The document discusses the history of horror films from the 1890s-1950s. In the 1890s-1920s, early horror films featured mythical storylines and dreamlike imagery that does not scare modern audiences. Sound was introduced in the 1930s, making monsters' grunts and groans more terrifying. Famous films like Dracula and Frankenstein came out in this era. The 1940s saw a focus on internalized horrors and threats of the time, like werewolves reflecting fears of Hitler and World War 2. Low-budget films in the 1950s dealt with science and technology gone wrong as audiences were wary after WWII technological advances.

1. History of Horror
Jessica Mills

2. 1890s – 1920s
• The 1920s was just the beginning of horror films. The typical conventions for horror films of this era involved mythical story lines and
dreamlike imagery – the type of horror that doesn’t affect or scare the society today. Because people of this age hadn’t yet had horror
related experiences that forced adrenaline and unknown feelings to arise, this type of film scared them into thinking scary events
could happen to them and forced them to believe in the supernatural.
• The effects of horror films were very poor quality because of the deficient resources and software, so darkness and shadows
(important generic conventions of modern horror) were impossible to show at the time, therefore films like Nosferatu showed scenes
in broad daylight which seem doubly surreal to us now. Nonetheless, many codes and conventions of these early entries to the genre
were established and are identifiable and used today. Monsters were rendered into physical form, touching on the legends and
folklore of Europe. Unfortunately, however, many early attempts of horror have been lost to us due to the fragility of early film stock.
The Golem (1915/1920)
A golem can be known as an animated being created entirely from inanimate matter. This character is represented in this
film, where a Jewish rabbi creates it from clay and, using sorcery, brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of
Prague from persecution. There were several versions of this ‘first monster movie’. Paul Wegener directed and starred in
the screen version of the Jewish legend, set in medieval Prague. The picture isn’t very clear and audiences now have
become desensitized to the type of horror, so it isn’t scary or thrilling and proves that it is aged and clearly made when
horror films were just starting to become popular.
Nosferatu (1922)
This film was originally an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stroker’s Dracula, so the name had to be changed as
the studio couldn’t obtain the rights to the novel. It badly plagiarises the Dracula story because, although the name
is different and the central characters possess different names, the plot of the film remained unchanged.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
This is often cited as the ‘Grandaddy of all Horror Films’. It explores the mind of a madman eerily, pitting an evil doctor against
a hero falsely incarcerated in a lunatic asylum. The film disturbingly plays on the fear of madness, as the audience aren’t sure
on who is mad and who is not. The disturbance is increased by the unsettled asymmetry of the mise-en-scene. Although
appearing stylish, imaginative and haunting to this era, modern viewers would find the pace slow and uninteresting to watch.
The twisted vision of the narrator is shown, presenting menacing shapes, even in everyday scenes. The unrealistic, stylised and
dreamlike performances contrasted dramatically with the documentary style of film making current in Europe at the time,
proving that film could be a poetic medium as well as a reflective one.

3. 1930s
• Horror movies were reborn in the 1930s. The ghostly, dreamlike creatures of the 1920s were replaced with grotesque monsters that
grunted and groaned and howled. Adding to this terror was the much improved sound which indicated horror and built tension. This
advent of sound transformed horror films, contributing to their increase in popularity. At the time, the effects would have been awe
inspiring but watching films from this era today, some of the efforts seem awkward and unrealistic.
• Set in some far off land, characters spoke in strange accents and wore period costumes. It was an escape for audiences from the
Depression and approach of war to enjoy being scared by the fantastical monsters and supernatural presented in the horror films.
The enthusiasm towards horror seemed even more exaggerated in the 1930s than in the 20s and cinema on the whole was a national
obsession with 80 million people attending the cinema on a weekly basis.
• Some of the most famous classic horrors were made during the 1930s, including ‘Dracula’ and ‘Frankenstein’. Frankenstein, directed
by James Whale, introduced the mad scientists. In 1933, when Hitler came to power, this aspect of the horror film genre saw
something of a peak as they became horrifically implicative of the scientific horrors to come in the Nazi-run concentration camps over
the following decade. Even still images of these symbolic icons evoked horror, proving how significant they are to this era.
The Mummy (1932)
The making of this film sparked the audience’s fascination with the concept of 3000 year old remains and the
Ancient Egyptians. To modern viewers, the film may seem overly slow paced, but it introduced the concept of the
terrible, ancient evil to movie audiences. The slow storytelling is purposely done to make the film atmospheric. At
the time, the effects were considered modern and impressive as the film was a multi-million dollar special effects
festival, but compared to modern-day horrors, it is clear that technology and films on the whole have completely
transformed.
King Kong (1933)
King Kong was hugely successful upon its release and still remains
a favourite with film makers and audiences. It is a simple fairy
tale, yet also a powerful horror film, keying into primal features
about what lurks beyond the borders of civilisation. King Kong is
nostalgic for an age when fabulous monsters could lurk in misty
swamps, but reasonable about their inevitable elimination in
scientific progress.

