I can’t even begin to tell you how much I absolutely love the videos you put out on classic films from the 1930’s - 1950’s. They are my favorite decades of film and they make up the bulk of my film library. This video was fantastic and I added a few titles to my Amazon wishlist. Thanks for all the time and attention you put into these videos, they’re incredible.
Agreed. It's nice to watch a perspective of horror from a fan of classic movies in general. I'm 57, so I was raised on old movies that got to continue with the old incarnation of AMC and, of course, TCM with the great Robert Osborne to further my education. Anyway, great list, and I look forward to more new content and digging through your archive. P.S. John Carradine may not be the right Dracula, but looking back from the perspective of it being the horror icon of John Freakin' Carradine!!! I think it's more than just acceptable that this is baked into our cinema history.
@@alienmindwarp3455 Big fan of this channel, i am in my 50s myself but growing up in the U.K, we didn't have TCM when i was growing up, The BBC would put classic horror movies on every weekend and they were always these type of movies.
@bushmanblu426 TCM (Turner Classic Movies) started in 94, and it was in the 70s that I originally saw a lot of these on local broadcast TV. But TCM is 24/7 old movies, and I got to see a whole lot more. I believe that TCM is geo-restricted in the UK now.
Tom Tyler, who played the Mummy in “The Mummy’s Hand,” is actually best remembered for having played the eponymous superheroes Captain Marvel and the Phantom in the 1940’s serials.
Tom Conway was the brother of the great George Sanders. He was signed by RKO, first to replace his brother as "The Saint", then to play in "The Falcon" series, as well as appearing in Val Lewton's low budget horror films. Later, on radio, he replaced Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. BTW ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD narrated by Bing Crosby was released in 1948.
I am an avid horror movie fan and I love the movies you have included in this. Firstly, the Dead of Night. A classic English movie. SO well done. I have loved Vincent Price in everything that he's done. He was wonderful in the film noir classic "Laura". I'm surprised that you didn't include The Hound of the Baskervilles which, to me, is the best Sherlock Holmes movie. So glad you included The Spiral Staircase - the atmosphere, the music, the superb acting, the story. How can you miss with Dorothy McGuire, George Brent and Ethel Barrymore? I completely agree with the Wolf Man. Wonderful story and you really do feel for Laurence Talbot. I think it's the best werewolf movie ever made!
Cat People is SO GOOD!!! The swimming pool scene... wow!!! Love the top of your charts, though. A few of the lower rung movies I don't recognize and will need to search out.
I think its top tier as well. Teh youtuber dislikes it for a reason that it actually works. he had no chemistry with the leading woman on purpose. She was an outsider and was incapable of connecting with him. His inability to connect with her kind of made her weirdly attractive and him to seem in adequate. This is because of their inability to connect. If they connected in a romantic way the movie would be very different... more normal.
First, I love your enthusiasm for the 40's horror movies. Being born in 1936 and growing up during the "monster era," I have your enthusiasm. I agree with your choices! "The Panther's Claw" (another Val Lewton movie) is one of my all-time favorites. The opening - with the murder of the little girl, showing blood coming under the door was unbelievable for the time! What would I do without horror movies in my childhood! So glad to have DVD copies of these movies for immediate satisfaction!
The 1940s was AWESOME! The vast majority of the Universal Classic Monster movies came out in the 1940s. It was awesome. 1931-1956 was amazing. That is the entire Universal Monster franchise timeline.
One of the things I love about Vincent Price's performance in The Invisible Man Returns is that in the beginning, he sounds like a generic hero, but then, once the madness starts to kick in, he starts to sound more and more like... Vincent Price. Re: Flesh and Fantasy -- It's hard to go wrong when you put Edward G. Robinson and the unacknowledged treasure Thomas Mitchell in a segment together. Yay! The Body Snatcher made the Top Ten! It would make my top five, but that's just the Karloff superfan in me. Henry Daniell is also very good in it, and their adversarial scenes together are electric. I'm totally NOT surprised at seeing Ichabod and Mr. Toad at #3. It comes from a time when Disney films weren't afraid to be scary, if not downright terrifying; heck, 1937's Snow White comes downright close to being a horror film. Also, the Ichabod section is probably the most faithful adaptation of Irving's story. Of course The Wolf Man was going to be #1. It was inevitable. And appropriate.
@@cobwebschannel I wish all of the footage that was cut from the release print of "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" could be found so that the movie could be released as it was originally conceived.
One of my favorite cinematic performances is Karloff in the Body Snatcher. Sheer brilliance! Also, it's the crime of the century that I Walked with a Zombie isn't on bluray (in America) yet...
