Classic Films/Old Movies Halloween Treats 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
Mostly not your top-of-the-charts horror flicks, but fun nonetheless.
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- DirectorHenry LevinStarsKaren MorleyJim BannonJeff DonnellThe daughter of a strange famiy has returned after a long time to the family estate. She has two investigators checking out the eerie goings-on on the estate's spooky mansion.The last of three "I Love A Mystery" film versions of the radio show. "The Unknown" is very entertaining, and tweaks the dark old house scenario with originality and flair. Not a classic, but just a different approach that involves interesting plotting matched by fine performances led by Karen Morley, who is not "all there" after an incident that occurs early on in the film. While there are no evil spirits as such, there's just enough creepiness to satisfy your Halloween needs. If you want to watch the films in order, the first one, which is actually called "I Love A Mystery," is at https://youtu.be/8PNI6IjsHws. I haven't watched it yet, but fans of the three films seem to like it best.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsDana AndrewsPeggy CumminsNiall MacGinnisAmerican professor John Holden arrives in London for a parapsychology conference, only to find himself investigating the mysterious actions of Devil-worshipper Julian Karswell.Excellent way to kick off the Halloween (it's even mentioned twice in the movie) season! This is a crackerjack horror classic with tons of style due to the great direction of Jacques Tourneur (Cat People, 1942). If you never believed in demons before, you will now! Or not, perhaps, but it's a fun ride in any case. Happy (early) Halloween!
- DirectorStuart WalkerStarsHenry HullWarner OlandValerie HobsonAfter botanist Wilfred Glendon travels to Tibet in search of a rare flower, the Mariphasa, he returns to a London haunted by murders that can only be the work of bloodthirsty werewolves.Universal's first attempt at a werewolf movie falls flat, despite the presence of the always enjoyable Warner Oland and Valerie Hobson. Alas, they are both wasted in this soap opera disguised as a monster movie. If you want to tick off the werewolf box without rewatching the The Wolf Man (1941), go for it, but don't expect too much.
- DirectorRoy William NeillStarsBoris KarloffMarian MarshRobert AllenIgnoring an ancient prophecy, evil brother Gregor seeks to maintain his feudal power on his his Tyrolean estate by murdering and impersonating his benevolent younger twin.I'm not sure you can call this a horror movie in the purest sense; it's more a thriller with no supernatural elements. Karloff is superb in a dual role. In fact, he's almost too good as the relentlessly evil twin brother. He helps create a (perhaps apt) dark atmosphere that is unpleasant and makes the film a bleak experience. However, the surprising cast member that "saves the day" is so unexpected that I added a star for creativity. Worth watching to see Karloff at his best, but be aware that it's a dreary journey.
- DirectorSidney HayersStarsPeter WyngardeJanet BlairMargaret JohnstonA woman who may be a witch defends her husband from forces attempting to harm him.45 minutes of great set-up, which is then mostly abandoned for typical early sixties supernatural goings-on. It doesn't always make sense, but at least the story is true to its title.
- DirectorEdgar G. UlmerStarsBoris KarloffBela LugosiDavid MannersAmerican honeymooners in Hungary become trapped in the home of a Satan-worshipping priest when the bride is taken there for medical help following a road accident."Even the phone is dead!" PROS: Great sets and atmosphere, a certain level of creepiness, and the first pairing of Karloff and Lugosi. CONS: Goofy script, campy feel, and the feeling that this would have been awesome if I'd only seen it when I was twelve years old. "It's the red switch."
- DirectorLew LandersStarsBoris KarloffBela LugosiLester MatthewsA brilliant surgeon with a morbid obsession for instruments of torture grows dangerously obsessed with a young socialite whose life he's saved.Tremendous fun, perfect for Halloween night. A different kind of pairing of Lugosi and Karloff, with Bela getting most of the attention. There's a special treat in store for Boris' character, but no spoilers here. Maybe not stylish like "The Black Cat" of 1934, but it's a great tale and includes the coolest elevator ever. The melding of Poe's "The Raven" with a mad scientist story works well and should delight his fans, provided they don't expect a literal portrayal of the work.