4. 1940s
• If the horror movies of the 1930s had dealt in well-established fictional monsters, looking back towards the nineteenth century for
inspiration, the 1940s reflected the internalisation of the horror market. Certain issues and threats that were around at the time were
faced head on in this era. For example, wolves posed the main global threat at the outset of the 1940s. Hitler was also a main face of
the world throughout the 1930s and 1940s. He himself strongly identified with the iconography and legends of the wolf as the name
‘Adolf’ means ‘noble wolf’ in German. The 40s created the idea of the merge of creatures and humans, forming a new kind of being.
• Universal, a major film company of today, wasn’t very successful in this era, making constant attempts to produce a new and exciting
film. However, they weren’t very creative at the time, using previous ideas and current topics to make a film that would appeal to and
excite the audience.
The Wolf Man (1942)
The Wolf Man was Universal’s follow up from the minor hit ‘The Werewolf, London’, made in 1935. Hitler himself
strongly identified with the iconography and legends of the wolf and propagandists of the period depicted him as
the Big Bad Wolf of fairy tales. The film fitted well with the era, acknowledging this fact and using it to evoke horror.
It was an attempt of Universal to increase the popularity of their films. They followed this with ‘Frankenstein meets
the Wolf Man’ in 1943, using previous ideas in pursuit to boost sales.
Cat People (1942)
While Universal was decreasing further and further in popularity and struggling with new, innovative ideas of the
production of films, RKO decided to try something new. The producer Val Lewton formed a ‘horror unit’, drawing on
literary source material, for a series of tight, low budget features starring A-list players that were instant hits and still
chill today. Again, the film involves the idea of animals and humans merged to form one creature. This film, however,
is a psychological thriller, much of it made of what lurks in the shadows. It was a great success, earning 4 million
dollars and was even followed by a sequel.

5. 1950s
• The 40s aroused many problems in the world with the disasters of WWII and millions were exposed to the full spectrum of man’s
humanity to man. 1950s horror films were about science and technology gone wild, portraying an accurate view of society in this era
who were wary of the technological change. With advances in technology, the tone of horror shifted from the Gothic towards
contemporary concerns. In ten short years, the concept of a horrific monster had altered irrevocably. More recognisably human faces
became attached to evil. Faces who had fought on both sides in WW2, the developers of the atom bomb and the death camp, mad
scientists indeed whose activities would have unnerved even Victor Frankenstein or Dr Moreau.
• The public weren’t keen on horrors in the 1950s, mainly because there were real life horror stories from the war, so the fantasies on
the big screen weren’t appreciated. Messages from the Second World War were clear: no matter how heroic your men, how skilled
your generals, how staunch your supporters on the Home Front, at the end of the day, it was technology that counted. The more
advanced the technology, the more powerful the nation.
• Because of the economic state of the world, horror movies of the 1950s were relegated well and truly to the B-Movie category. The
main stars were reserved for bigger productions like epics and musicals so characters in horror films became unknown actors and
because of the Universal era icons being either dead or moved on, the money was scarce, so the production, filming and editing were
amateur. Because of this amateurism and the low cost, these films appealed to teens as it made horrors available to anyone to
produce.
• The 50s also introduced the idea of Sci-Fi and the supernatural creatures from out of space.
Mutation on existing themes provided the inspiration for countless 1950s monsters. The idea of radiation affecting existing life forms,
either enlarging them, such as: ‘Godzilla’; ‘Them!’; and ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’, or shrinking them, like in: The Fly and The
Incredible Shrinking Man. Existing life forms made better monsters, as they could be photographed using blue-screen techniques or
recreated in model form and stop-motion animation used to bring them to life. Early attempts at these special affects work well in ‘King
Kong’ (1933) and ‘Devil Dolls’ (1936), but really became widespread during the 1950s. The cutting edge of movie technology was
represented by the onscreen monsters, seen as a good way of drawing audiences from their TV and into cinemas. This is what 1950s horror
films were all about. This era saw a number of technical innovations in the cinema: CinemaScope, Cinerama, Stereophonic sound, 3D and
even Smell-O-Vision, all designed to lure audiences, especially teenagers, from their TV sets.

6. 1960s
• During the late 1950s, Great Britain emerged the producer of horror films. The social stability that had marked the post-war years was
gone by the end of the decade as a huge rethink occurred in everything from hemlines to homosexuality. The 1960s held the sexual
revolution. Horror movies, usually made for low budgets outside the mainstream studio system, now explored new ways of perceiving
sex and violence and because this era saw a great sea change in what the public perceived as horrible, they became even more gory
and gruesome, playing even more on audience’s fears. They wanted horror that was more rooted in reality, more believable, more
sophisticated, that dealt with some of the issues they faced in a rapidly changing world.
• Despite the often tragic events of the 60s, there was an optimistic atmosphere; the sense that humanity was moving forward, onward
and upward. The threat of mass-death-by-radiation had receded due to over 20 years without nuclear holocaust and heat and the
excited atmosphere was lost because of the concept of Cold War. The social psyche of traditions, stereotypes and prohibitions were
re-examined and focuses of the films were internal rather than external threats – the mutant monsters of the 1950s now appeared
silly. This meant that the creatures or monsters of horrors were the people themselves, so going to the cinema would be the
equivalent of gazing in the mirror and people began to wonder and imagine what was wrong with their own face.
Although horrors and thrillers had intertwined in the days of ‘the Old Dark House’ (1932) and ‘Cat People’ (1942), horror’s relegation to
the B-movie zone in the 1950s meant that those directors who were interested in thrillers had focused on producing stylish, film-noir
stories with no hint of the supernatural or the monstrous. Ghosts and monsters still remained a frequent feature of horror, but many
films used the supernatural premise to express the horror of the demonic.
A range of genres of horror films were represented in this era, including: psychological films, such as ‘Psycho’ (1960) and ‘The Birds’
(1963); ghost films (hitting the screens in the early 1960s) that still have the power to scare audiences today, even though the image was
black and white and the special affects were limited. The simple stories only require the audience to suspend disbelief in increments and
often begin with the character’s not believing the supernatural events occurring, so try to give it a logical explanation, however unlikely.
Films of this genre included ‘The Haunting’ (1963) and ‘Carnival of Souls’ (1962), which was an extremely low budget film touching on the
‘undead’ and psychological conditions; Cheap Thrills (Corman managed to combine horror, sex and laughter in his pictures, spending just
enough to get his films into the pan, but managing to provide the audience with what they wanted to see – buxom women, blood, a bit
of monster make-up. He produced B movies at an incredible rate, always making enough money to finance his next, his delicious irony
shown in the tites (‘Bucket Full of Blood’ (1959) and ‘She Gods of the Shark Reef’(1958)) including ‘Blood Feast’ (1963) – the first ever
‘splatter movie’, which was an influential film, but not in the same class as Corman; Hammer Horror, whichhad been established by the
monster movies of a decade earlier as a low budget, high grossing genre; Zombies – ‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968) was made,
containing some tight performances, excellent make up and special effects and genuinely terrifying moments; and Anti-Natal, which
played on the fear of childbirth. The main anti-natal film was ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968).

7. 1970s
• Horror movies of the 1970s reflect the grim mood of the decade. One genuine fear apparent in the horror films of the 1970s is the fear of
children, and the fear of the messy, painful and often fatal process of childbirth. Society started to go horribly wrong in this era – the
Beatles split, Janis and Jimi died and it went down in many other senses from there. However, when society goes bad, horror films get
good, and the 1970s marked a return to the big budget, respectable horror film, dealing with contemporary societal issues.
• The films of this era also addressed genuine psychological fears. Whereas children were the focus of horror in many key 1960s films (Village
of The Damned (1960), which really reinforces that kids can be spooky, unwanted, and can do bad things to their parents) culminating in
Rosemary's Baby, this theme dominates the 1970s, as the crumbling family unit becomes the source of much fear and mistrust. This time
around 'the enemy within' is not a shape shifting alien from another planet altogether, it is to be found in your own home.
• The seventies were about deep-seated paranoia, their films containing little humour and creating the fear that the moral shift of the 1960s
has created a culture of monsters. The exaggerated antics of previous decades and tight budgets are gone as horror returns to the
mainstream.
The Exorcist (1973)
This film has been voted ‘scariest movie of all time’ and is hugely significant to any study of the horror genre. The
dazzling effects, created mechanically on set, rather than post production, are impressive, even today. These effects
are combined with exemplary use of sound and deft cinematography, all contributing towards the chilling
experience of the film. Uncommon for horror films, The Exorcist takes itself and its subject seriously, touches of
irony being the only humour. This means the audience is tense and apprehensive all the way though the film as
there is no laughter to relax the atmosphere. It is now an undisputed classic, but caused outrage when released as it
was “shocking” and “soul destroying” according to the Daily Mail. This film made the genre worthy of serious
consideration, helping to pave the way for many more big studio investment in horror during the 1970s.
Jaws (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jaws was the best selling novel of all time. With a budget of $12 million, he took what
was a classic B movie fare and turned out a master class in suspense. The film was a massive success with a total
gross of $400 million – the first film to exceed $100 million in the box office, giving the audience a monster that was
unique, but neither supernatural nor the result of mutation, real in fact. It plays on the fear of the ocean, and even
though the ocean doesn’t seem it, isolation and no escape – there would be no escape from a terrifying shark
looming below if it spotted you.
Other famous films of this era included ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (1974), ‘Carrie’ (1976), ‘The Omen’ (1976) and
‘Halloween’ (1978).