Lon Chaney Sr.: "The Man Behind A Thousand Faces"

"The Golem" (1921)

To see this film in it's entirety, go to the link at the right for "The Silent Movie Multiplex".

"Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages" (1922): Excerpt

Directed & written by Benjamin Christensen, this Swedish/Danish silent film is a strangely poetic work of art. It is beautifully shot, and is less of a horror film than a history lesson. Still, it's over-the-top subject matter for the time, certainly qualifies it as a "horror" film, particularly in light of certain scenes which are quite terrifying and nightmarish. The resemblance of many scenes to Francisco Goya's supernaturally charged "Black Paintings" and witchcraft-themed etchings is quite striking.

"White Zombie" (1932)

While not a silent film, it is of interest to us because stylistically it is still rooted in the silent film format. The film, starring Bela Lugosi, is an early talkie with minimal dialogue. Many of Lugosi's actions in this film reflect his work in "Dracula".

This is the full-length film.

"M" (Eine Stadt sucht einen Moerder) (1931)

This is the full-length film.

"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" (1920)

This is the full-length film.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923)

This is the full-length film.

"The Phantom of the Opera" (1925)

This is the full-length film.

"Frankenstein" (1910)

This is the full-length film.

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920)

This is the full-length film.

"Nosferatu" (1922)

This is the full-length film.

Montage of Conrad Veidt

A nice montage of clips from the films of actor Conrad Veidt. This dramatic stage actor starred in many "horror" and creepy-themed films of the era.

"The Cat and the Canary" (1927)

"Dark House" films were a popular genre of films unto themselves. Two of the best in the genre are "The Cat and the Canary" (1927) and "The Old Dark House" (1932), which was directed by James Whale. American audiences in particular enjoyed these mystery-thrillers, which usually involved events that seemed supernatural in occurrence, later revealed by the house-detective as being easily explained criminal mischief. These types of movies, in which dozens were made, would lead to the notion of the full-fledged supernatural "monster", which was not so easily dismissed by the cast of characters or the audience itself.

"Svengali" (1931): John Barrymore - Clip

Note: Though an early "talkie", the film bears distinctive silent-film characteristics, including a distinctive "tip of the hat" to the German Expressionistic "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920), in the form of dramatic lighting, sweeping camera work and obtuse set-designs, creating a fun-house like effect. Filmed the same year as James Whales' "Frankenstein", "Svengali" (along with "The Old Dark House" and "Dracula") bear the stamp of the earlier silent-film era.

"Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914): WInsor McCay

"A Trip To The Moon" (1902): Georges Melies

"The Conjuror" (1899): Georges Melies

"Dream of a Rarebit Fiend" (1903): Edison

"The Ghost of Slumber Mountain" (1918): Willis O'Brien

"Der Golem" (1915): Attack Scene

"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" (1920): John Barrymore Transformation Scene