Among my favorites: The Undying Monster (1942). Werewolf. The Devil Commands (1941). Communication with the dead. Strangler of the Swamp (1945). Ghost. The Devil Bat (1940). Giant bat. The last two were PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation) cheapies; but "Swamp" is critically admired, and "Bat" is just looney fun.
Highly recommend checking out the Laird Cregar double feature of The Lodger (1944) and Hangover Square (1945). Both great films with a fantastic performance from Cregar. Great video! Going to have to check out Flesh or Fantasy!
Lots of great movies on your list, a few I haven't seen and will have to find. I might add 1944's The Lodger, about a man who may or may not be Jack the Ripper. There was a movie about a ventriloquist's dummy taking over the ventriloquist, which precedes the segment in Dead of Night, called The Great Gabbo, from 1929. It seems to have been less a horror film than a psychological drama
I would call The Ghost and Mrs. Muir more of a romantic genre than horror, but it's soooo good! I rewatched recently and was blown away by Bernard Hermann's score. I can't believe this was the same guy who wrote Psycho and Vertigo!
My Top 5 1940s Horror Films : 5. I Walked with a Zombie (1943) 4. Dead of Night (1945) 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) 2. The Wolf Man (1941) 1. The Body Snatcher (1945)
Actually, the word 'weird' refers to witchcraft. In Macbeth the witches are called 'the three weird sisters'. So for those in the know the title 'weird woman' is quite clear.
Great video!! You made a great point about Frankenstein meets The Wolfman, being more of a Wolfman sequel. Chaney actually played the monster in Ghost of Frankenstein. Chaney was going to play both roles of the monster and the Wolfman, but it was nixed because it would've been too much. Bela got the role and it made sense. In Ghost of Frankenstein, the monster gets Ygor's brain, so it's Bela's voice coming from Chaney's body. There was even dialogue for the monster. You can search it on RU-vid. It was cut because the studio executives thought Lugosi's accent coming out of the monster was ridiculous. Also, the monster being blind was cut out to. You can see Bela walking, his arms stretched out, as if he's looking to grab something. In House of Frankenstein, Chaney makes reference to the previous film, saying how the monster wanted strength and life. I loved the continuity. It reminds me of the Hammer Horror films. Although, I don't think they ever explained how Talbot came back in House of Dracula. I could be wrong, but I think Talbot just showed up at the doctor's door. At least he got cured. That is, until he met up with Abbott and Costello. Keep up the good work!!
More Karloffian goodness: The Black Room (1935), in which he plays twins brilliantly, and The Walking Dead (1936), perhaps his most sympathetic portrayal.
The Body Snatcher should be much higher on your list. And.. hello? Black Friday (1940)? Where’s Black Friday? How could you forget Black Friday? We did enjoy the video, tho.
"I Walked With A Zombie" does not specify in which Caribbean country it is set, but it has much of the atmosphere and language of Haitian Voudoun. Quite well made and absorbing.
Great video! I would tell you what my favorite horror movies of the 1940's are, but YOU'VE GOT THEM ALL! There is not one of these I would replace. I think 'Ichabod' is the best adaptation of Legend Of Sleepy Hollow yet made. Your opinion of Son Of Dracula almost matches my own. I do like Lon Chaney Jr's performance more. Okay, he's not convincing as a European vampire, but his Count Alucard has this creepy inhuman feel to him.
Dude, I love that you appreciate older films n not just, like, the 70s horror genre. If you haven't already, please do a segment on silent horror films
What a terrific list! I've seen some of them, but now have more to check out. I love that you included The Adventures of Ichabod...I've adored it since I first saw it as a kid. And I really like that there's no possibility that the Horseman is Brom in disguise, like the story implies. That's a real headless horseman. The animation of the chase is superb, with amazing details. And I also love Arsenic and Old Lace. Most of it is so funny...Cary Grant was a master at physical comedy, and he's hilarious. But then there's the bit with him tied up and Jonathan and the doctor about to start torturing him, and that was genuinely chilling, if only for a moment.
Fantastic List! Thanks for another great video. I would probably only substitute a few: Doctor Cyclops (1940) The Night Has Eyes (1942) The Leopard Man (1943)
I do agree that the Forties was a great decade for horror. "The Wolf Man" is superb. The cast is outstanding. Maria Ouspenskaya adds so much to the movie, as does Claude Rains. Heck, you have Ralph Bellamy and Patric Knoles as supporting men in that film as well. That is an embarrassment of riches.
I’m so happy that, not only do you have The Uninvited on the list, but it’s ranked so high. It’s a ghost film I absolutely adore! And like you said, it’s partly due to the fact it takes the subject matter very seriously. Something I had never seen before with “older” films. And does such an effective job at laying on the creepy factor. Especially “that room” that can go from pleasant to cold in an instance…and it is indeed chilling! Nice job as always 🍻
Awesome list. Glad you included flicks like "Shadow of a Doubt" for sheer creepiness. "I Walked With A Zombie" is a little known gem. And Disney's "Sleepy Hollow" take is such a delight.
