List of horror films of the 1950s

This is a list of horror films released in the 1950s. At the beginning of the 1950s, horror films were described by Kim Newman as being "out of fashion".[1] Among the most influential horror films of the 1950s was The Thing From Another World, with Newman stating that countless science fiction horror films of the 1950s would follow in its style, while a film made just the year before, The Man from Planet X was still in debt to Universal horror style of filming with a bearded scientist and foggy sets.[1] For five years following the release of The Thing From Another World, nearly every film involving aliens, dinosaurs or radioactive mutants would be dealth with matter-of-fact characters as seen in The Thing From Another World.[1] Even films that adapted for older characters had science fiction leanings such as The Vampire, The Werewolf and Frankenstein 1970 were influenced by the atomic inspired monsters of the era.[2] Films with a Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde themed also appeared with The Neanderthal Man, The Fly, Monster on the Campus and Hideous Sun Demon.[2]

While studies suggest that gothic horror had fallen out of fashion between the release of House of Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein, small glimpses of the genre appeared in films such as The Son of Dr. Jekyll, The Strange Door, The Black Castle and House of Wax.[3] Several of these films were also shot in 3D such as The Mad Magician, Phantom of the Rue Morgue, and The Maze.[4] Universal-International produced the film ''Cult of the Cobra which created a short lived wave of horror films featuring Pin-up model like mutants such as The Leech Woman and The Wasp Woman.[4] Prior to the release of Hammer Film Productions's gothic films, the last gothic horror films of the 1950s often featured aged stars like Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., and Boris Karloff in films made my low budget indie film directors like Ed Wood or Reginald LeBorg or producers like Howard W. Koch.[4] Hammer originally began developing American-styled science fiction films in the early 1950s but later branched into horror with their colour films The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula.[4][5] These films would birth two horror film stars: Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.[5] Along with Hammer's more science fiction oriented series Quatermass, both the gothic and science fiction films of Hammer would develop many similar films within the years.[5]

Horror films aimed a young audience featuring teenage monsters grew popular in the 1950s with several productions from American International Pictures (AIP) and productions of Herman Cohen with I Was a Teenage Werewolf and I Was a Teenage Frankenstein.[5] This led to later productions like Daughter of Dr. Jekyll and Frankenstein's Daughter.[5] Director William Castle also attracted horror audiences with his gimmick-themed horror films such as The Tingler and House on Haunted Hill.[5] Horror films also expanded further into international productions in the 1950s such as Mexican production El vampiro.[5] In Italy, Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava developed early Italian horror films with I Vampiri and Caltiki – The Immortal Monster.[6] Productions also extended into the Phillipines (Terror Is a Man), Germany (The Head and Horrors of Spider Island) and France (Eyes Without a Face).[6]

