In the 1930s, Universal laid claim to the two biggest horror stars of the era, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and it was only a matter of time before the pair would meet on screen. In 1932, only months after each rocketed to stardom in Dracula and Frankenstein respectively, the two were dressed in tuxedoes and brought together for a genial photoshoot that simultaneously announced their partnership and implied a rivalry. Through a series of circumstances, it was another two years before the pair would star in a film together. As one might expect, it was in the most transgressive horror film of the era, 1934’s The Black Cat, a film that remains shocking not only for the early 1930s but even more surprising as a product overseen by the newly enforced Hays Code.
The Code had been established in 1927 as a self-censoring wing of the motion picture industry and an attempt to avoid government censorship.
The Code had been established in 1927 as a self-censoring wing of the motion picture industry and an attempt to avoid government censorship.
- 2/26/2024
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
Like most movies, The Invisible Man travelled a long and winding road to the silver screen, and perhaps longer and more winding than most. As biographer James Curtis put it in his book James Whale: A New World of Gods and Monsters, “The gestation of The Invisible Man was the lengthiest and most convoluted of all of James Whale’s films. It involved four directors, nine writers, six treatments, and ten separate screenplays—all for a film that emerged very much in harmony with the book on which it was based.” It was first suggested as a possible follow-up to Dracula (1931), perhaps as a vehicle for new star Bela Lugosi, but was dropped in favor of Frankenstein (1931) due to the complicated special effects it would require. After Frankenstein was an even bigger success, both director James Whale and star Boris Karloff were immediately attached to The Invisible Man and several...
- 12/21/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
When you think of actors like Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart, you think of their titanic starring roles that came at the peak of their powers. For Davis, it might well be something like the southern melodrama "Jezebel" or 1950's "All About Eve," the movie that revived her career by letting her embrace her age, her pettiness, and her acid tongue. For Bogart, it would be any of his many roles in film noir, a cinematic movement through the '40s and '50s of which he still registers as the face and the voice.
Digging through their respective careers, one can find early roles that show none of what would make the actors legendary. While technically impressive, these performances lack the vitality, electricity, and movie star charisma that both performers would come to master. And in the early '30s, with the industry in tumult and the Great Depression at its most suffocating,...
Digging through their respective careers, one can find early roles that show none of what would make the actors legendary. While technically impressive, these performances lack the vitality, electricity, and movie star charisma that both performers would come to master. And in the early '30s, with the industry in tumult and the Great Depression at its most suffocating,...
- 3/5/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
No film of the Hays Code era revels in its own perversity quite like Mad Love (1935). Mad science, body horror, insanity, obsession, executions, gaslighting, sadomasochism—it’s all here and presented with unparalleled excellence of craft. Though it may seem tame compared to pre-Code fare like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Freaks, and Island of Lost Souls (both 1932), it manages to just barely sneak its lurid subject matter by the censors under a layer of dark humor, exceptional cinematography, and a masterful performance by Peter Lorre in his first American film.
After Dracula proved to be a huge success for Universal, other Hollywood studios became eager to get in on the horror game, though many of these studios felt the genre was beneath them. Metro Goldwyn Mayer was considered the most prestigious of the golden-age studios, famous for its big budget musicals, epic spectaculars, and boasting “more stars than there are in the heavens.
After Dracula proved to be a huge success for Universal, other Hollywood studios became eager to get in on the horror game, though many of these studios felt the genre was beneath them. Metro Goldwyn Mayer was considered the most prestigious of the golden-age studios, famous for its big budget musicals, epic spectaculars, and boasting “more stars than there are in the heavens.
- 2/15/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
At the start of awards season, Edward Berger’s All Quiet On The Western Front was a lock for International, but few could have foreseen how much further it would go. Alongside that nomination, the German film is now also in the running for Best Picture, having made the shortlist for Sound, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, Visual Effects and Cinematography.
Related Story Oscar Nominations: The Complete List Of Nominees Related Story How To Watch The 2023 Oscar Nominations Related Story Ryan Coogler On Sundance & 'Fruitvale Station' A Decade Later & How 'Creed' May Be The Most Park City Franchise Ever
This grand haul follows its performance at the BAFTAs, where it gathered an astonishing 14 nominations in almost all major categories. As a result, the film joins Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2002) in second place to Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1981), which still holds the...
Related Story Oscar Nominations: The Complete List Of Nominees Related Story How To Watch The 2023 Oscar Nominations Related Story Ryan Coogler On Sundance & 'Fruitvale Station' A Decade Later & How 'Creed' May Be The Most Park City Franchise Ever
This grand haul follows its performance at the BAFTAs, where it gathered an astonishing 14 nominations in almost all major categories. As a result, the film joins Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2002) in second place to Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1981), which still holds the...
