We're back at RKO to dig up THE BODY SNATCHER (1945) from Val Lewton and director Robert Wise! Boris Karloff, Henry Daniell and Russell Wade star in this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic short story. Oh hey Bela Lugosi is here too! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 27:56; Discussion 41:04; Ranking 1:06:04
Wheel of cryptids turn turn turn, name the film that we'll discern... It's THE VAMPIRE'S GHOST (1945) from director Lesley Selander, writer Leigh Brackett, and starring John Abbott, Charles Gordon, Peggy Stewart and Grant Withers. We follow the standard vampire and Dracula formula, this time in the Belgian Congo! But how does this film from Republic Pictures stack up against our other Dracula rip-offs? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 19:02; Discussion 41:06; Ranking 55:40
From MGM comes THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945, Lewin), plus proof that your time in university literature courses doesn't have to go to waste! This Aesthetic, Gothic and classy horror stars Hurd Hatfield, George Sanders, Angela Lansbury and Donna Reed. We give an overview of Oscar Wilde, his 1890 novel, the Aestheticism literary movement, public versus private horror, and so! much! more! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 1:00:23; Discussion 1:23:31; Ranking 1:56:48.
Is it horror? Is it film noir? It's THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET (1945, Murphy) starring Nils Asther and Helen Walker! With a powerful score from Miklós Rózsa and a plot from Barré Lyndon, this certainly is A Film To Watch! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 18:31; Discussion 30:29; Ranking 43:21
Kharis the Mummy returns in THE MUMMY'S CURSE (1944, Goodwins) with Lon Chaney Jr, Virginia Christine, and Dennis Moore. Plus a secret cure to mummification: rest and rehydration! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 21:16; Discussion 34:02; Ranking 46:09
Five monsters for the price of one! It's our first Monster Rally picture, with Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, Dracula, a Hunchback and Mad Scientist in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944, Kenton). Screams, thrills, and tropes galore await you... Joining director Erle C Kenton are Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr, J Carrol Naish, John Carradine, Glenn Strange, Elena Verdugo, Anne Gwynne, Lionel Atwill, George Zucco, and many more! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 45:48; Discussion 1:09:04; Ranking 1:30...
What do you do with a sequel-not-sequel? What happens when your deadicated hosts disagree on what makes a horror film? Take a listen to THE CLIMAX (1944) from director George Waggner & starring Boris Karloff in full technicolor! Susanna Foster, Turhan Bey, and Gale Sondergaard also star in this musical melodramatic....horror? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 25:52; Discussion 39:10; Ranking 1:03:23
Columbia Pictures' second supernatural double horror film THE SOUL OF A MONSTER (1944) comes at you like a bat out of hell in this week's episode! From director/composer Will Jason and starring Rose Hobart, George Macready, Jeanne Bates, Jim Bannon and Erik Rolf. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 10:03; Discussion 32:15; Ranking 52:31
The first in a Columbia Pictures double feature, CRY OF THE WEREWOLF (1944, Levin) howls into your ears in this week's Scream Scene! Starring Nina Foch, Osa Massen and Stephen Crane, this film features our first female werewolf. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 25:14; Discussion 29:42; Ranking 1:03:06
Is it the best Universal Mummy movie? Or the worst? Your deadicated hosts face off over THE MUMMY'S GHOST (1944, le Borg) starring Lon Chaney Jr, John Carradine, Robert Lowery and Ramsay Ames. With a darker ending than other Universal horror flicks, director Reginald le Borg and producer Ben Pivar deliver a somewhat overbaked entry into the Kharis mummy series. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 24:24; Discussion 39:32; Ranking 51:23
Your deadicated hosts have arrived at the final film in Lugosi's infamous Monogram Nine: RETURN OF THE APE MAN (1944, Rosen)! Starring Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, George Zucco (sort of) and Frank Moran. Despite tropes of mad scientists and ape men, this poverty row flick doesn't quite fit the mold. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 19:43; Discussion 36:43; Ranking 51:59
The Invisible Man franchise gets a reboot with this 1944 sci-fi horror film THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE (dir Ford Beebe)! With John Carradine as the mad scientist and Jon Hall as the vengeful invisible man, hear our thoughts on the fifth film in Universal's Invisible series. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 24:25; Discussion 34:06; Ranking 52:49
Acquanetta returns to stalk your ears in 1944's JUNGLE WOMAN from Universal Pictures and director Reginald Le Borg! With J Carrol Naish starring, let's power through this oddly structured, poorly acted horror flick. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 23:31; Discussion 43:39; Ranking 54:31
From Republic Pictures comes THE LADY AND THE MONSTER, an adaptation of Curt Siodmak's novel DONOVAN'S BRAIN that has neither a lady nor a monster... But they had to find some way to get stars Vera Ralston and Erich von Stroheim in the picture! The final product is a patchwork of convoluted plots, tropes, and under-developed characters. But how does it rank against more cohesive horror films? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 23:08; Discussion 33:53; Ranking 1:03:31
From poverty row's lowest rung of studios PRC comes THE MONSTER MAKER (Newfield 1944). J Carrol Naish stars in a role clearly meant for Bela Lugosi, with co-stars Ralph Morgan, Tala Birell, Glenn Strange and Ace the Wonder Dog! (Spoiler alert: The dog does NOT die. Phew!) Plus a surprise appearance of Ray Corrigan in his ape suit! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 10:22; Discussion 22:34; Ranking 44:52
The question of "is this supernatural?" has never been more textual in Val Lewton's horror movies than in 1944's THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE from directors Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise. But where on the genre spectrum of children's fantasy to horror does this film lie? Starring Ann Carter, Simone Simon, Kent Smith and Jane Randolph, with horror classic Elizabeth Russell, RKO regular Sir Lancelot, and fallen star Julia Dean. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 25:37; Discussion 35:34; Ranking ...
