural?...perhaps. Baloney?...Perhaps not!" Bela Lugosi-the BLACK CAT (1934)
Interviewer-"Does Dracula ever end for you?
Lugosi-"No. Dracula-never ends."

Slobber, Drool, Drip!
https://www.tumblr.com/ronmerchant
Umaril Has Returned
Guest
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2014, 03:00:39 PM »

I loved watching these movies when I was a kid.  They were usually on TV on Saturday afternoons or Saturday nights with lots of commercial interruptions.  I have many, many of them on DVD now.


We used to watch them on WNEW 5's Creature Features which showed most of the Universal stuff in the way of Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfie and the Invisible Man, as well as some other bad 50's and 60's B-Movie stuff.  It's been 45 years since I first set eyes on Creature Features, and 34 years since it's demise in 1980, but Saturday nights still have a place in my heart, which sadly is now empty with the passing of all these years.  Bluesad

For the heck of it though, here's a quite faithful reproduction of the opening for WNEW 5's Creature Features, done by a good friend of mine. Enjoy  Smile

Small | Large
Logged
JaseSF
Super Space Age Freaky Geek
B-Movie Kraken
*****

Karma: 719
Posts: 13871


Soon, your brain will turn to jelly.


« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2014, 12:18:13 PM »

I know he's been mentioned but I feel like since I put up Kong's poster, his needs to go up here as well....

Logged

"This above all: To thine own self be true!"
Chainsawmidget
Guest
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2014, 01:06:21 PM »

I thought people might get a kick out of this.

Small | Large
Logged
JaseSF
Super Space Age Freaky Geek
B-Movie Kraken
*****

Karma: 719
Posts: 13871


Soon, your brain will turn to jelly.


« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2014, 02:07:16 PM »

These classic movie monsters, might they be symbolic of transformation? Of humanity's need to adapt, kill or be killed, hunt or be hunted, the need to protect ourselves against unseen monsters that stalk the night?

Just throwin' that out there.

A Tribute To Classic Monster Movies
Logged

"This above all: To thine own self be true!"
Pages: [1]
Badmovies.org Forum  |  Movies  |  Good Movies  |  Classic Universal Horrors/Sci-Fi from the silents to 1960 « previous next »
    Jump to:  


    RSS Feed Subscribe Subscribe by RSS
    Email Subscribe Subscribe by Email


    Popular Articles
    How To Find A Bad Movie

    The Champions of Justice

    Plan 9 from Outer Space

    Manos, The Hands of Fate

    Podcast: Todd the Convenience Store Clerk

    Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

    Dragonball: The Magic Begins

    Cool As Ice

    The Educational Archives: Driver's Ed

    Godzilla vs. Monster Zero

    Do you have a zombie plan?

    FROM THE BADMOVIES.ORG ARCHIVES
    ImageThe Giant Claw - Slime drop

    Earth is visited by a GIANT ANTIMATTER SPACE BUZZARD! Gawk at the amazingly bad bird puppet, or chuckle over the silly dialog. This is one of the greatest b-movies ever made.

    Lesson Learned:
    • Osmosis: os·mo·sis (oz-mo'sis, os-) n., 1. When a bird eats something.

    Subscribe to Badmovies.org and get updates by email:

    HOME B-Movie Reviews Reader Reviews Forum Interviews TV Shows Advertising Information Sideshows Links Contact

    Badmovies.org is owned and operated by Andrew Borntreger. All original content is © 1998 - 2014 by its respective author(s). Image, video, and audio files are used in accordance with the Fair Use Law, and are property of the film copyright holders. You may freely link to any page (.html or .php) on this website, but reproduction in any other form must be authorized by the copyright holder.