The Turn to Gruesomeness in American Horror Films, 1931-1936

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Performing Arts, Film, History
Cover of the book The Turn to Gruesomeness in American Horror Films, 1931-1936 by Jon Towlson, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jon Towlson ISBN: 9781476626390
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Publication: September 12, 2016
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Jon Towlson
ISBN: 9781476626390
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication: September 12, 2016
Imprint:
Language: English

Critics have traditionally characterized classic horror by its use of shadow and suggestion. Yet the graphic nature of early 1930s films only came to light in the home video/DVD era. Along with gangster movies and “sex pictures,” horror films drew audiences during the Great Depression with sensational content. Exploiting a loophole in the Hays Code, which made no provision for on-screen “gruesomeness,” studios produced remarkably explicit films that were recut when the Code was more rigidly enforced from 1934. This led to a modern misperception that classic horror was intended to be safe and reassuring to audiences. The author examines the 1931 to 1936 “happy ending” horror in relation to industry practices and censorship. Early works like Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and The Raven (1935) may be more akin to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Hostel (2005) than many critics believe.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Critics have traditionally characterized classic horror by its use of shadow and suggestion. Yet the graphic nature of early 1930s films only came to light in the home video/DVD era. Along with gangster movies and “sex pictures,” horror films drew audiences during the Great Depression with sensational content. Exploiting a loophole in the Hays Code, which made no provision for on-screen “gruesomeness,” studios produced remarkably explicit films that were recut when the Code was more rigidly enforced from 1934. This led to a modern misperception that classic horror was intended to be safe and reassuring to audiences. The author examines the 1931 to 1936 “happy ending” horror in relation to industry practices and censorship. Early works like Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and The Raven (1935) may be more akin to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and Hostel (2005) than many critics believe.

More books from McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Cover of the book Muses India by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book Auto Racing Comes of Age by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book Privatization in Practice by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book Creating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book Van Heflin by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book Bicycles in American Highway Planning by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book Mass Hysteria in Schools by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book The Visual Culture of Women's Activism in London, Paris and Beyond by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book The Cherokee Struggle to Maintain Identity in the 17th and 18th Centuries by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book To Vietnam in Vain by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book William Lloyd Garrison and American Abolitionism in Literature and Memory by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book Lost in Action by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book The Battle Rifle by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book Masculinity in the Golden Age of Swedish Cinema by Jon Towlson
Cover of the book A Critical History of Soul Train on Television by Jon Towlson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy