Category: Golden Age
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The Black Room (1935)
Although produced by Columbia Pictures, the graveyard sets in The Black Room (1935) are as gorgeous as any number of Universal Pictures genre films of the same era. They’re obviously built on a soundstage; nevertheless, they are works of art. From the painted backdrops to the simulated ground covering and tombstones, the art direction by…
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The Vampire Bat (1933)
The set-up for The Vampire Bat (1933) couldn’t be any simpler and it’s established in the film’s opening moments. Bats fill the sky on a dark night as the tower clock chimes, a mysterious figure leaps across the rooftops, and a woman screams. Cut to Burgermeister Gustave Schoen (Lionel Belmore) and his cronies struggling to…
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The Raven (1935)
When I recently re-watched The Raven (1935), I didn’t remember liking it as much the first time I saw it. In fact, if comparing it to my memories of The Black Cat (1934), I might like The Raven even more. It’s a nasty little thriller, letting Bela Lugosi shine as an evil madman, while letting…
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A Place of One’s Own (1945)
Henry Smedhurst (James Mason) and his wife (Barbara Mullen) have always wanted a place of their own and, at retirement age, they are finally able to buy one… for a steal. While they’re aware that Bellingham House has sat vacant for 40 years, if they knew its reputation, I’m not sure they wouldn’t have bought…
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Woman Who Came Back (1945)
Woman Who Came Back (1945) has a great gothic opening, generating a creepy atmosphere that’s sustained throughout the movie. In Eben Rock, Massachusetts, a “crypt” beneath the church holds documents that detail the history of witchcraft in the area. Nearby stands the palatial home of the judge responsible for killing 18 women 300 years ago……
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Condemned to Live (1935)
In a dark cave with the sound of drums beating in the background, a young woman moans that she can’t stand it anymore. “If you love me, kill me.” The man attending to her steps away with another man to discuss the infestation of vampire bats. While one describes how they “attach” themselves to a…
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The Brute Man (1946)
Written by George Bricker and M, Coates Webster Original story by Dwight V. Babcock Directed by Jean Yarbrough Starring Rondo Hatton, Tom Neal, Jan Wiley, Jane Adams Released October 1, 1946 RT 58 min. Home Video Amazon Prime (streaming) Classic Horrors rating = 5 (out of 10) I thought The Brute Man was all right, but it was…
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Strange Illusion (1945)
Written by Adele Comandini, Fritz RotterDirected by Edgar G. UlmerStarring Jimmy Lydon, Warren William, Salley Eilers, Regis Toomey, Charles ArntReleased March 31, 1945RT 87 min.Home Video Alpha VideoClassic Horrors rating = 6 (out of 10) Not a horror movie, per se, Strange Illusion nevertheless revolves around a ghostly, perhaps supernatural, dream. Haunted by the mysterious death of his father, college…
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And Then There Were None (1945)
ABOUT OUR GUEST Another colleague from the We Belong Dead/Unsung Horrors group and another great contribution to the countdown! Matthew Banks first said while he would like to participate, he wasn’t sure he’d have time. Yet look what he sent! It’s a fine example of his writing and I hope it whets your appetite for…
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Invisible Ghost (1941)
Next off my stack of unwrapped, unwatched movies… Written by Helen Martin & Al Martin Directed by Joseph H. Lewis Starring Bela Lugosi, Polly Ann Young, John McGuire, Clarence Muse, Betty Compson, Ernie Adams Released April 25, 1941 RT 64 min. Home Video Kino Lorber (Blu-ray) Classic Horrors rating = 8 (out of 10) WHY I’VE NEVER SEEN IT In July,…
Classic Horrors Club 