Vincent Price Double Feature: Part Two

The second part of my Vincent Price Double Feature, is the second in the series of films Roger Corman and Vincent Price made in their series of films based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. The Pit and the Pendelum was made in response to the widespread success of The Fall of the House of Usher and grossed even more than the previous film had. Those of you who are true Edgar Allen Poe fans will come to realize that this film version really has nothing in common with the original story, which can be read here. However, it truly is a remarkable film and a fitting sequel to House of Usher.

The story begins when Englishman Francis Barnard (John Kerr) comes to a castle in Spain, owned by his brother-in-law Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price). It was here that Francis's sister Elizabeth (scream queen Barbara Steele) died under mysterious circumstances and Francis blames Nicholas for his sister's death. In residence of the castle is currently Nicholas's sister Catherine (Luana Anders) who is worried for her brother's crazy behavior after the loss of his beloved wife. A frequent visitor is friend Doctor Leon (Anthony Carbone) who pronounced Elizabeth Medina dead. It is revealed that Nicholas and Catherine's father Sebastian Medina was in fact a torturer during the Spanish Inquisition and killed his own wife and brother for adultery against him. It seems that Elizabeth is still alive and her spirit is haunting the house. Those staying in it must find out what is causing Elizabeth's reappearance after her death. A few twists at the end provide for a wonderful climax.

Again, color is very prominent in this film and you can see the beginning of Sixties experimentation in film through the colorful flashback sequences in this film. A 40 mm wide angle lens was used to make the sets look larger than normal because they budget was too low to afford very elaborate sets. Another low budget trick was using 20 gallons of fake spiderwebs to create an eerie atmosphere throughout the castle set. The shots of the sea near which the castle is supposed to be located are actually shots of the Palos Verdes coast in the South Bay near Los Angeles. To make the movement of the pendulum even more horrifying, Corman took out every second shot to make it look as though the pendulum was moving twice as fast.

This film is even better than the previous one, though the two of them are obviously connected. Price is at the top of his game in the genre he does so well. Themes of alive entombment, torture, and madness abound in this film as well, but work in a completely different way as in the previous. Want a second opinion? Excellent source for this genre, the blog Horror Movie a Day has also reviewed this film and talked about it in depth, which you can read here. I really recommend that you watch not only this film but also the rest of Roger Corman's Poe films, which will surely give you a night of fright.

Vincent Price Double Feature: Part One

A copy of MGM Midnite Movies came into my possession recently, a double feature of two Vincent Price movies. I plan to talk about both, but in this post I want to focus on the first of the movies, The House of Usher. Price is perhaps best known for his terrifying feature films based on the works of revered American literary genius Edgar Allan Poe. It was Poe who wrote stories of mystery, the macabre, was involved in the Romantic literary movement and pioneered the short story, detective-fiction, and science-fiction genres. The frightening natures of these stories are brought fully into life by King of Horror Vincent Price in these many films. The House of Usher was the first of eight films directed by Roger Corman based around Poe works, many of which star Vincent Price.

The story Poe wrote was changed up a lot for the film. The film version follows the path of wealthy Bostonian Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) who comes to visit his fiancée, Madeline Usher (Myrna Fahey). When he arrives, the butler (Harry Ellerbe) does not wish to let him into the house, but Philip persuades his way in and then encounters the extremely sensitive to noise, light, and sound Roderick Usher (Vincent Price), older brother and ward of his beloved. Roderick tells him Madeline is ill, though she seems perfectly fine to Philip. Roderick begins to warn Philip of the horrible history of their family and the curse that lays over the house. Philip thinks it is all in Roderick's head, until he discovers that Roderick is not the only thing who is possessed.

For a low budget, early Sixties horror film, the effects are pretty decent. The use of color in the film is remarkable. The color red is extremely noticeable and focused on for dramatic effect but several monochromatic scenes throughout also help create a sense of eeriness and fear. Corman usually directed B-movie black and white double features, but he was allowed to film this movie and consequently others in color and CinemaScope.