- 1/24/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
John M. Stahl’s superior melodrama is a focus point for the study of African-Americans in Hollywood. Businesswoman Claudette Colbert a housekeeper Louise Beavers raise their daughters together for a story that expresses the racial divide in simple terms. Determined to pass for white, Beavers’ daughter Fredi Washington rejects her mother outright. The tale of motherly sacrifice is in some ways more honest than later ‘social justice’ films about race, yet it sticks closely to Hollywood’s segregationist rules.
Imitation of Life
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1167
1934 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 110 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 10, 2023 / 39.95
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington, Rochelle Hudson, Ned Sparks, Juanita Quigley, Alan Hale, Henry Armetta, Hattie McDaniel, Paul Porcasi, Teru Shimada, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Jane Withers, Dorothy Black.
Cinematography: Merrit Gerstad
Costumes: Travis Banton
Art Director: Charles D. Hall
Film Editor: Philip Cahn, Maurice Wright
Original Music: Heinz Roemheld...
Imitation of Life
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1167
1934 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 110 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 10, 2023 / 39.95
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington, Rochelle Hudson, Ned Sparks, Juanita Quigley, Alan Hale, Henry Armetta, Hattie McDaniel, Paul Porcasi, Teru Shimada, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Jane Withers, Dorothy Black.
Cinematography: Merrit Gerstad
Costumes: Travis Banton
Art Director: Charles D. Hall
Film Editor: Philip Cahn, Maurice Wright
Original Music: Heinz Roemheld...
- 1/17/2023
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
When people picture Count Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster, they think of the classic versions played by Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Lugosi's suave, mysterious, and authentically European Dracula has informed all subsequent portrayals while Karloff's lumbering, green-skinned monster has eclipsed Mary Shelley's original description of the Creature in her novel.
The actors (and their respective characters) headlined many of Universal Pictures' classic horror monster movies. It all began in 1931, when Todd Browning's "Dracula" debuted in February and James Whale's "Frankenstein" followed in November. In another world, that year's fruits could've been all Lugosi's: Universal producer Carl Laemmle Jr. wanted to capitalize on the success of "Dracula" and have Lugosi play Frankenstein's Monster too. He thought Lugosi could be the "new Lon Chaney" — the "man of a thousand faces" — but the actor was reluctant to take up the offer.
"The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela...
The actors (and their respective characters) headlined many of Universal Pictures' classic horror monster movies. It all began in 1931, when Todd Browning's "Dracula" debuted in February and James Whale's "Frankenstein" followed in November. In another world, that year's fruits could've been all Lugosi's: Universal producer Carl Laemmle Jr. wanted to capitalize on the success of "Dracula" and have Lugosi play Frankenstein's Monster too. He thought Lugosi could be the "new Lon Chaney" — the "man of a thousand faces" — but the actor was reluctant to take up the offer.
"The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela...
- 1/8/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Bela Lugosi never sought to be a horror actor, but Hollywood in the 1930s wasn't kind. Lugosi began acting professionally at the age of 20, appearing in several traveling operetta productions in his native Hungary. After a stint in the army, Lugosi began a career in film acting in the 1910s under the stage name Arisztid Olt, one of the cooler stage names one might encounter, and most assuredly the name of a Goth band somewhere in the world. Lugosi eventually fled Hungary, acted in Germany for a spell, then wound up taking a ship to the United States where he would land the role of a lifetime, playing Count Dracula in a celebrated stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's famous novel.
While touring with "Dracula," he caught the attention of Universal talent scouts, and he was to be cast in Tod Browning's 1931 film adaptation of the play/novel (it's...
While touring with "Dracula," he caught the attention of Universal talent scouts, and he was to be cast in Tod Browning's 1931 film adaptation of the play/novel (it's...
- 1/7/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
The new All Quiet on the Western Front, Germany’s Oscar submission for best international feature film, is an adaptation of the 1929 World War I novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. That best-seller, based on Remarque’s experiences in the German Army, moved 3 million copies in 22 languages in its first two years in print and remains one of the great works about the trauma of war.
It and its 1930 sequel, The Road Back, were banned and burned in Nazi Germany. In the U.S., All Quiet on the Western Front was adapted for the screen in 1930, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. — son of Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle — and directed by Lewis Milestone, who the following year would helm the landmark media satire The Front Page. Made in the days of pre-Code Hollywood, before censorship guidelines were enforced, All Quiet...
The new All Quiet on the Western Front, Germany’s Oscar submission for best international feature film, is an adaptation of the 1929 World War I novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. That best-seller, based on Remarque’s experiences in the German Army, moved 3 million copies in 22 languages in its first two years in print and remains one of the great works about the trauma of war.