List

Horror films released in the 1950s

Title	Director	Cast	Country	Notes
1951
Bride of the Gorilla	Curt Siodmak	Barbara Payton, Lon Chaney Jr., Raymond Burr	United States	[7]
The Thing from Another World	Christian Nyby	James Arness, Margaret Sheridan, Kenneth Tobey	United States	[8]
The Son of Dr. Jekyll	Seymour Friedman	Louis Hayward, Jody Lawrance, Alexander Knox	United States	[9]
The Strange Door	Joseph Pevney	Charles Laughton, Boris Karloff, Sally Forrest	United States	[10]
1952
The Black Castle	Nathan H. Juran	Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr.	United States	[11]
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire	John Gilling	Arthur Lucan, Bela Lugosi, Dora Bryan	United Kingdom	[12]
The White Reindeer	Erik Blomberg	Mirjami Kuosmanen, Kalervo Nissilä, Åke Lindman	Finland	[13]
1953
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms	Eugène Lourié	Paul Christian, Paula Raymond, Cecil Kellaway	United States	Science fiction horror[14]
House of Wax	André De Toth	Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk	United States	[15]
The Maze	William Cameron Menzies	Richard Carlson, Veronica Hurst, Katherine Emery	United States	[16]
The Neanderthal Man	Ewald André Dupont	Robert Shayne, Doris Merrick, Richard Crane	United States
1954
Godzilla	Ishirō Honda	Akira Takarada, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura	Japan
Bride of the Monster	Ed Wood	Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy	United States	[17]
Creature from the Black Lagoon	Jack Arnold	Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning	United States
La Bruja	Chano Urueta	Lilia del Valle, Ramón Gay	Mexico	[18]
The Mad Magician	John Brahm	Vincent Price, Mary Murphy, Eva Gabor	United States	[19]
The Snow Creature	W. Lee Wilder	Paul Langton, Leslie Denison, Teru Shimada	United States	[20]
1955
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy	Charles Lamont	Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Marie Windsor	United States	Horror comedy[21]
Creature with the Atom Brain	Edward L. Cahn	Richard Danning, Angela Stevens, S. John Launer	United States	[22]
Cult of the Cobra	Francis D. Lyon	Faith Domergue, Richard Long, Marshall Thompson	United States	[23]
Dementia	John Parker	Adrienne Barrett, Bruno VeSota, Ben Roseman, Richard Barron	United States	[24]
It Came from Beneath the Sea	Robert Gordon	Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, Donald Curtis	United States	[25]
Les Diaboliques	Henri-Georges Clouzot	Simone Signoret Véra Clouzot	France	[26]
Night of the Hunter	Charles Laughton	Robert Mitchum Shelley Winters	United States	[27]
1956
Invasion of the Body Snatchers	Don Siegel	Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates	United States	Science fiction-horror[28]
The Black Sleep	Reginald Le Borg	Basil Rathbone, Akim Tamiroff, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, Tor Johnson	United States	[29]
Man Beast	Jerry Warren	Rock Madison, Asa Maynor, George Skaff	United States	[30][31]
The Mole People	Virgil Vogel	John Agar, Cynthia Patrick, Hugh Beaumont	United States	Science fiction horror[32]
The She-Creature	Edward L. Cahn	Chester Morris, Marla English, Tom Conway	United States	[33]
1957
The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas	Val Guest	Forrest Tucker, Peter Cushing, Maureen Connell	United Kingdom United States	[34]
Back from the Dead	Charles Marquis Warren	Peggie Castle, Arthur Franz, Marsha Hunt	United States	[35]
The Black Scorpion	Edward Ludwig	Richard Denning, Mara Corday, Carlos Rivas	United States	[36]
Blood of Dracula	Herbert L. Strock	Sandra Harrison, Gail Ganley, Jerry Blaine	United States	[37]
Cat Girl	Alfred Shaughnessy	Barbara Shelley, Robert Ayres, Kay Callard	United Kingdom United States	[38]
The Curse of Frankenstein	Terence Fisher	Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Hazel Court	United Kingdom	[39]
Daughter of Dr. Jekyll	Edgar G. Ulmer	John Agar, Gloria Talbott, Arthur Shields	United States	[40]
The Disembodied	Walter Grauman	Paul Burke, Allison Hayes, John Wengraf	United States	[41]
From Hell It Came	Dan Milner	Tina Carver, Baynes Barron, Suzanne Ridgeway	United States	[42]
The Giant Claw	Fred F. Sears	Jeff Morrow, Mara Corday	United States	[43]
La Maldicion de la Momia Azteca	Rafael Lopez Portillo	Julian DeMeriche, Alejandro Cruz, Arturo Martinez Sr.	Mexico	[44]
La Momia Azteca	Rafael Lopez Portillo	Emma Roldan, Jorge Mondragon, Arturo Martinez Sr.	Mexico	[45]
Night of the Demon	Jacques Tourneur	Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis	United Kingdom	[46]
Pharaoh's Curse	Lee Sholem	Mark Dana, Ziva Rodann	United States	[47]