This film and the other Poe/Price/Corman collaborations have gained considerable cult status, especially among horror fans. A review on eccentric-cinema.com praises how well the film was made with such a low budget. Another review and analysis can be found here, thanks to classic-horror.com. I do highly recommend watching not only this film but the other ones in Corman's Poe series. And stay tuned. The second part of this double feature is coming up soon.

Aliens, Zombies, and Vampires, Oh my!

Widely considered the worst movie ever made and in one of those so bad it's almost good categories is Ed Wood's masterpiece and perhaps the most famous B-Movie of all time is the classic Plan 9 From Outer Space. This film has everything a horror movie could want: aliens, zombies, vampires, flying saucers, grave robbery, a creepy cemetery and human heros. The problem?

Well, where do we begin?

The film was grossly underfunded and most of the funding it did have came from a Baptist Church in exchange for baptisms of the cast members. Bela Lugosi, one of the stars of the film, died during filming and was replaced by Wood's chiropractor, who was thinner, taller, and had a different accent. The film has a list of goofs longer than the script itself. Most of these goofs are because the budget was so small, the film only took one take to film each scene with no retakes or do-overs. The script, acting, and special effects of the movie really don't seem particularly talented, however. Wood actually earned a posthmous Golden Turkey Award for Worst Director because of this film.

Of course, the awfulness of the film has lead to a strange and unique cult following of its own, leading many people to appreciate the film for its heightened terribleness. In fact, the film currently as 67% in its review on Rotten Tomatoes. The site, badmovies.org does a review of the film, highlighting exactly what is so terrible about it. This article, by Gary Morris, talks about the warped genius of Ed Wood, particularly this film but also about his others. Despite the badness of this film, it still retains a large cult following, especially after the release of Tim Burton's film Ed Wood, and continues to have a significant cultural impact.

For those of you who are particularly brave or just want a good laugh at a horrible film, you can watch Plan 9 here and feel free to tell me what you think.

"It's the end of the world..."

My introduction to Hitchcock came around middle school and the first movie of his I watched, with my parents in the room, was The Birds. I later read the short story in one of my English classes, and though the story was scary, the image of Hitch's film was what struck the most fear into me. Like Rebecca, it is based on the writing of Daphne du Maurier, though The Birds is a short story, which those of you who are interested can read here in its entirety. To this day, I cannot see large groups of birds together without wondering if they are plotting something. As you can imagine, the migration season is horrible on my nerves.

The begins in San Francisco where beautiful blonde socialite Melanie Daniels, played by Tippi Hedren, who meets the handsome Mitch Brenner, played by Rod Taylor, in a bird shop. The two grow more interested in each other all the while, the birds around them seem to be up to something. When Melanie arrives in Mitch's peaceful seaside town on the Pacific Coast, their meeting is interrupted when she is attacked by sea gulls. Melanie meets Mitch's family, consisting of his sister Cathy (Veronica Cartwright) and his mother Lydia (Jessica Tandy). She also discovers Mitch's past lover affair with Cathy's school teacher Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette). As these relationships progress, the bird attacks become more serious and deadly until it comes to the point the birds seem to be bringing forth the apocalypse and taking over the world.

I admit, it is a little unbelievable to think of the world descending into a chaotic swarm of feathers and talons, but Hitch takes it in a way that makes it not only completely believable but downright frightening. Again, there are several Hitchcock trademarks in the film, such as the use of multiple shots from many angles to create feels of chaos and loss of control. Color is used in this film, though most people associate Hitch with more black and white films. The color green is also used prominently throughout the course of the film, including the same green suit Tippi is wearing in every shot of the film. The film also has no musical score to it.

The town of Bodega Bay has features on the filming of the movie in the town where the movie is set, which you can read here. The website filminamerica.com has great resources for you to find the locations of the film and explore them for yourself, which you can see here. Though Hitchcock enjoyed shooting in the studio more than on location, a lot of the location shots are still there and many people like to go visit them, on a sort of creepy Hitchcock/Birds Tour, if you will. The TCM blog Movie Morlocks has also

done this article on the trailers for the film.

The Birds is an essential film for any horror, suspense, thriller, Hitchcock, or just movie buff in general.