Three horror stars in one picture! Your deadicated hosts review VOODOO MAN (1944) from William "One-Shot" Beaudine, starring Bela Lugosi, George Zucco, and John Carradine. Thrills, chills and meta jokes fill this Monogram picture to the brim. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 15:48; Discussion 25:41; Ranking 41:38
We travel back to 1937 Shanghai for China's first entry into the horror genre: Yèbàn gēshēng aka Song at Midnight from director Ma-Xu Weibang. It's a loose but very interesting adaptation of Phantom of the Opera starring Jin Shan, Hu Ping and Shi Chao; a film with a Universal horror aesthetic in a Chinese cultural context! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 34:27; Discussion 49:15; Ranking 1:03:11
After receiving an appeal of our ranking of 1933's THE GHOUL, we reconsider the film's place on our list. Will Karloff's return to Britain keep its position? Listen to find out! Listen to the original episode on THE GHOUL here: https://soundcloud.com/screamscenepodcast/rated-h-for-horror
Dear listener, you are cordially invited to Scream Scene's review of 1944's THE UNINVITED from studio Paramount Pictures and director Lewis Allen! The first US film to portray legitimate ghosts, spooks and scares await you, along with film stars Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp, Gail Russell. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 33:11; Discussion 48:03; Ranking 1:17:55
No rest for the wicked or for Val Lewton as we watch 1943's THE GHOST SHIP from director Mark Robson. How does Lewton balance good story with RKO's demands? Easy, he relies on the fantastic acting of Richard Dix and supporting cast Russell Wade, Edith Barrett and Skelton Knaggs. Context Setting 00:00; Synopsis 17:56; Discussion 35:37; Ranking 57:41
A hidden gem? Or a film better lost to time? This week your deadicated hosts watch THE MAD GHOUL (1943, Hogan) starring George Zucco, David Bruce, Robert Armstrong, Evelyn Ankers, and Turhan Bey. Context Setting 00:00; Synopsis 8:36; Discussion 27:56; Ranking 39:08
Think Dracula got his comeuppance in 1931? Think again -- he's strikes again in Columbia's THE RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (1943) from director Lew Landers. Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort and Matt Willis star in this tale of vampires stalking London in WW2! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 12:02; Discussion 34:22; Ranking 54:18
Chaney! Ankers! Siodmak! The third instalment of Universal's Dracula trilogy arrives with SON OF DRACULA (1943) from Robert Siodmak! It's spooky and foggy, and how could it go wrong with a moustachioed vampire? It's not the *best* vampire flick, but it's a diamond in the Southern Gothic rough. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 28:53; Discussion 44:03; Ranking 1:16:37
We encounter Val Lewton's fourth horror flick from RKO and first with new director Mark Robson: it's THE SEVENTH VICTIM (1943) starring Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Kim Hunter, and Hugh Beaumont! Devil worshippers, suicide, and lesbian undertones are all awaiting you in this week's episode... Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 28:33; Discussion 49:57; Ranking 1:28:55
Your brave hosts face the music of the night in the 1943 adaptation of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA starring Claude Rains, Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster, and Edgar Barrier. We loved the first Phantom, and we love Claude Rains, so what could go wrong? The film won Academy Awards for Art Direction and Cinematography, so director Arthur Lubin delivers a delightfully pleasant musical! But... is it horror? Listen for more! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 42:40; Discussion 55:49; Ranking 1:17:48
Cashing in on CAT PEOPLE is Universal's CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN (1943) from director Edward Dmytryk. The film introduces horror-mainstay John Carradine and the... unique Hollywood actress Acquanetta also known as the "Venezuelan Volcano". Strap in friends cuz we're going to the circus in this one! Universal brings together apes, lions, tigers, hormone glands, and more. Oof! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 15:54; Discussion 37:38; Ranking 49:35
The first realistic portrayal of a serial killer in horror comes from the Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur team in THE LEOPARD MAN (1943)! Featuring discussion of Cornell Woolrich, Jean Brooks, racism and colonialism, and of course the patriarchy, your deadicated hosts dive in and try to decipher just what this film is about. Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 32:44; Discussion 47:04; Ranking 1:27:49
Your deadicated hosts go for a stroll with Val Lewton's second feature, I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) from director Jacques Tourneur. Featuring Haitian voodoo, incredible sound design, inspiration from Jane Eyre and more, we dive deep into our 100th ranked horror film on the list! Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 34:36; Discussion 44:46; Ranking 1:29:22
Beware LA MAIN DU DIABLE (1943, Tourneur)! The devil's hand creeps its way onto the show along with history about Vichy France, the French film industry during Nazi occupation, and so much more. Brought to you by Maurice Tourneur -- father of CAT PEOPLE director Jacques -- and a nationalized run-by-Germans French film industry. Is this film propaganda? Subversive? Is it even horror? Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 34:15; Discussion 44:36; Ranking 1:05:27