- DirectorJohn Llewellyn MoxeyStarsPatricia JesselDennis LotisChristopher LeeA young college student arrives in a sleepy Massachusetts town to research witchcraft; during her stay at an eerie inn, she discovers a startling secret about the town and its inhabitants.Most likely scared kids out of their wits in the early sixties. In retrospect, pretty conventional: Christopher Lee, witchcraft, fog, human sacrifices. Has nice atmosphere and a bit of a silly ending.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsDennis O'KeefeMargoJean BrooksA seemingly-tame leopard used for a publicity stunt escapes and kills a young girl, spreading panic throughout a sleepy New Mexico town.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsJulie HarrisClaire BloomRichard JohnsonHill House has stood for about 90 years and appears haunted: its inhabitants have always met strange, tragic ends. Now Dr. John Markway has assembled a team of people who he thinks will prove whether or not the house is haunted.This classic is mostly faithful to the book with some exceptions. It is a fine haunted house flick with psychological elements.
- DirectorRenato PolselliStarsHélène RémyTina GlorianiWalter BrandiA troupe of beautiful young dancers find themselves stranded in a sinister, spooky old castle, not knowing that it is home to a group of vampires.Watched at YouTube with English subtitles but not easy to find there as it isn't listed by its title. It's very Italian with lots of classic Italian beauties playing ballerinas plus typical vampire lore and damsels in distress. Recommended.
- DirectorGilberto Martínez SolaresStarsGermán ValdésYolanda VarelaLon Chaney Jr.Casimiro, night watchman at a wax museum of horrors, is even more sleepy than his usual laziness makes him - because his boss, the Professor, is secretly draining blood from him while he dozes to use in experiments in raising the dead. These haven't worked so far, and the bodies have been waxened and placed on display in the museum to cover his crimes. His big chance seems to come, however, when he learns that the mummified body of a modern man has been found in an Egyptian sarcophagus. The professor and his two henchmen steal the body and take it back to his lab - where the experiment flops again. Or it seems to. While the villains are out of the lab, and Casimiro sleeps on duty, a bolt of lightning gives the electrical boost which the Professor's machinery has needed, and the body comes back to life. Then the clouds part, the full moon shines through, and the resurrected one becomes a were- wolf. When Casimiro sees it wandering the museum, no one will believe him, not even Paquita, his girlfriend. But the professor finds his subject alive and soon witnesses a transformation. Eventually, the creature escapes him and makes off into the night, terrorizing the city and ending up at Paquita's apartment...Ok, so not great, but it was fun to watch on Halloween night. This is a typical B-Movie horror flick except it's from Mexico and has English subtitles at YouTube.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsBoris KarloffElsa LanchesterColin CliveMary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Baron Henry Frankenstein, goaded by an even madder scientist, builds his monster a mate.The title is a bit of a misnomer; they should have stuck with the early idea to name it "The Return of Frankenstein." I don't think the film deserves its reputation as it plays more of a parody of the first movie. It looks great, alright, but nearly everyone in the cast is directed as crazed or hysterical. There is one great scene in which a blind violinist befriends the Monster which made me think that I'd rather hang with Frankenstein's creation, smoke and drink wine with him, and perhaps discuss Nietzsche, than with anyone else in the cast.
- DirectorThorold DickinsonStarsAnton WalbrookEdith EvansYvonne MitchellAn army officer becomes obsessed with learning the secret to a card game for which an elderly countess sold her soul years earlier.Sometimes a short story is a short story for a reason. This movie was adapted from one, but there's about 40m of non-supernatural melodrama in the middle. Considered a classic by many, and beautifully shot, you must have patience and be satisfied to enjoy the beginning and the end. I did, but I still found myself watching the clock. The ending was indeed pretty fantastic, but there was just not enough plot for the film's 95 minute length.