Portrait of a Mama's Boy: Norman Bates

One of the essential Hitchcock films is the frightening psychological thriller Psycho. The film itself is extremely iconic and everyone, even those who have not seen the film, know the suspense and terror connected to Janet Leigh's famous shower scene. I watched the movie this evening on Turner Classic Movies, and even almost fifty years after the film was initially released, Psycho is still as terrifying as ever.

The film is almost two stories in one. At the beginning, secretary Marion Crane (Leigh) wants nothing more than to marry out-of-town secret boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin). When her boss gives her $40,000 to put in the bank, Marion battles with her conscience and finally decides to leave with the money and join Sam so they can start their life together. Suddenly, Marion gets the feeling that she is being followed, that the her boss has turned her in and the police are on her tale. She buys a new car to throw them off her track and then, after a raining night of driving on the highway, Marion finds herself at the out of the way Bates Motel. There she meets the shy Norman (Anthony Perkins), a strange young man with an interesting relationship with his mother. There the film diverges and we are plunged into following the crimes of a deeply disturbed murderer.

Hitch's last black and white film, Psycho was shot so because black and white was inexpensive and blood looks more gory in color. Hitchcock used a variety of camera angles, lighting effects, and shifts to create the eerie atmosphere in Psycho. In order to make his audience feel like voyeurs, a 50 mm lens was used on a 33 mm camera to give it the same appearance as looking through a person's eyes. Hitch is also famous for using tons of different angles and shots to make one scene. The shower scene alone uses somewhere between 70 and 90 different shots spliced together to make the same scene, a scene lasting only 45 seconds. Another little bit of trivia, this is the first movie to have a scene where the audience actually sees a flushing toilet.

The film was #1 on AFI's 100 Thrills list and #14 on the 100 Movies. The quote "A boy's best friend is his mother" was ranked #56 on AFI's top movie quotes. Of course, this film does have those who dislike in. In fact, Walt Disney would never allow Hitch to make a film for him or use any sets at Disneyland because Hitch was the one who made "that disgusting movie" Psycho.

Still, Psycho remains incredibly popular with audiences to this day. For those of you who want to know more about the movie, you can get some more information from these sites. Filmsite.org has a great analysis and review of the movie you can read here. Another website, House of Horrors, offers up a great analysis, review, and some fun and behind the scenes facts about the movie any film buff would be interested in, which you can find here. For those of you who love this movie so much you want to memorize every word, here you can find online a complete transcript of the entire movie. Psycho is a movie that will terrify but it might also become one of your new favorites. I highly recommend watching it, with the lights on of course.

"The dead are not quiet in Hill House..."

To date, one of the scariest films I have ever seen and perhaps the best psychological thriller or "ghost movie" ever made is the 1963 version of The Haunting. The film was based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and was recently remade in 1999, but the 1963 version is better by far. The film itself uses spectacular effects with light, shadow, and mind tricks that make you wonder if you yourself are going insane or if you're just watching other people do so. Director Robert Wise did a magnificent job with this film and it really stands the test of time.

The plot rundown is somewhat basic, but still works. Dr. Markway, played by Richard Johnson, is a paranormal investigator who is trying to prove the existence of spirits and the supernatural by spending the night in a mansion with a history of driving people mad or leading them to cruel and unusual deaths. Accompanying him on this ghoulish sleepover is the heir to the house Luke Sanderson, played by Russ Tamblyn, a mysterious clairvoyant named Theodora, played by Claire Bloom, and an insecure, meek, and lonely Eleanor "Nell" Lance, played by Julie Harris. Nell has strange psychological abilities that give her a close connection with whatever spirits inhabit the house.

Everything starts out simply enough. Hill House has all the ingredients for a spooky haunted house: angry ghosts, creepy house and groundskeepers, people poking their heads the business of supernatural entities that would rather remain undisturbed, screaming, and of course some good old-fashioned psychological terrorism. As the night wears on, the group realizes that the house is much worse than they expected. The house, in fact, seems to come alive, awakened by their presence in it. At one point, Dr. Markway goes so far as to state: "It was an evil house from the beginning - a house that was born bad". Soon it becomes apparent to the group that there is a good chance they will not live through the night.