It and its 1930 sequel, The Road Back, were banned and burned in Nazi Germany. In the U.S., All Quiet on the Western Front was adapted for the screen in 1930, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. — son of Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle — and directed by Lewis Milestone, who the following year would helm the landmark media satire The Front Page. Made in the days of pre-Code Hollywood, before censorship guidelines were enforced, All Quiet...
- 12/12/2022
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Although Universal had struck on big hits with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1923 and "The Phantom of the Opera" in 1925, studio honcho Carl Laemmle, Sr. was no fan of the horror genre. It was his monster-obsessed son, Carl Laemmle, Jr., that encouraged the studio to adapt the then-popular stage production of "Dracula" to film. The movie, released in 1931 and directed by Tod Browning, was stagey and nightmarish, and it deeply burned itself into the collective unconscious. Bela Lugosi, as Dracula, taught the world how vampires behave.
"Dracula" was one of Universal's biggest hits, and Carl Jr. knew that multiple more monster projects could be instantly pushed into the pipeline. The 1930s saw the release of "Frankenstein," "Dracula's Daughter," "The Invisible Man," "Bride of Frankenstein," "The Black Cat," "The Invisible Ray," "Werewolf of London," "The Raven," and scads of others. Horror became the studio's niche.
The wave of popular horror films at Universal,...
"Dracula" was one of Universal's biggest hits, and Carl Jr. knew that multiple more monster projects could be instantly pushed into the pipeline. The 1930s saw the release of "Frankenstein," "Dracula's Daughter," "The Invisible Man," "Bride of Frankenstein," "The Black Cat," "The Invisible Ray," "Werewolf of London," "The Raven," and scads of others. Horror became the studio's niche.
The wave of popular horror films at Universal,...
- 11/11/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the glory days of Universal Pictures, the studio had two big things going for it at the box office: the Universal Monsters, and a comedy duo known as Abbott and Costello. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello met on the burlesque circuit — the story goes that one day, Costello's regular comedy partner got sick, allowing Abbott to step in and begin a long, prosperous partnership. Abbott, tall and thin, was the straight man; a surly, frowning bully who frequently had it up to here with his sidekick. Costello, short and stout, was the fool; the childlike clown who was prone to falling down and acting like a buffoon, all to Abbott's annoyance. The act worked like gangbusters, with the duo moving on to radio before landing a movie contract in 1940. By 1942, they were considered to be the top box office stars in the country.
As for the Universal Monsters, they...
As for the Universal Monsters, they...
- 10/11/2022
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Anxiety, Egos and a Big, Green Monster: An Interview With Author Julian David Stone as he Takes a Fictional Look at Carl Laemmle Jr.’s fight to bring Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to the Silver Screen It was a nerve-frayed 6-year-old who stayed awake on Friday nights with his dad to watch the local creature features show …
The post Interview: Author Julian David Stone appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Interview: Author Julian David Stone appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 6/6/2022
- by Kevin Nickelson
- Horror News
The grimacing Count, the inspired Dr. Frankenstein, the megalomanic Dr. Griffin and the unlucky Larry Talbot make the jump to 4K courtesy of Universal. We’ve seen what 4k Ultra-hd can do for new movies, and selected older features that can benefit from the quality boost if they’re remastered well. Uni monster fans are presently scrutinizing the web for expert opinions on this disc; CineSavant tries to explain what he sees as simply as possible: are the format versions different? Is the new one an improvement? We certainly have no doubts about the movies, which if anything look better than ever. Each Universal classic comes with acres of accumulated fine-quality extras.
Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection
4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray + Digital
Dracula, Drácula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
1931-1941 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 4 complete films / Street Date October 5, 2021 /
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler,...
Universal Classic Monsters Icons of Horror Collection
4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray + Digital
Dracula, Drácula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
1931-1941 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 4 complete films / Street Date October 5, 2021 /
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler,...
- 10/12/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This January, NBCUniversal is offering fans the chance to dive into some of Universal Pictures’ most gruesome classic films ever made on one of the world’s biggest horror YouTube channels, ‘Fear: The Home of Horror.’
Starting January 15th 2021 horror fans will have the opportunity to scare away the January blues and take a step back in time to watch an incredible array of classic re-mastered cult films for Free including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Wolf Man (1941), Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
Each film will premiere individually and be available to watch for seven days on the Fear: The Home of Horror YouTube channel. Additionally, during each film’s premiere week, fans will have the opportunity to add these films to their digital collection at a discounted price, allowing them to watch whenever they want, for as many times as they want!
Starting January 15th 2021 horror fans will have the opportunity to scare away the January blues and take a step back in time to watch an incredible array of classic re-mastered cult films for Free including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Wolf Man (1941), Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
Each film will premiere individually and be available to watch for seven days on the Fear: The Home of Horror YouTube channel. Additionally, during each film’s premiere week, fans will have the opportunity to add these films to their digital collection at a discounted price, allowing them to watch whenever they want, for as many times as they want!
