List of horror films of the 1940s

A list of horror films released in the 1940s. After the success of Son of Frankenstein (1939), Universal horror caught a second wind and horror films continued to be produced at a feverish pace into the mid-1940s.[1] The early 1940s saw the debut of Lon Chaney Jr. and "The Wolf Man", both of which became fixtures in the Universal landscape. Meanwhile, Dracula and Frankenstein's monster appeared in numerous sequels, often together in what was colloquially called "monster rally" films.[2]

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Hoping to present a viable alternative to the Universal juggernaut, RKO decided to embark on a series of its own horror films, starting with Cat People in 1942. Led by producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur, this critically acclaimed series focused less on visible horrors and more on the psychological aspects of fear.[3]

List

Horror films released in the 1940s

Title	Director	Cast	Country	Notes
1940
The Ape	William Nigh	Boris Karloff, Maris Wrixon	United States	[4]
Before I Hang	Nick Grinde	Boris Karloff, Evelyn Keyes, Bruce Bennett	United States	[5]
Black Friday	Arthur Lubin	Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Stanley Ridges	United States	[6]
The Devil Bat	Jean Yarbrough	Bela Lugosi, Suzanne Kaaren, Dave O'Brien	United States	[7]
The Door with Seven Locks	Norman Lee	Leslie Banks, Lilli Palmer, Romilly Lunge	United Kingdom	[8]
Dr. Cyclops	Ernest B. Schoedsack	Albert Dekker, Thomas Coley, Janice Logan	United States	[9]
The Ghost Breakers	George Marshall	Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Willie Best, Richard Carlson	United States	[10]
The Invisible Man Returns	Joe May	Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey	United States	[11]
The Mummy's Hand	William Christy Cabanne	Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Wallace Ford	United States	[12]
Son of Ingagi	Richard Kahn	Zack Williams, Laura Bowman, Spencer Williams	United States	[13]
You'll Find Out	David Butler	Kay Kyser, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi	United States	[14]
1941
The Black Cat	Albert Rogell	Basil Rathbone, Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, Bela Lugosi, Gale Sondergaard	United States	[15]
The Devil Commands	Edward Dmytryk	Boris Karloff, Richard Fiske, Amanda Duff	United States	[16]
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde	Victor Fleming	Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner	United States	[17]
Horror Island	George Waggner	Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo, Peggy Moran	United States	[18]
Invisible Ghost	Joseph H. Lewis	Bela Lugosi, Polly Ann Young, John McGuire	United States	[19]
King of the Zombies	Jean Yarbrough	Joan Woodbury, Dick Purcell, Mantan Moreland	United States	[20]
The Mad Doctor of Market Street	Joseph H. Lewis	Una Merkel, Lionel Atwill, Nat Pendleton	United States	[21]
Man Made Monster	George Waggner	Lionel Atwill, Lon Chaney, Jr., Anne Nagel	United States	[22]
The Monster and the Girl	Stuart Heisler	Ellen Drew, Robert Paige, Paul Lukas	United States	[23]
Spooks Run Wild	Phil Rosen	Bela Lugosi, Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan	United States	[24]
The Wolf Man	George Waggner	Lon Chaney, Jr., Warren William, Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Evelyn Ankers	United States	[25]