Typical horror films of today rely on blood and gore to get across their message of terror, but not this film. In The Haunting, not a single drop of blood is shed. The frighteningly unsettling special effects use camera angles, lighting and music to scare the hell out of the audience. This is yet another film that proves you don't need fancy effects or tons of blood and gore to leave your audience unable to sleep with the lights off. Unfortunately, you're going to have to locate a copy of this movie on your own since its not on the internet. However, you can watch a trailer for it from Turner Classic Movies here if you want.

So, if you want to addle your brain a little bit with a movie that will make you afraid of your own shadow, check out The Haunting.

Traitor or Patriot?

Imagine that the country is at war and you are a humble worker at a Los Angeles aircraft factory, who one day witnesses your own best friend burn up in flames during a freak accident at the plant. Suddenly, the accident grows more suspicious and you find yourself fleeing from the law, your patriotism challenged, and being unjustly accused of a treasonous crime of sabotage which you did not commit. It could be a modern suspense melodrama playing out with the latest action star at your local theatre, but this movie is set during World War II and deals with many issues of loyalty, patriotism, trust, and scapegoating, which we still deal with today.

This is the exact problem faced by Barry Kane, played by Robert Cummings, in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1942 film Sabotuer. The film was on Turner Classic Movies earlier today and sinc I had already seen it, it was a little easier for me to jump right in thirty minutes into the film. Cummings is better known for playing Hitchcock’s leading man in Dial M for Murder. Still, Saboteur, which is not exactly one of Hitchcock's most popular, is an amazing movie that had me on the edge of my seat the first time I saw it. This is truly a film that is as relevant today as when it was first released.

Picking back up with the story, Kane must track down the elusive Frank Frye (Norman Lloyd) who actually committed the act of sabotage to clear his own name. Kane finds himself going against a powerful group of fascists attempting to undermine the US war efforts, most of whom are the wealthy, powerful and last people you would suspect. When Kane crosses with Charles Tobin (Otto Kruger) his safety becomes even more in jeopardy. He meets beautiful blonde model Pat Martin (Pricilla Lane), who cannot trust him though her blind uncle has no problems. Pat gets involved with Kane in more ways than one and they must make their way through New York, through deserts, being kept safe by a group of "freaks" from the traveling circus, who understand what it is like to be accused of things you are not. Eventually, Kane makes it to New York but he must stop Frye before he commits another act of sabotage, endangering more lives.

This is truly a suspense film in every since of the word. I was hanging on the edge of my seat until the very end and Hitch keeps throwing so many new twists and problems in your direction, the constant thought through the movie is "How is Kane going to get out of this one?". The acting has just the right amount of intensity and the themes coursing throughout the movie still ring true in the modern day world. The script is very intelligent, since it was written by Peter Viertel, Joan Harrison, and the great wit herself, Dorothy Parker. Filming began two weeks after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, making perhaps adding to the very pro-American sentiment of the film.

This was one of the first films Hitch made during his tumultuous time working under the legendary David O. Selznick. The footage of a capsized ship in the film is actual newsreel footage from the USS Lafayette, which was believed to have been sabotaged by the Germans during the war. When Norman Lloyd smiles at the ship, giving a creepy, frightening feel to the scene, he was improvising, showing you how Hitch's splicing of various scenes together can create just the right eerie effect.

Additionally, no music adds to the climax of the movie, only allowing the actors to build up the terrifying tension that has you wondering what is going to happen next. The visual effects in the final scene, though I won't give anything away, are amazing for the period and very ahead of their time. If you ever get a hold of the DVD of this, I recommend you check out the special features where they explain how this shot was captured. If you want another analysis of the film, you can read one here on the blog Film Epidemic. For a great Hitchcock gem that isn't one of his more popular or talked about film, I highly recommend Saboteur for a good suspense.

"When the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright"

Perhaps the most famous werewolf story and certainly the one that has had the most cultural impact on our society in the past sixty years, The Wolf Man is one of those quintessential horror flicks that everyone needs to watch. I could not find the film in its entirity, but a YouTube user has the entire film posted, albeit divided into seven parts. You can watch the movie starting with the first part here.

Released in 1941 by Universal, the film had an all-star cast, including Claude Rains, Bela Lugosi reprising his famous vampiric role, and none other than the great Lon Chaney Jr. in perhaps some of the most famous and tediously applied stage make up ever. Everyone knows the famous quote from the movie, "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright", as well as the additions to the werewolf lore that than can only be killed by a silver bullet, a silver knife, or a stick with a silver handle.

I will sum up the story of The Wolf Man, since most of you know it already. Larry Talbot (Chaney) returns home after the death of his brother to his home in Wales and reconcile with his father (Claude Rains). While there, he buys a silver staff with a wolf for his sweetheart, Gwen (Evelyn Ankers). The villagers recite the wolf poem several times throughout the course of the movie following Gwen informing Larry of the myth and first recitation of the poem. That night, in an attempt to save Gwen's friend Jenny, Larry kills a wolf but is bitten first. A gypsy fortuneteller living in the woods tells him it was not a wolf but a werewolf and now he will become one too. The animal, she says, was actually her son Bela (Lugosi). Now that the curse has been passed to Larry, he must deal with the supernatural forces taking a hold of him.

The werewolf fur Chaney used in his make up was actually yak hair. A plaster mold was made to keep Chaney's face still as his image was photographed then an outline was drawn on glass in front of the camera. The make up wizard behind the monsters, Jack Pierce, used grease paint, a rubber snout appendage, wigs, and glued layers of the yak hair to create the Wolf Man character. This process was repeated over and over again over a period of ten hours to create an image that only took a few seconds on screen. Seventeen face shots were made and it took six hours to put on Chaney's make up though only three to take it off.

The Wolf Man is in the great pantheon of early horror and creature films, along with such other notable classics as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon, King Kong, Godzilla, and The Invisible Man. The website classic-horror.com has done a great review of The Wolf Man, which you can find here, though word of caution, it does contain spoilers. I would highly recommend that you check out this movie when you can make the time since its legacy continues to live on.

Where is the real evil?

In the days of silent film in Germany, writer and director Paul Wegener embarked on what may be considered the first movie trilogy about the Golem, a legendary Jewish monster created by a rabbi to help in the Jewish struggle against a religiously oppressive Europe. The first in the series, The Golem, was made in 1915 and is legendary not only because of its subject matter — which some consider antisemitic — but also has gained in legend because of its status as a lost film. Of course, this version is not entirely lost and if you scramble around the internet, you can find some precious remaining clips of the original film. The sequel was a short comedy film Wegener made in 1916 called The Golem and the Dancing Girl. The third and final movie and the only one to survive was the 1920 full length feature, which was a prequel to The Golem. It is the film which I intend to focus on.

The official title of the film in German is Der Golem, wie er in die Welt Kam translated into English as The Golem: How He Came Into the World and it details just what it says, the birth of the Golem. Another great public domain film, you can watch it here. Though not necessarily a horror film, the film I want to talk about in this post is often put into that genre, especially because of the time period during which it was made. I decided to include this during my Fright Fest because I found, like in many creature movies, the evil of this movie is not the monster but the monstrousness of society.

Now before we go on further and I start getting angry comments about antisemitism, let's put the film into a little perspective. It was made during the Weimar Republic in Germany, pre-Hitler's rise to power a year or so later. During the time period, movies did not have to be politically correct and though you can detect some antisemitic sentiments in the film, that doesn't mean you should not watch it and judge it for yourself. Any of you that want to can read the real Jewish legend of the Golem here and do your own comparison of the legend and the film. After watching it myself, I found it rather pro-Jewish, but that is irrelevant to you watching the film yourself. Personally, I prefer to be a bigger person, look past any political/antisemitic message this film might have, and focus instead on the filmography, which is splendid.