- 1/6/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
“The brain you stole, Fritz. Think of it. The brain of a dead man waiting to live again in a body I made with my own hands!”
The Original Frankenstein (1931) screens Sunday Night October 11th at the Sky View Drive-in in Lichtfield, Il. (1500 Historic Old Route 66) This is part of the Sky View’s ‘Throwback Sundays’. The second Sunday of the month, they screen a classic movie. Admission is only $7 (free for kids under 5). The movie starts at 7pm. The Sky View’s site can be found Here.
The classic and definitive monster/horror film of all time, director James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) is the screen version of Mary Shelley’s Gothic 1818 nightmarish novel of the same name. The film was produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. for Universal Pictures, the same year that Dracula, another classic horror film, was produced within the same studio – both films helped to save the beleaguered Universal.
The Original Frankenstein (1931) screens Sunday Night October 11th at the Sky View Drive-in in Lichtfield, Il. (1500 Historic Old Route 66) This is part of the Sky View’s ‘Throwback Sundays’. The second Sunday of the month, they screen a classic movie. Admission is only $7 (free for kids under 5). The movie starts at 7pm. The Sky View’s site can be found Here.
The classic and definitive monster/horror film of all time, director James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) is the screen version of Mary Shelley’s Gothic 1818 nightmarish novel of the same name. The film was produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. for Universal Pictures, the same year that Dracula, another classic horror film, was produced within the same studio – both films helped to save the beleaguered Universal.
- 10/5/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Much like John Carpenter and Halloween II, director James Whale felt he’d explored every possible corner in 1931’s Frankenstein and had no more to say. The huge success of the film, however, meant Universal Pictures was eager to recapture that success with a sequel. Once Whale directed The Invisible Man, producer Carl Laemmle Jr. became wholly convinced only Whale […]...
- 4/20/2020
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
One of the best and most melodic of filmic transpositions from Broadway, James Whale’s beautifully directed movie showcases all-time great performances by Irene Dunne, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Hattie McDaniel, and Charles Winninger. If you didn’t grow up with an awareness of this 1936 show, it’s because it was tossed in a vault and kept from view for more than forty years. Criterion’s new disc is a wonderful surprise that does the movie justice.
Show Boat
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1021
1936 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 113 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 31, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Helen Westley, Queenie Smith, Sammy White, Donald Cook, Hattie McDaniel, Arthur Hohl, Charles B. Middleton, J. Farrell MacDonald, Clarence Muse, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson.
Cinematography: John J. Mescall
Original Music: Jerome Kern and Lyrics Oscar Hammerstein II
Written by Oscar Hammerstein II from the...
Show Boat
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1021
1936 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 113 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 31, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Helen Westley, Queenie Smith, Sammy White, Donald Cook, Hattie McDaniel, Arthur Hohl, Charles B. Middleton, J. Farrell MacDonald, Clarence Muse, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson.
Cinematography: John J. Mescall
Original Music: Jerome Kern and Lyrics Oscar Hammerstein II
Written by Oscar Hammerstein II from the...
- 3/21/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
One of the best and most melodic of filmic transpositions from Broadway, James Whale’s beautifully directed movie showcases all-time great performances by Irene Dunne, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Hattie McDaniel, and Charles Winninger. If you didn’t grow up with an awareness of this 1936 show, it’s because it was tossed in a vault and kept from view for more than forty years. Criterion’s new disc is a wonderful surprise that does the movie justice.
Show Boat
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1021
1936 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 113 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 31, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Helen Westley, Queenie Smith, Sammy White, Donald Cook, Hattie McDaniel, Arthur Hohl, Charles B. Middleton, J. Farrell MacDonald, Clarence Muse, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson.
Cinematography: John J. Mescall
Original Music: Jerome Kern and Lyrics Oscar Hammerstein II
Written by Oscar Hammerstein II from the...
Show Boat
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1021
1936 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 113 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 31, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Helen Westley, Queenie Smith, Sammy White, Donald Cook, Hattie McDaniel, Arthur Hohl, Charles B. Middleton, J. Farrell MacDonald, Clarence Muse, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson.
Cinematography: John J. Mescall
Original Music: Jerome Kern and Lyrics Oscar Hammerstein II
Written by Oscar Hammerstein II from the...
- 3/21/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Make room for a genuine rarity, come back from the cinema graveyard in excellent condition: a lavish color musical extravaganza from 1930 that’s been effectively Mia for generations. Universal undertook a daunting restoration of this ‘revue-‘ style spectacle, which includes a full presentation of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in its original orchestration.