1. Shadow of a Doubt RULES. 2. Cheney Jr. brings down Son of Drac so much that it took me a while to appreciate it - and all for the reasons you mentioned. Just a great list. Not a dud on it. 10/10 fricheks
Great ranking. I would have Cat People higher if only because of the great swimming pool scene. I Walked With A Zombie is one of my all-time favorite films of any genre and I love its creepy atmosphere. I would probably also include The Leopard Man because it has one of the scariest scenes in horror.
THANK YOU for introducing me to Flesh and Fantasy. I just watched your video and to discover something new to me (after I thought I’d seen it all) is such a thrill. Can’t wait for my Blu-ray to arrive. Thank you!
I love that you do top 20 lists rather than just top 10. Because it's so dependent on taste, and 20 allows you to include more offbeat films like Abbott and Costello, and Arsenic and Old Lace, and Ichabod. I have a lot of movies to check out now! I love how highly you ranked I Walked with a Zombie--it's one of the most potently atmospheric films I've ever seen.
Another just excellent rundown. _Really_ love this one, because I have a rather huge knowledge gap when it comes to 1940s horror, so this is essential education for me. And, as always, your enthusiasm and genuine love of horror (classic horror in particular) makes every video an absolute joy to watch. Thank you, Daniel!
I know most of these films are available 24/7 nowadays but I used to look forward to the Turner classic horror marathons on Halloween. They still do it I guess but it doesnt seem as special.
I was so happy to see some my favorite odd-ball films are being seen by you too! SCARLET CLAW is a great choice and just has so much atmopshere. I was surprised not to see SON OF FRANKENSTEIN which is one of my top picks.
One of first creepy memories was The Beast With Five Fingers from 1946..and one of my favorite performances by Peter Lorre ..when it crawls out of the fireplace and up towards to his throat...nightmares as a kid.
I love old black and white spooky movies. I have seen some you mentioned but a couple of them I have heard of but haven't seen yet. Flesh and Fantasy and Dead of Night look interesting I will definitely check those two out I very much like anthology movies so thanks for those recommendations. I'm really glad I stumbled on to your channel I love getting new recommendations for horror movies from different eras.
I love Val Lewton!! Saw The Body Snatchers by accident one day (I adore Karloff - in anything) and immediately bought a Val Lewton boxed set. If you haven't watched The Seventh Victim - watch it. Creepy as hell. Also, have you ever seen Cry of the Werewolf? Another much overlooked 1940s horror movie. Thanks for your reviews - you hit virtually every one of my favorite 40s flicks.
I love the way the wolfman just keeps coming at the supercharged Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein meets the Wolfman. Werewolves should always be such badasses! ( like in Wolfman 2010)
I've seen most of these filmes and loved them!!! On Saturdays it was one after the other, plus there was Zacherley. You could include "Isle of the Dead" starring Boris Karloff.
Good list. I agree with most of your choices. Would have liked to see the inclusion of Val Lewton's "Isle of the Dead" and Jean Cocteau's 1946 French version of "Beauty and the Beast".
Fantastic top 20, very refreshing to see a RU-vidr dedicated to classic horror, I do prefer films like this that are full of atmosphere, not a big fan of most modern horror that rely on jump scares, Give me the classics any day. Thankyou.
I just finished watching the Spiral Staircase. What an amazing who done it. You were spot on with liking it to a Giallo. Great movie and recommendation
I really like your channel, you do such a good job. I would love for you to consider doing a top 20 silent era horror movie list. Also, I'd love to see you make more videos concerning other genres of movies. Keep up the good work!
Great choices. I would have put Dead of Night, one of my all-time favorites, as number one. The Body Snatcher also would be higher, one the spookiest of all time. But a great and unique one you may not have seen, 1941's The Monster and the Girl. One of the best imo
I really like Son of Dracula, so I'm glad you rate it highly - I even like Lon Chaney in it. Accent aside, it's a really good performance - so unlike anything else I've seen him do. Personally I'd have had Lewton's Isle of the Dead in here somewhere. Flesh and Fantasy sounds well worth seeking out!
I would put Spencer Tracy's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"(1941) on mine, it suffers IMO from MGM's uber-glossiness that was a hallmark of their productions, but I still enjoy it - but do prefer Fredric March's '31 version. Great list & concur w/most of it. Your vids are quickly becoming my favorite. 👏
I love Lon Chaney Jr. as Talbot -- he brings so much pathos to the character and makes you feel sympathy for the man and the "monster." Generally speaking, I don't think he's a phenomenal actor in other films, but it seems that he was born to play the role of the Wolf Man.