The film is a horror film of sorts, a creature flick one might say, and, like Frankenstein, involves the creation of a monster intended to help people but instead takes a dark turn. Accused of black magic and being a threat to the Christians of Prague, the Jews are told they have to leave. They create the Golem to defend their people against the dark force that threatens their existence. The Golem starts out kindly enough, doing what he is told and not causing any arm. More than anything, he helps out around the house of Rabbi Loew, who created him. The Golem more than anything is a good creature who wants to help others. Despite the rabbis intent for good and the Golem’s seemingly good nature, the Golem turns against his master at the end, because of the evil of the Rabbi’s assistant, and everything begins to unravel. There is also a subplot about the High Rabbi Loew’s daughter falling in love with the Emperor’s messenger who is sent to evict the Jews, for those of you who love forbidden romance.

The scenery is beautiful and seems to have the same production value as an epic film. Lighting is used wonderfully throughout the film. Since color is not an option during this period in film, lighting effects such as the ones found in this film are all that filmmakers could use to create such effects, which Wegener has done splendidly. The music of the film is also masterful and helps create the atmosphere that makes the film. Amazing special effects are used to portray the mysticism in the movie and use elements one might not suspect early film of having. The costuming is also magnificent, the costume of the Golem in particular. This truly is an all around wonderfully made film.

On a side note, this film is sponsored by a great blog called Filmschatten which features tons of forgotten and public domain films in their entirety for you to enjoy. I really hope you'll check out the blog, the film, and have some fun.

The Strange and Supernatural Adventure of Allan Gray

For those of you who like art film, you might want to check out what might be one of the earliest art-horror films ever made. Vampyr was made in 1930, though released in 1932, and is one of the first handful of films made after the invention of sound. Of course, this movie does not rely on the new technology of sound to make its point. With little dialogue — and some may say plot — Vampyr relies on lighting and shadow techniques to create drama. The film appears a little grainy at times, but don't be alarmed. That's all part of the lighting effects. In fact, the lighting of this film has been continually praised since its making. For those of you who want to watch it, the film is public domain and can be found here.

The film is French-German but is made by Danish director Carol Theodor Dreyer, whom takes credit for the magnificent lighting effects. The film is meant to have a dreamlike, surreal quality to it and focuses more on imagery than anything else. The film itself was popular enough that it was translated into French, German, and English. Unfortunately, prints of the English version are all but lost and so we have to do with self-made title cards and subtitles with the film in the original German. Most of the actors were amateurs (think student art film people), but nonetheless, it is a good film. I really hope none of this information detracts from you wanting to watch it because it truly is a good film.

Vampyr is based on Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's novella Carmilla, which predates Bram Stoker's Dracula. For those of you interested, Carmilla can be read here on the vast online library that is Project Gutenberg. The story is relatively the same, and parallels most vampire stories of the era. The story follows young Allan Gray as he comes to a castle to study demonology and vampires. A dreamer himself, Gray had some problems distinguishing between what is real and what is surreal. He is given a copy of a book called The History of Vampires, which arouses his suspicions about the strange things happening in the area. Then, the beautiful daughter of the lord who's castle Gray is staying in comes down with a mysterious illness. At first, it is believed to be only anemia, but Gray feels there is something more sinister at work and tries to uncover the mystery of the dark forces haunting the area. As things get more intense, Gray discovers his quest to find the truth could cost him his soul.

So, this film is a great art film for those of you into that and does have vampire elements for those of you who are into that. It is also great for anyone who is a fan of lighting effects and early sound films. Of course, I don't want to limit this film to anyone in one of those categories. I really think everyone should watch Vampyr as a means of broadening your film horizons.

"What are the thirty-nine steps?"

One of Hitchcock's earlier films, when he was still working in his homeland of England, The 39 Steps is a great early film filled with suspense and adventure. It follows along several Hitchcock themes, such as mistaken identity, an innocent man on the run, and international spy rings. The 1935 film is based on an adventure novel by John Buchan. Another public domain movie, you can also find this one on Google Video right here.