King of Jazz
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 915
1930 / Color / 1:33 flat full frame / 98 105 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 27, 2018 / 39.95
Starring: Paul Whiteman, John Boles, Bing Crosby (unbilled),
Laura La Plante, Jeanette Loff, Glenn Tryon, Wiliam Kent, Slim Summerville, The Rhythm Boys, Kathryn Crawford, Beth Laemmle, Stanley Smith, Charles Irwin, George Chiles, Jack White, Frank Leslie, Walter Brennan, Churchill Ross, Johnson Arledge, Al Norman, Jacques Cartier, Paul Howard, Nell O’Day, The Tommy Atkins Sextette, Marion Stadler, Don Rose, The Russell Markert Girls.
Cinematography: Hal Mohr, Jerry Ash, Ray Rennahan
Film Editor: Maurice Pivar, Robert Carlisle...
King of Jazz
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 915
1930 / Color / 1:33 flat full frame / 98 105 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 27, 2018 / 39.95
Starring: Paul Whiteman, John Boles, Bing Crosby (unbilled),
Laura La Plante, Jeanette Loff, Glenn Tryon, Wiliam Kent, Slim Summerville, The Rhythm Boys, Kathryn Crawford, Beth Laemmle, Stanley Smith, Charles Irwin, George Chiles, Jack White, Frank Leslie, Walter Brennan, Churchill Ross, Johnson Arledge, Al Norman, Jacques Cartier, Paul Howard, Nell O’Day, The Tommy Atkins Sextette, Marion Stadler, Don Rose, The Russell Markert Girls.
Cinematography: Hal Mohr, Jerry Ash, Ray Rennahan
Film Editor: Maurice Pivar, Robert Carlisle...
- 3/10/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s a genuine Universal horror classic that to my knowledge has never been available in a decent presentation — but The Cohen Group has come through with a nigh-perfect Blu-ray, both image and sound. Karloff is creepy, Gloria Stuart lovely and Ernest Thesiger is at his most delightfully fruity. And the potato lobby should be pleased, too.
The Old Dark House (1932)
Blu-ray
The Cohen Group
1932 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 72 min. / Street Date October 24, 2017 / 25.99
Starring: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Lilian Bond, Ernest Thesiger, Rebecca Femm, Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, John (actually Elspeth) Dudgeon, Brember Wills.
Cinematography: Arthur Edeson
Film Editor: Clarence Kolster
Special Makeup: Jack Pierce
Written by Benn W. Levy, from the novel by J. B. Priestley
Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr.
Directed by James Whale
I suppose fans of horror films will forever hope that some pristine copy of the lost 1927 London After Midnight will someday appear.
The Old Dark House (1932)
Blu-ray
The Cohen Group
1932 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 72 min. / Street Date October 24, 2017 / 25.99
Starring: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Lilian Bond, Ernest Thesiger, Rebecca Femm, Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, John (actually Elspeth) Dudgeon, Brember Wills.
Cinematography: Arthur Edeson
Film Editor: Clarence Kolster
Special Makeup: Jack Pierce
Written by Benn W. Levy, from the novel by J. B. Priestley
Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr.
Directed by James Whale
I suppose fans of horror films will forever hope that some pristine copy of the lost 1927 London After Midnight will someday appear.
- 10/14/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
THR was certain Carl Laemmle Jr.'s Universal Pictures was going to have a hit with The Mummy. The film stars Boris Karloff, the then-44-year-old English actor who THR said "steals the picture. He is weird, terrifying."
While the newest version of The Mummy, out June 9, has an ancient avenging princess going up against Tom Cruise, Karloff played the Egyptian priest Imhotep returning to life. The reanimated 3,700-year-old mummy immediately goes looking for his love, Ankhesenamon, who he believes has been reincarnated as a Cairo woman named Helen. "My love has lasted longer than the temples of...
While the newest version of The Mummy, out June 9, has an ancient avenging princess going up against Tom Cruise, Karloff played the Egyptian priest Imhotep returning to life. The reanimated 3,700-year-old mummy immediately goes looking for his love, Ankhesenamon, who he believes has been reincarnated as a Cairo woman named Helen. "My love has lasted longer than the temples of...
- 6/8/2017
- by Bill Higgins
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By 1934 Boris Karloff was certainly no stranger to great movie entrances. In 1931, under the direction of James Whale, he seared his image, and that of the monstrous creation of Dr. Henry Frankenstein, into the collective consciousness by shuffling on screen and staring down his creator, and of course the terrified audience, embodying and fulfilling unspeakable nightmares. Frankenstein, an instant phenomenon, was one of 16 pictures Karloff made that were released in 1931.
And in the following year, 1932, in addition of Howard Hawks’ Scarface, Whale’s The Old Dark House and Charles Brabin’s The Mask of Fu Manchu, Karloff had another terrifying entrance in cinematographer-turned-director Karl Freund’s horror landmark The Mummy. As the title fiend, Imhotep, Karloff is first glimpsed in full bandage, sarcophagus laid open behind an unfortunate archaeologist who, engrossed in the parchments he’s discovered, doesn’t notice the mummy’s arm slide down from its bound position.
And in the following year, 1932, in addition of Howard Hawks’ Scarface, Whale’s The Old Dark House and Charles Brabin’s The Mask of Fu Manchu, Karloff had another terrifying entrance in cinematographer-turned-director Karl Freund’s horror landmark The Mummy. As the title fiend, Imhotep, Karloff is first glimpsed in full bandage, sarcophagus laid open behind an unfortunate archaeologist who, engrossed in the parchments he’s discovered, doesn’t notice the mummy’s arm slide down from its bound position.
- 3/27/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
Constance Cummings in 'Night After Night.' Constance Cummings: Working with Frank Capra and Mae West (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Actress Went from Harold Lloyd to Eugene O'Neill.”) Back at Columbia, Harry Cohn didn't do a very good job at making Constance Cummings feel important. By the end of 1932, Columbia and its sweet ingenue found themselves in court, fighting bitterly over stipulations in her contract. According to the actress and lawyer's daughter, Columbia had failed to notify her that they were picking up her option. Therefore, she was a free agent, able to offer her services wherever she pleased. Harry Cohn felt otherwise, claiming that his contract player had waived such a notice. The battle would spill over into 1933. On the positive side, in addition to Movie Crazy 1932 provided Cummings with three other notable Hollywood movies: Washington Merry-Go-Round, American Madness, and Night After Night. 'Washington Merry-Go-Round...
- 11/5/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
David Crow Oct 13, 2019
Long before the McU and the Dceu, Universal's Wolf Man helped create the original shared cinematic universe.
One only needs to peruse the headlines of the last few years to realize that Hollywood’s big budget franchises have graduated to the even bigger realm of “universes.” Marvel may have been the first to popularize it with the “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” but shared brand synergy is underway at nearly every studio at the moment. Warner Bros. has their own superhero stable, and Paramount is even trying to find a path toward unifying their Hasbro titles. But don't forget that it was Universal Pictures who were responsible for the first shared cinematic universe.
Over 80 years since it began, the Universal Monsters legacy continues to stretch into a new century, spreading celluloid immortality like a juicy Transylvanian kiss. The Universal Monsters did it first, and in many ways, their...
Long before the McU and the Dceu, Universal's Wolf Man helped create the original shared cinematic universe.
One only needs to peruse the headlines of the last few years to realize that Hollywood’s big budget franchises have graduated to the even bigger realm of “universes.” Marvel may have been the first to popularize it with the “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” but shared brand synergy is underway at nearly every studio at the moment. Warner Bros. has their own superhero stable, and Paramount is even trying to find a path toward unifying their Hasbro titles. But don't forget that it was Universal Pictures who were responsible for the first shared cinematic universe.
Over 80 years since it began, the Universal Monsters legacy continues to stretch into a new century, spreading celluloid immortality like a juicy Transylvanian kiss. The Universal Monsters did it first, and in many ways, their...
- 10/20/2014
- Den of Geek
“The brain you stole, Fritz. Think of it. The brain of a dead man waiting to live again in a body I made with my own hands!”
The classic and definitive monster/horror film of all time, director James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) is the screen version of Mary Shelley’s Gothic 1818 nightmarish novel of the same name (Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus). The film was produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. for Universal Pictures, the same year that Dracula, another classic horror film, was produced within the same studio – both films helped to save the beleaguered Universal. The film’s name was derived from the mad, obsessed scientist, Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive), who experimentally creates an artificial life – an Unnamed Monster (Boris Karloff), that ultimately terrorizes the Bavarian countryside after being mistreated by his maker’s assistant Fritz and society as a whole.
Seventy-two years after its release, Frankenstein still leaves an impact.
The classic and definitive monster/horror film of all time, director James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) is the screen version of Mary Shelley’s Gothic 1818 nightmarish novel of the same name (Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus). The film was produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. for Universal Pictures, the same year that Dracula, another classic horror film, was produced within the same studio – both films helped to save the beleaguered Universal. The film’s name was derived from the mad, obsessed scientist, Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive), who experimentally creates an artificial life – an Unnamed Monster (Boris Karloff), that ultimately terrorizes the Bavarian countryside after being mistreated by his maker’s assistant Fritz and society as a whole.
Seventy-two years after its release, Frankenstein still leaves an impact.
- 1/23/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It takes some bravado to call something “The Essential Collection,” but Universal, over the course of its 100-year history, has basically written the rule book on monster movies, so a bringing together of their classic monsters under one Blu-ray box should be given a bit of slack. Not that it needs the slack, as the set is filled to the brim with good stuff for horror fans. Between the years of 1931 and 1954, Universal Studios produced some of the most iconic and influential horror films in the history of cinema, based on some of the most influential spooky stories in history. It began with Carl Laemmle Jr., the son of Universal founder Carl Laemmle, whose passion for literature and enthusiasm for seeing these great stories brought to life yielded two box office hits in 1931 with Dracula and Frankenstein. Even years after Laemmle had lost control of the studio, the legacy he forged lived on. These...