You’ve just inspired me to count and finally organize my blurays. Also watch a bunch of my Universal Sequels. I came up with 437. With so many doubles! How do you all keep track of these things? I just counted my blus and dvds 437 and 119. That’s after I pulled out the doubles. I think I found 13? Not including DVDs. I know it’s not rocket science but I’m genuinely interested in your technique for keeping track when you’re shopping.
One of the films I would include in a list of 1940s horror films, would be "Return of the Vampire"(1943). Made by Columbia Pictures, this reminds me a great deal of Universal horror films from the same period. Starring Bela Lugosi as "Armand Tesla", this was I think only one of three times that Lugosi played an actual vampire, and was the first time a Vampire and Werewolf were in the same film. I'm glad John Carradine decided not to be in "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein", since Bela Lugosi made that film much better.
I'll start my annual Halloween movie marathon with the laser disc box of the Lewton films. I totally agree about "Cat People." It's a fine film and groundbreaking, but I feel the forced insert shots of the panther hurt it badly. "I Walked with a Zombie" and "The 7th Victim" tie for first place, followed by "The Body Snatcher."
The Wolf man was cool with Lon Chaney jr. What Lon had to go through to became the Wolf Man was insane. But what Boris went through for the Frankenstein make up was shear torture as well. Jack Pierce didn't get the respect and credit he truly deserved.
I agree that "Son of Dracula" is underrated. It is very Noirish, with a femme fatale. (I also like the mask story best out of "Flesh and Fantasy.") I would put Hitchcock's "Rebecca" on my Forties horror movie list more than "Shadow of a Doubt." Two movies you didn't mention but would be on my list would be "Topper Returns," a very funny haunted house parody (with real ghosts), and "Hangover Square" with Laird Cregar as a serial killer. That is one intense, frightening film with a great score by Bernard Herrmann.
People don't cover as much of the classics as they should. As you said, "overlooked." I need to watch more of these, but I do own The Uninvited and I adore The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad. Really creepy animation! Otherwise, I've seen The Wolf Man (so long ago), Shadow of a Doubt, and Abbott & Costello Meets Frankenstein is hilarious! Thank you for the list, would love to see more. I'm feeling inspired to return to the classics! 📽🎥🎞🎬
See Bela still getting the short end of the stick. He had Ygor’s brain and BLIND. He isn’t overacting but his hands out straight stumbling around moving his lips because he was Blind. When previewing the film people laughed at Bela’s voice who didn’t see Ghost….They cut all his important scenes TALKING to Lon. Poor Bela…It really hurt his career….
Val Lewton's The Leopard Man and Isle of the Dead not making this list disappoints me. Cat people is criminally low. However, I'm glad to see I walked with a zombie which is my favorite Val Lewton movie make the list. Shadow of a Doubt is in my top three Hitchcock movies but is not a horror movie. Classifying Uncle Charlie as a serial killer is a little misleading. He doesn't do it for the thrill of it. He does it for the money for the money of elderly widows.
Great videos! I just found your channel and will delve further into your works. In the meantime, here's a countdown of my TOP 20 from that decade (I may have to re-visit it as you mentioned a handful I'd not considered, thanx!): 20 The Cat Creeps 19 The Return of the Vampire 18 The Picture of Dorian Gray 17 The Ghost Train 16 Spooks Run Wild 15 Spook Busters 14 Lucky Ghost 13 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 12 Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff 11 The Boogie Man Will Get You 10 You'll Find Out 9 The Ghost Breakers 8 The Invisible Man Returns 7 The Wolf Man 6 The Black Cat 5 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein 4 Arsenic and Old Lace 3 Dr. Cyclops 2 Dead of Night 1 King of the Zombies
@@cobwebschannelOh thank you! It's so great to learn of "new" old stuff! I really liked you synopsis of the decade as it's one that's often forgotten about in lieu of of those on either end. As a rule I lean heavily into comedy with my horror (I've got a "living" list of 700+ horror/comedy combos of every sort - lol?), so please don't expect any sort of cinematic masterpiece with "King of the Zombies", it just really strikes my funnybone and was the first contact I had with voodoo-style zombies, so there's nostalgia involved too... Watched a few more of your vids, all quality stuff and I'm adding more to my "To Watch List" Thanx!
Dead of Night takes me right back to my childhood and my Dad talking about the bus crashing. I tear up every time I see it. EDIT - I can no longer get scared of ventriloquist dummies after the first episode of a UK comedy show called Gimme Gimme Gimme. The lead female character says a line so filthy and hilarious, that I don't think I could write it on here hahahahaha but every time I see or hear about them I laugh.