1942
The Boogie Man Will Get You	Lew Landers	Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Jeff Donnell	United States	[26]
Cat People	Jacques Tourneur	Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph	United States	[27]
The Corpse Vanishes	Wallace W. Fox	Bela Lugosi, Luana Walters, Tristram Coffin	United States	[28]
Dr. Renault's Secret	Harry Lachman	J. Carrol Naish, John Shepperd, Lynne Roberts, George Zucco	United States	[29]
The Ghost of Frankenstein	Erle C. Kenton	Lon Chaney, Jr., Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi	United States	[30]
A Light in the Window	Manuel Romero	Narciso Ibáñez Menta, Irma Córdoba and Juan Carlos Thorry	Argentina	[31]
The Mad Monster	Sam Newfield	Johnny Downs, George Zucco, Anne Nagel	United States	[32]
The Mummy's Tomb	Harold Young	Lon Chaney, Jr., Dick Foran, Elyse Knox, Turhan Bey	United States	[33]
Night Monster	Ford I. Beebe	Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, Irene Hervey, Ralph Morgan	United States	[34]
The Undying Monster	John Brahm	James Ellison, Heather Angel, John Howard, Bramwell Fletcher	United States	[35]
1943
The Ape Man	William Beaudine	Bela Lugosi, Wallace Ford, Louise Currie, Minerva Urecal	United States	[36]
Captive Wild Woman	Edward Dmytryk	Evelyn Ankers, Acquanetta, John Carradine	United States	[37]
Carnival of Sinners	Maurice Tourneur	Antoine Balpêtré, Pierre Fresnay, André Bacque	France	[38]
Dead Men Walk	Sam Newfield	George Zucco, Mary Carlisle, Ned Young, Dwight Frye	United States	[39]
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man	Roy William Neill	Lon Chaney, Jr., Ilona Massey, Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi	United States	[40]
I Walked with a Zombie	Jacques Tourneur	Tom Conway, Frances Dee, James Ellison, Edith Barrett	United States	[41]
The Mad Ghoul	James Hogan	David Bruce, Evelyn Ankers, George Zucco, Robert Armstrong	United States	[42]
The Mysterious Doctor	Ben Stoloff	John Loder, Eleanor Parker, Lester Matthews	United States	[43]
The Return of the Vampire	Lew Landers	Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch, Roland Varno	United States	[44][45]
Revenge of the Zombies	Steve Sekely	John Carradine, Robert Lowery, Gale Storm, Veda Ann Borg	United States	[46]
The Seventh Victim	Mark Robson	Kim Hunter, Tom Conway, Isabel Jewell	United States	[47]
Son of Dracula	Robert Siodmak	Lon Chaney, Jr., Robert Paige, Louise Allbritton, Evelyn Ankers	United States	[48]
1944
The Climax	George Waggner	Boris Karloff, Susanna Foster, Turhan Bey	United States	[49]
Crazy Knights	William Beaudine	Billy Gilbert, Maxie Rosenbloom, Shemp Howard	United States	[50]
Cry of the Werewolf	Henry Levin	Nina Foch, Stephen Crane, Osa Massen	United States	[51]
The Ghost Catchers	Edward F. Cline	Ole Olsen, Chic Johnson, Gloria Jean	United States	[52]
House of Frankenstein	Erle C. Kenton	Boris Karloff, J. Carrol Naish, Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine	United States	[53]
The Invisible Man's Revenge	Ford Beebe	Jon Hall, Leon Errol, John Carradine	United States	[54]
Jungle Woman	Reginald Le Borg	Evelyn Ankers, J. Carrol Naish, Samuel S. Hinds	United States	[55]
The Lady and the Monster	George Sherman	Vera Ralston, Richard Arlen, Mary Nash, Sidney Blackmer	United States	[56]
The Man in Half Moon Street	Ralph Murphy	Nils Asther, Helen Walker	United States	[57]