The movie begins with Richard Hannay(Robert Donat), a Canadian visiting London, goes to see the "Mr. Memory" show at a musical hall in London. After a riot breaks out in the theatre, he finds himself helping Annabella Smith(Lucie Mannheim), who claims she is running away from a group of spies who are trying to kill her. Hannay doesn't seem to believe her story until she is murdered in his apartment during the night. Afraid of being accused of her murder as well as the spies and detectives now on his trial, Hannay flees through the countryside. He finds himself desperately attempting to escape his persuers, he uses the beautiful Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), who he meets on a train, as a means evading capture, entangling her in the midst of the spy game he has also unwittingly trapped himself in. Now Hannay has to convince Pamela he is telling the truth, bring down the spy ring on his tail, and figure out the myster that is the 39 Steps.

Hitch uses some great scenery shots in this film, using the beautiful backdrop of England and Scotland for a dark, suspenseful plot. Hannay must rely on the kindness of strangers in order to survive his ordeal and the shots used in the film help to portray his sense of fear and create fear for him in the audience as he his being ruthless chased down for the crime he did not commit.

Britmovie.co.uk explores the plot of the film and the cultural importance of The 39 Steps. This film not only helped to begin Hitchcock's legacy as perhaps the most legendary film director of all time, but had a significant impact on the history of film as well. This film was Hitchcock's first "blockbuster" in England and made US audiences and studio heads begin to take notice of the director's talent. It is the first film that explores the common Hitchcock themes. Also, Filmsite.org gives detailed plot information on the film to clear up any confusion and outlines what happens over the two day period in which the action of the film takes place.
If you want to see a good early Hitchcock film with all of the twists, suspense, and intrique his fans are so accustomed to, The 39 Steps is a good place to begin. It shows Hitchcock's directorial mastery even early on in his career. The film is a great watch for anyone, Hitchcock or suspense fan.

"Glut your soul on my accursed ugliness!"

Before Andrew Lloyd Webber got his annoying musical hands all over this classic story and turned it into what is really a cheesy lovefest, if you take a hard enough look at it, The Phantom of the Opera was not considered a romance. In fact, the original novel by Gaston Leroux was more in the mystery/horror genre than to be considered a romance. And to be fair, how romantic is a crazily jealous, megalomanical guy who kills and kidnaps people to prove his love? Anyway, the best film adaptation of The Phantom, in my completely biased opinion, was the 1925 verison with the Man of A Thousand Faces himself, the venerable Lon Chaney.

The master of makeup in the early days of film, Chaney was famous for his silent film roles as the freaks, geeks, and frightful characters, such as Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Chaney made the unmasking scene in The Phantom and no unmasking scene will ever be as grotesque as the horrifying one in the 1925 silent film. The silent film is true to form and portrays the storyline closer to that of a novel, not a total romance with song and dance but rather a terrifying mystery taking place at the old opera house. Directed by the ill-fated Rupert Julian, and staring, alongside Chaney, Mary Philbin as Christine Daae and Norman Kerry as the Vicomte Raoul de Chagy, the silent verison still manages to leap off the screen.

Like as Nosferatu, which I blogged about before, this film is also available in its entirety on Goggle Video. So, even if you don't have it home, you can just click away on your computer a few times and watch Chaney in all of his horror and glory. I will spare giving you the plot, since I'm sure you know it already. The silence does not ruin the film at all, in fact adding to the suspense of the scenes. The costumes and scenery are absolutely gorgeous, capturing the opulence and glory of the grand days of the opera. Because the film is entirely silent in some versions or only with music in the background in others, what some might consider overacting actually helps you understand what is taking place in the plot, along with the title cards. For the time period, the special effects are marvelous as well. Studios now spend millions of dollars on special effects to create the same emotions than these simple lighting and shadow effects, which help to make Phantom's eerie persona.

The film was redubbed in 1929 after the advent of sound. Chaney's voice was not used because it was not available and so the entire film was rescored and dubbed over using third party actors. Personally, I prefer the verison that is eternally silent, title cards and all. The little organ music in the background of the silent film on DVD or video makes the movie enough as it is. If you want to know more about Chaney, you can go to his official site or to PBS which has a great article and some resources about The Man of A Thousand Faces. If you want a good silent horror film with a little romance on the side for a movie night, I highly recommend watching Lon Chaney in The Phantom of the Opera. This masterfully done film shows how early film is just as good, if not better, than more modern verisons.