- 10/13/2012
- by Neil Miller
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
In celebration of the October 2nd Blu-ray release of the Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, veteran horror historian Scott Essman has prepared a truly monstrous trip back through time for you classic horror fans!
It’s a quiet dusty morning in the summer of 1916 and all but a small eastern region of the San Fernando Valley is largely undeveloped, to say nothing of unpopulated. For the past year, inside of an unassuming front gate just over the hill from Los Angeles proper, two men are trying to forge their path in the fledgling motion picture business: Lon Chaney and Jack Pierce. Nascent actors Chaney, 33, and Pierce, 27, were completely unknown, but each had an angle; they could both work magic out of a simple makeup case, fully transforming their faces and even parts of their bodies to put themselves into a better position to be cast in a role.
It’s a quiet dusty morning in the summer of 1916 and all but a small eastern region of the San Fernando Valley is largely undeveloped, to say nothing of unpopulated. For the past year, inside of an unassuming front gate just over the hill from Los Angeles proper, two men are trying to forge their path in the fledgling motion picture business: Lon Chaney and Jack Pierce. Nascent actors Chaney, 33, and Pierce, 27, were completely unknown, but each had an angle; they could both work magic out of a simple makeup case, fully transforming their faces and even parts of their bodies to put themselves into a better position to be cast in a role.
- 9/25/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Today marks the 100th birthday of Universal Pictures and to celebrate the studio has released a list of 100 facts based on its first 100 years in existence. I have placed in bold some of the ones I found interesting as well as offered a selection of photo and video accompaniments here and there. 1. Universal Film Manufacturing Company was officially incorporated in New York on April 30, 1912. Company legend says Carl Laemmle was inspired to name his company Universal after seeing "Universal Pipe Fittings" written on a passing delivery wagon. 2. The only physical damage made during the filming of National Lampoon's Animal House was when John Belushi made a hole in the wall with a guitar. The actual Sigma Nu fraternity house (which subbed for the fictitious Delta House) never repaired it, and instead framed the hole in honor of the film. 3. The working title for Et: The Extra Terrestrial was "A Boy's Life.
- 4/30/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Over the last few weeks, we've been going "Back to Basics" by looking at the horror films produced by Universal Studios. After my previous post, I realized that before we dive into anymore of the horrors created for us by Universal, I really should set the stage and provide a little background information on the studio itself. We'll be looking at James Whale's 1935 masterwork, Bride of Frankenstein, next. But, until then, let's go back and take a look at where it all began.
Before there was Universal Studios, there was Carl Laemmle. Laemmle was born in 1867 and emigrated with his family from Germany to the United States in 1884. Soon after he arrived, Laemmle became entranced with a wondrous new technology and art form: moving pictures. At that time, nickelodeons were all the rage, and Laemmle was so mesmerized by motion pictures that he soon left behind his bookkeeping career...
Before there was Universal Studios, there was Carl Laemmle. Laemmle was born in 1867 and emigrated with his family from Germany to the United States in 1884. Soon after he arrived, Laemmle became entranced with a wondrous new technology and art form: moving pictures. At that time, nickelodeons were all the rage, and Laemmle was so mesmerized by motion pictures that he soon left behind his bookkeeping career...
- 11/17/2010
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
By 1933, Universal Studios had become a veritable fear factory, thanks to the efforts of production head Carl Laemmle Jr. After the amazing profits earned from Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy, he was eager to find Universal's next horror property, and fast.
Carl Junior had been trying to get a Frankenstein sequel off the ground, but director James Whale, who had been so instrumental to the original film's success, had been resistant to the idea. Whale was a true artist who did not like to repeat himself, so the idea of a sequel was distasteful at best, even if it was guaranteed to be a hit.
In an effort to mollify Carl Junior and satisfy his desire for something in the realm of the fantastic, Whale expressed interest in filming The Invisible Man, based on H. G. Wells' 1897 sci-fi novella. It presented some special challenges and was just different enough from...
Carl Junior had been trying to get a Frankenstein sequel off the ground, but director James Whale, who had been so instrumental to the original film's success, had been resistant to the idea. Whale was a true artist who did not like to repeat himself, so the idea of a sequel was distasteful at best, even if it was guaranteed to be a hit.
In an effort to mollify Carl Junior and satisfy his desire for something in the realm of the fantastic, Whale expressed interest in filming The Invisible Man, based on H. G. Wells' 1897 sci-fi novella. It presented some special challenges and was just different enough from...
