This feels like an incredibly personal series, and Gatiss has no intention of hiding this: a 'personal passion' he's 'unashamedly selective' of his favourite films and periods. Described himself as a morbid child in his youth, with an affinity and leaning towards horror and the macabre that has remained.
Cites Phantom of the Opera (1925) of the Silent Film period for when Horror started to come into it's own.
Lon Chaney - he calls the Godfather of Horror.
Spoke to Caarla Laemmle (niece of Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle), a sprightly centurian!
Chaney used a life mask to help with his own makeup, and aid it's conception.
Carl Laemmle wanted to do a Dracula pic, but the Great Depression hit in 1925. However, he found a more cost-effective way to film.
Dracula (1931) was the first modern horror picture with sound. Starred Bela Lugosi.
Gatiss says great as it was, it didn't have that Gothic sensibility.
Owing to 'creative differences' Lergosi departed from the production of the next movie...
The English Director James Whale was brought in for Frankenstein (1931). It was Boris Karloff's 81st movie! Gatiss makes reference to the make-up artist (Jack Pierce), but says that Karloff in the title role was so much more than 'a brilliant piece of makeup'. Physically looking different makes you different - and Karloff understood that acutely from personal experience growing up... The movie allegedly contained the first controversial scene in the killing of a child. With it's heavy content, the movie stormed to box-office success.
Another hit followed in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931).
And also Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) shot in Technicolour.
James Whale could be considered the First Horror Auteur, who pioneered 'camp'.
The Old Dark Horse (1932)
His films have aged well.
Whale invited back for a follow-up, on his terms, with the condition that he had complete creative control.
Bride of Frankenstein (1931) ensued.
Pretorius - camp.
Whale's greatest achievement, and was his last pic.
There was no censorship in the 1930s.
And cinema (horror in particular) reached more twisted and sadistic territory.
Mad Love (1935)
Island of Lost Souls (1933)
The Black Cat (1934)
And notorious to this day:
Freaks (1932)
Directed by Todd Browning, featured real people, not special effects...
Bombed at the box office...
After re-releasing Frankenstein and Dracula a Renaissance of sorts occurred.
Universal's Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Lost much of the camp.
Had a more swashbuckling approach.
The was made famous as Bambi!
One of the greatest casts ever!...
Lergosi tried to be taken advantage of, but co-stars supported his and fought for him.
Boris Karloff's last stab at Frankenstein.
1940s
Sequels were a commonplace favourite.
Cat People (1942) Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Followed Citizen Kane flop.
Released sensationalist movies with evocative titles first, storyline second, but managed to develop a psychological sophistication in the process.
The 'Lewton Bus' (the swimming pool, and walking down a shady street!)
John Carpenter not at all impressed with Luton!
Gatiss holds polite reserve, and obviously appreciates it!
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Comparing Boris Karloff to Bela Lergosi. The former had a long and successful career. The latter not so.
Bud Abott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Invited for a British tour, for a Dracula revival in regional theatres. Unsuccessful, mocked, people and audiences had become a bit more sophisticated. Lergosi saw Dracula as his Hamlet. Didn't make the comeback he wanted. He was buried in his Dracula cape when he died 5 years later.
The Atomic Age hit in the 1950s, and Horror cinema became extinct for 2 decades thereafter.
Movies were all about scientists and soldiers, over the stake.
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