The Hollywood Horror Film, 1931-1941 Madness in a Social Landscape

In February 1931, Universal Studios released Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi. As a result of the film's considerable and unexpected success, Universal and the other Hollywood studios quickly cashed in on the horror genre. In the following decade, such classics as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, Freaks, King Kong, The Mummy, White Zombie, and The Wolfman, along with a number of lesser-known but significant works, were produced. These films tend to be neglected as serious objects of study; the main interest usually comes from fanzines whose critics often place the accent on the anecdotal at the expense of analysis. Serious studies in culture undertaken by sociologists and specialists prefer to focus on either themes and content or films' reflection of the concerns of the period.

Reynold Humphries is professor of film studies at the University of Lille in Northern France