- 11/9/2010
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
For the last week or so, FanGirlTastic has been going "Back to Basics," examining movies from horror's past to discern what relevance they have in the present. So far, we've looked at Dracula and Frankenstein, the first two major films from the golden age of Universal Studios.
These movies not only helped form the foundation of modern horror, they also feature two of the most enduring horror icons. Coincidentally, both of these flicks are also based on novels that are classics of the genre. That The Mummy managed to join Dracula and Frankenstein in that vaunted horror hierarchy is something of a mystery, because The Mummy is easily the weakest film of this diabolical trinity of terror.
When all the sand has cleared, I suppose the staying power of The Mummy is most likely explained by the haunting dual performance of Boris Karloff, who plays Imhotep, a lovelorn ancient Egyptian...
These movies not only helped form the foundation of modern horror, they also feature two of the most enduring horror icons. Coincidentally, both of these flicks are also based on novels that are classics of the genre. That The Mummy managed to join Dracula and Frankenstein in that vaunted horror hierarchy is something of a mystery, because The Mummy is easily the weakest film of this diabolical trinity of terror.
When all the sand has cleared, I suppose the staying power of The Mummy is most likely explained by the haunting dual performance of Boris Karloff, who plays Imhotep, a lovelorn ancient Egyptian...
- 11/2/2010
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
When Universal Studios released Dracula in February 1931, all involved were a bit nervous.
The studio's adaptation of Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston's play, loosely based on Bram Stoker's novel, was a gamble. Was the public ready for a horror movie - and one with sound, no less - intimating that Evil was alive and well in their world? Would people pay to have the moral order of the universe upended as an evening's entertainment? You bet they would!
Just a few months after Dracula killed at the box office, Universal's head of production, Carl Laemmle Jr., convinced his dad, studio head Carl Laemmle, to begin production on another horror flick. The property they chose to film was another play based on a classic of horror literature. Peggy Webling's Frankenstein, a stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, was first produced in 1927 and...
The studio's adaptation of Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston's play, loosely based on Bram Stoker's novel, was a gamble. Was the public ready for a horror movie - and one with sound, no less - intimating that Evil was alive and well in their world? Would people pay to have the moral order of the universe upended as an evening's entertainment? You bet they would!
Just a few months after Dracula killed at the box office, Universal's head of production, Carl Laemmle Jr., convinced his dad, studio head Carl Laemmle, to begin production on another horror flick. The property they chose to film was another play based on a classic of horror literature. Peggy Webling's Frankenstein, a stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, was first produced in 1927 and...
- 10/25/2010
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
Although Dracula first came to life, if you'll excuse the phrase, in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, it was through the 1931 Universal Studios film that he truly gained immortality. When watched now, it's slightly difficult to see what it is that caused Dracula to become arguably one of the most important movies in history. It's all a bit soapy and stagy - but with good reason. While the film was inspired by a classic piece of horror literature, it was actually based on a play.
Count Dracula has had a somewhat troubled history on film. He first appeared onscreen in 1922, but he went by the name Count Orlock. German director F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was an unauthorized adaptation of Stoker's book that eventually was pulled from distribution due to legal action from Stoker's estate. But when Universal production head Carl Laemmle Jr. decided to film the story,...
Count Dracula has had a somewhat troubled history on film. He first appeared onscreen in 1922, but he went by the name Count Orlock. German director F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was an unauthorized adaptation of Stoker's book that eventually was pulled from distribution due to legal action from Stoker's estate. But when Universal production head Carl Laemmle Jr. decided to film the story,...
- 10/15/2010
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
It was a fire that destroyed not only iconic sets but thousands of film reels. Caused by a blow torch left on during a lunch break, the fire that engulfed the Universal Studios lot back in 2008 was fought by over 300 firemen at one point.
Now after almost two years parts of the legendary and historic film studio have been rebuilt and unveiled in a ceremony late last week attended by such industry figures as Arnie the Governator and Steven Spielberg. The new four acre plot features 13 city blocks and will be ready to use for filming and tours.
Director Steven Spielberg witnessed the fire not long after it started and describing its ferocity :
“The flames were hundreds of feet into the air and everything was coming down quickly.”
Universal have built sections of such iconic New York places as Wall Street, Central Park, Broadway and even went international and knocked up some Parisian boulevards.
Now after almost two years parts of the legendary and historic film studio have been rebuilt and unveiled in a ceremony late last week attended by such industry figures as Arnie the Governator and Steven Spielberg. The new four acre plot features 13 city blocks and will be ready to use for filming and tours.
Director Steven Spielberg witnessed the fire not long after it started and describing its ferocity :
“The flames were hundreds of feet into the air and everything was coming down quickly.”
Universal have built sections of such iconic New York places as Wall Street, Central Park, Broadway and even went international and knocked up some Parisian boulevards.
- 5/31/2010
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
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