- DirectorErle C. KentonStarsBud AbbottLou CostelloPatric KnowlesTwo dumb soda jerks dream of writing radio mysteries. When they try to pitch an idea at a radio station, they end up in the middle of a real murder after the station owner is killed during a broadcast.Very funny, with great puns and one-liners, plus Lou's physical comedy. And so it begins...A&C for Halloween. Next up: Hold That Ghost.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsSimone SimonTom ConwayKent SmithAn American man marries a Serbian immigrant who fears that she will turn into the cat person of her homeland's fables if they are intimate together.Expertly directed thriller is more noir than horror in its way. Ironically, "Cat People" is probably not a good choice for cat people or other animal lovers, as they don't fare well in the film. It seems a bit overrated to me; it's a matter of style over substance, although it certainly has plenty of the former. Sadly, it portrays cats, particularly black ones, as evil, which, as you may know, leads to the killing of them, especially around Halloween. So a point off for that. I must say that it certainly was absorbing as my ADD didn't kick in until the movie was almost over.
- DirectorsGunther von FritschRobert WiseStarsSimone SimonKent SmithJane RandolphA young, lonely girl lives in a dreamworld with her father's dead first wife as a playmate.Sure to be a disappointment for fans of the original "Cat People" film, as it is about something that can be equally fraught with peril...childhood!! This is a psychological ghost story/thriller that revisits the original movie's characters in a different light. The child in this movie shares a troubled childhood with Irena, but not one of legend. It's more about the reality of being the kid that is lonely and rejected by his or her peers. Perhaps it is a movie that only introverts can appreciate. I found it well done and poignant. However, if you're looking for an old fashioned horror movie, this is not it.
- DirectorRowland V. LeeStarsBoris KarloffBasil RathboneBela LugosiReturning to the ancestral castle long after the death of the monster, the son of Dr. Frankenstein meets a mad shepherd who is hiding the comatose creature. To clear the family name, he revives the creature and tries to rehabilitate him.The Monster meets Sherlock! Ok, so it's not perfect, but there's a lot to like in the last of the Universal/Karloff Frankenstein movies. Rathbone is refreshing as the increasingly unhinged Dr. F., who is always up for a good game of darts. Lugosi is excellent playing an different sort of character for him, and one could argue that he steals the picture. The lighting and set design are lovely, and the story is solid for the most part. Oh, and those damn villagers, don't they ever sleep?!! // The trivia at here at IMDB is worth checking out at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031951/trivia?ref_=ttqu_ql_1
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingMartita HuntYvonne MonlaurVampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing returns to Transylvania to destroy handsome bloodsucker Baron Meinster, who has designs on a beautiful young schoolteacher.This is the first Hammer House of Horror movie I've watched since I was a kid, I think. Nicely filmed and Peter Cushing is great as usual. One can almost miss the presence of Christopher Lee if it weren't for the last third of the movie. Two of our major characters make major mistakes (a horror movie trope, I know, but this is HHoH, not Halloween 2) that compromise the ending. This is a hallmark of either lazy directing or writing, and it spoiled it a bit for me. Still, I'm looking forward to more Hammer House fun.
- DirectorCharles BartonStarsBud AbbottLou CostelloBoris KarloffTwo employees of a secluded hotel investigate a murder on the premises in which the goofy bellboy is the prime suspect.
- DirectorEdward F. ClineStarsOle OlsenChic JohnsonGloria JeanTwo zanies get mixed up with a Southern colonel, his beautiful daughters, a nightclub and a haunted mansion.
- DirectorLewis AllenStarsRay MillandRuth HusseyDonald CrispA composer and his sister discover that the reason they are able to purchase a beautiful gothic seacoast mansion very cheaply is the house's unsavory past.
- DirectorNick GrindeStarsBoris KarloffEvelyn KeyesBruce BennettA physician on death row for a mercy killing is allowed to experiment on a serum using a criminals' blood, but secretly tests it on himself. He gets a pardon, but finds out he's become a Jekyll-&-Hyde.
- DirectorsAlberto CavalcantiCharles CrichtonBasil DeardenStarsMervyn JohnsMichael RedgraveRoland CulverGuests at an English estate recall nightmares.
- DirectorArthur LubinStarsBoris KarloffBela LugosiStanley RidgesDr. Sovac transplants the brain of a gangster into his professor friend's body to save his life, but there is a side effect that causes a dangerous split personality.