Spook Chasers	George Blair	Huntz Hall, Robert Shayne	United States	[48]
The Undead	Roger Corman	Pamela Duncan, Richard Garland, Allison Hayes, Val Dufour	United States	[49]
The Vampire	Paul Landres	John Beal, Kenneth Tobey, Dabbs Greer	United States	[50]
I Vampiri	Riccardo Freda, Mario Bava	Gianna Maria Canale, Carlo D'Angelo, Dario Michaelis	Italy	[51]
Voodoo Island	Reginald Le Borg	Boris Karloff, Beverly Tyler, Murvyn Vye	United States	[52]
Voodoo Woman	Edward L. Cahn	Marla English, Tom Conway, Lance Fuller	United States	[53]
The Woman Eater	Charles Saunders	George Coulouris, Vera Day	United Kingdom	[54]
1958
The Blob	Irvin Yeaworth	Steve McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe	United States	Science fiction horror[55]
Blood of the Vampire	Henry Cass	Donald Wolfit, Vincent Ball, Barbara Shelley	United Kingdom	[56]
Black Cat Mansion	Nobuo Nakagawa	Toshio Hosokawa, Yuriko Ejima, Takashi Wada	Japan	[57]
The Brain Eaters	Bruno Ve Sota	Ed Nelson, Alan Frost, Jack Hill	United States	[58]
The Bride and the Beast	Adrian Weiss	Charlotte Austin, Lance Fuller, Johnny Roth	United States	[59]
The Castle of the Monsters	Julián Soler	Antonio Espino, Evangelina Elizondo	Mexico	[60]
Corridors of Blood	Robert Day	Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee	United Kingdom	[61]
Curse of the Faceless Man	Edward L. Cahn	Richard Anderson, Elaine Edwards, Adele Mara	United States	[62]
Dracula	Terence Fisher	Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Melissa Stribling	United Kingdom	[63]
El hombre y el monstruo	Rafael Baledon	Abel Salazar	Mexico	[64]
Giant from the Unknown	Richard E. Cunha	Ed Kemmer, Sally Fraser, Buddy Baer	United States	[65]
I Bury the Living	Albert Band	Richard Boone, Theodore Bikel, Peggy Maurer	United States	[66]
Macabre	William Castle	Jacqueline Scott, Jim Backus, Philip Tonge	United States	[67]
Monster on the Campus	Jack Arnold	Joanna Moore, Troy Donahue, Nancy Walters	United States	[68]
My World Dies Screaming	Harold Daniels	Gerald Mohr, Cathy O'Donnell, William Ching	United States	[69]
The Return of Dracula	Paul Landres	Francis Lederer	United States	[70]
The Screaming Skull	Alex Nicol	John Hudson, Peggy Webber, Toni Johnson	United States	[71]
The Thing That Couldn't Die	Will Cowan	William Reynolds, Andra Martin, Jeffrey Stone	United States	[72]
The Trollenberg Terror	Quentin Lawrence	Forrest Tucker, Laurence Payne, Jennifer Jayne	United Kingdom
The Vampire's Coffin	Fernando Mendez	Abel Salazar	Mexico	[73]
1959
Attack of the Giant Leeches	Bernard Kowalski	Jan Shepard, Gene Roth, Yvette Vickers	United States	[74]
Beast from Haunted Cave	Monte Hellman	Michael Forest, Frank Wolff, Chris Robinson	United States	[75]
A Bucket of Blood	Roger Corman	Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Anthony Carbone	United States	[76]
Caltiki – The Immortal Monster	Riccardo Freda, Mario Bava	John Merivale, Didi Perego, Gérard Herter	Italy France	[77][78]
The Head	Victor Trivas	Horst Frank, Michel Simon, Paul Dahlke	West Germany	[79][80]
La Casa del Terror	Gilberto Martínez Solares	Lon Chaney Jr., Tin-Tan, Yolanda Varela	Mexico	[81]
Curse of the Undead	Edward Dein	Eric Fleming, Michael Pate, Kathleen Crowley	United States	[82]
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake	Edward L. Cahn	Eduard Franz, Valerie French, Henry Daniell	United States	[83]
Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow	William J. Hole Jr.	Jody Fair, Martin Braddock, Russ Bender	United States	[84]
Tokaido Yotsuya kaidan	Nobuo Nakagawa	Shigeru Amachi, Noriko Kitazawa	Japan	[85]
The Giant Gila Monster	Ray Kellogg	Don Sullivan, Fred Graham	United States	[86]
House on Haunted Hill	William Castle	Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long	United States	[87]
Jack the Ripper	Monty Berman, Robert S. Baker	Eddie Byrne, Lee Patterson	United Kingdom
La Llorona (a.k.a. The Crying Woman)	René Cardona, Sr.	María Elena Marqués	Mexico	[88]
The Man Who Could Cheat Death	Terence Fisher	Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee	United Kingdom United States	[89]
The Mummy	Terence Fisher	Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux	United Kingdom	[90]
Plan 9 from Outer Space	Ed Wood	Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson, Maila Nurmi	United States	Science fiction horror[91]
Terror Is a Man	Gerardo de León	Francis Lederer, Greta Thyssen, Richard Derr	Philippines United States	[92]
The Tingler	William Castle	Vincent Price, Judith Evelyn, Darryl Hickman	United States	[93]
Uncle Was a Vampire	Steno	Kay Fisher, Sylva Koscina, Christopher Lee	Italy	[94]