The Monster Maker	Sam Newfield	J. Carrol Naish, Ralph Morgan, Tala Birell	United States	[58]
The Mummy's Curse	Leslie Goodwins	Lon Chaney, Jr., Peter Coe, Virginia Christine	United States	[59]
The Mummy's Ghost	Reginald Le Borg	Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine, Ramsay Ames, Robert Lowery	United States	[60]
Return of the Ape Man	Phil Rosen	Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, George Zucco	United States	[61]
The Tower of the Seven Hunchbacks	Edgar Neville	Antonio Casal, Isabel de Pomés	Spain	[62]
The Uninvited	Lewis Allen	Ray Milland, Gail Russell, Ruth Hussey	United States	[63]
Voodoo Man	William Beaudine	Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, George Zucco	United States	[64]
Weird Woman	Reginald Le Borg	Lon Chaney, Jr., Anne Gwynne, Evelyn Ankers	United States	[65]
1945
Dead of Night	Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer	Mervyn Johns, Michael Redgrave, Sally Ann Howes, Mary Merrall	United Kingdom	[66]
Fog Island	Terry O. Morse	George Zucco, Lionel Atwill, Jerome Cowan	United States	[67]
House of Dracula	Erle C. Kenton	Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine, Martha O'Driscoll, Lionel Atwill	United States	[68]
Isle of the Dead	Mark Robson	Boris Karloff, Ellen Drew, Marc Cramer, Katherine Emery	United States	[69]
The Jungle Captive	Harold Young	Otto Kruger, Amelita Ward, Phil Brown	United States	[70]
The Picture of Dorian Gray	Albert Lewin	George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed	United States	Supernatural horror film[71]
The Vampire's Ghost	Lesley Selander	John Abbott, Charles Gordon, Peggy Stewart	United States	[72]
Zombies on Broadway	Gordon Douglas	Alan Carney, Bela Lugosi, Wally Brown	United States	[73]
1946
The Beast with Five Fingers	Robert Florey	Robert Alda, Andrea King, Peter Lorre	United States	[74]
The Cat Creeps	Erle C. Kenton	Fred Brady, Lois Collier, Paul Kelly	United States	[75]
The Catman of Paris	Lesley Selander	Carl Esmond, Lenore Aubert, Adele Mara	United States	[76]
The Devil Bat's Daughter	Frank Wisbar	Rosemary La Planche, John James, Michael Hale	United States	[77]
The Face of Marble	William Beaudine	John Carradine, Claudia Drake, Robert Shayne	United States	[78]
The Flying Serpent	Sherman Scott	George Zucco, Ralph Lewis, Hope Kramer	United States	[79]
House of Horrors	Jean Yarbrough	Robert Lowery, Martin Kosleck, Rondo Hatton	United States	[80]
The Mask of Diijon	Lew Landers	Erich Von Stroheim, Jeanne Bates, William Wright	United States	[81]
She-Wolf of London	Jean Yarbrough	Don Porter, June Lockhart, Sara Haden	United States	[82]
The Spider Woman Strikes Back	Arthur Lubin	Brenda Joyce, Gale Sondergaard, Kirby Grant	United States	[83]
Strangler of the Swamp	Frank Wisbar	Rosemary La Planche, Robert Barrat, Blake Edwards	United States	[84]
Valley of the Zombies	Philip Ford	Robert Livingston, Adrian Booth, Ian Keith	United States	[85]
1948
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein	Charles Barton	Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney, Jr.	United States	Horror comedy[86]
The Creeper	Jean Yarbrough	Eduardo Ciannelli, Onslow Stevens, June Vincent	United States	[87]
1949
Mahal	Kamal Amrohi	Ashok Kumar, Madhubala	India	Romantic horror[88]
New Version of the Ghost of Yotsuya	Keisuke Kinoshita	Kinuyo Tanaka, Ken Uehara, Hisako Yamane	Japan	[89]

See also

• Lists of horror films

References

Citations

1. Worland 2007, p. 69.
2. Hardy 1995, p. 74.
3. Worland 2007, p. 73.
4. Binion, Cavett. "The Ape". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
5. Erickson, Hal. "Before I Hang". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
6. Erickson, Hal. "Black Friday". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
7. Binion, Cavett. "The Devil Bat". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
8. Erickson, Hal. "The Door with Seven Locks". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
9. Binion, Cavett. "Dr. Cyclops". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
10. Hardy 1995, p. 75.
11. Erickson, Hal. "The Invisible Man Returns". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
12. Erickson, Hal. "The Mummy's Hand". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
13. Brennan, Sandra. "Son of Ingagi". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
14. Erickson, Hal. "You'll Find Out". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
15. Erickson, Hal. "The Black Cat". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
16. Erickson, Hal. "The Devil Commands". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
17. Butler, Craig. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Review". Allmovie. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
18. Brennan, Sandra. "Horror Island". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
19. Erickson, Hal. "The Invisible Ghost". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
20. Brennan, Sandra. "King of the Zombies". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
21. Brennan, Sandra. "The Mad Doctor of Market Street". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
22. Erickson, Hal. "Man Made Monster". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
23. Erickson, Hal. "The Monster and the Girl". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
24. Wollstein, Hans J. "Spooks Run Wild". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
25. Erickson, Hal. "The Wolf Man". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
26. Erickson, Hal. "The Boogie Man Will Get You". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
27. Erickson, Hal. "Cat People". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
28. Wollstein, Hans J. "The Corpse Vanishes". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
29. Brennan, Sandra. "Dr. Renault's Secret". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
30. Erickson, Hal. "The Ghost of Frankenstein". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
31. Rist, Peter H. Historical Dictionary of South American Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014, pp. 324
32. Wollstein, Hans J. "The Mad Monster". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
33. Wollstein, Hans J. "The Mummy's Tomb". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
34. Huey, Steve. "Night Monster". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
35. Erickson, Hal. "The Undying Monster". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
36. Binion, Cavett. "The Ape Man". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
37. Wollstein, Hans J. "Captive Wild Woman". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
38. Erickson, Hal. "La Main du Diable". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
39. Binion, Cavett. "Dead Men Walk". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
40. Erickson, Hal. "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
41. Erickson, Hal. "I Walked with a Zombie". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
42. Erickson, Hal. "The Mad Ghoul". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
43. Hardy 1995, p. 83.
44. Prince 2004, p. 77.
45. Erickson, Hal. "The Return of the Vampire". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
46. Erickson, Hal. "Revenge of the Zombies". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
47. Erickson, Hal. "The Seventh Victim". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
48. Erickson, Hal. "Son of Dracula". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
49. Erickson, Hal. "The Climax". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
50. Hardy 1995, p. 84.
51. Wollstein, Hans J. "Cry of the Werewolf". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
52. Hardy 1995, p. 85.
53. Erickson, Hal. "House of Frankenstein". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
54. "The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
55. Binion, Cavett. "Jungle Woman". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
56. Erickson, Hal. "The Lady and the Monster". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
57. Hardy 1995, pp. 85-6.
58. Erickson, Hal. "The Monster Maker". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
59. Binion, Cavett. "The Mummy's Curse". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
60. Wollstein, Hans J. "The Mummy's Ghost". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
61. Brennan, Sandra. "Return of the Ape Man". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
62. Hardy 1995, pp. 86-7.
63. Hardy 1995, p. 87.
64. Erickson, Hal. "Voodoo Man". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
65. Wollstein, Hans J. "Weird Woman". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
66. Blaise, Judd. "Dead of Night". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
67. Binion, Cavett. "Fog Island". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
68. Erickson, Hal. "House of Dracula". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
69. Wollstein, Hans J. "Isle of the Dead". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
70. Binion, Cavett. "Jungle Captive". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
71. Erickson, Hal. "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
72. Erickson, Hal. "The Vampire's Ghost". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
73. Hallenbeck 2009, pp. 46–47.
74. Blaise, Judd. "The Beast with Five Fingers". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
75. Hardy 1995, p. 91.
76. Erickson, Hal. "The Catman of Paris". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
77. Brennan, Sandra. "The Devil Bat's Daughter". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
78. Brennan, Sandra. "The Face of Marble". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
79. Binion, Cavett. "The Flying Serpent". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
80. Binion, Cavett. "House of Horrors". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
81. Hobart, Tana. "The Mask of Diijon". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
82. Erlewine, Iotis. "She-Wolf of London". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
83. Hardy 1995, p. 93.
84. Hardy 1995, p. 94.
85. Erickson, Hal. "Valley of the Zombies". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
86. Erickson, Hal. "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
87. Erickson, Hal. "The Creeper". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
88. Michael Blyth Updated: 22 May 2015 (May 22, 2015). "10 great romantic horror films". BFI. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
89. Hardy 1995, p. 95.

Bibliography

• Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (2009). Comedy-horror films: a chronological history, 1914–2008. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-3332-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hardy, Phil, ed. (1995). The Overlook Film Encyclopedia. 3. Overlook Press. ISBN 0-87951-624-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Prince, Stephen (2004). The Horror Film. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0-8135-3363-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Worland, Rick (2007). The Horror Film: A Brief Introduction. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4051-3902-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)