See also

• Lists of horror films

References

Citations

1. Marriott & Newman 2018, p. 65. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMarriottNewman2018 (help)
2. Marriott & Newman 2018, p. 66. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMarriottNewman2018 (help)
3. Marriott & Newman 2018, p. 68. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMarriottNewman2018 (help)
4. Marriott & Newman 2018, p. 69. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMarriottNewman2018 (help)
5. Marriott & Newman 2018, p. 70. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMarriottNewman2018 (help)
6. Marriott & Newman 2018, p. 71. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMarriottNewman2018 (help)
7. Erickson, Hal. "Bride of the Gorilla". Allmovie. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
8. Erickson, Hal. "The Thing(1951)". Allmovie. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
9. Erickson, Hal. "The Son of Dr. Jekyll". Allmovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
10. Erickson, Hal. "The Strange Door". Allmovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
11. Erickson, Hal. "The Black Castle". Allmovie. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
12. Eder, Bruce. "My Son, the Vampire". Allmovie. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
13. Erickson, Hal. "Valkoinen peura". Allmovie. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
14. https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-beast-from-20000-fathoms-v4460
15. Erickson, Hal. "House of Wax". Allmovie. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
16. Erickson, Hal. "The Maze". Allmovie. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
17. https://www.allmovie.com/movie/bride-of-the-monster-v7096
18. "La Bruja –Cast and Crew". Allmovie. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
19. Legare, Patrick. "The Mad Magician". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
20. Erickson, Hal. "The Snow Creature". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
21. Eder, Bruce. "Bride of the Monster". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
22. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047960/
23. Brennan, Sandra. "Cult of the Cobra". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
24. Binion, Cavett. "Dementia: Daughter of Horror". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
25. https://www.allmovie.com/movie/it-came-from-beneath-the-sea-v25501
26. O'Neill, Phelim. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/22/les-diaboliques-clouzot. Retrieved June 21, 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
27. Huddleston, Tom; et al. TimeOut https://www.timeout.com/london/film/best-horror-films#tab_panel_4. Retrieved June 21, 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
28. Deming, Mark. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". AllMovie. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
29. Erickson, Hal. "The Black Sleep". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
30. "Man Beast". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
31. Weaver 2006, p. 371.
32. Erickson, Hal. "The Mole People". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
33. Brennan, Sandra. "The She-Creature". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
34. Firsching, Robert. "The Abominable Snowman". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
35. Binion, Cavett. "Back from the Dead". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
36. Erickson, Hal. "The Black Scorpion". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
37. Erickson, Hal. "Blood of Dracula". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
38. Erickson, Hal. "Cat Girl". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
39. Erickson, Hal. "The Curse of Frankenstein". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
40. Binion, Cavett. "Daughter of Dr. Jekyll". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
41. Erickson, Hal. "The Disembodied". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
42. Binion, Cavett. "From Hell It Came". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
43. "The Giant Claw".
44. Brennan, Sandra. "La Maldicion de la Momia Azteca". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
45. "La Momia Azteca". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
46. Erickson, Hal. "Night of the Demon". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
47. Wollstein, Hans J. "Pharaoh's Curse". AllMovie. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
48. Brennan, Sandra. "Spook Chasers". AllMovie. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
49. Binion, Cavett. "The Undead". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
50. Warren, Bill. "The Vampire". Allmovie. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
51. Curti 2015, p. 21.
52. Erickson, Hal. "Voodoo Island". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
53. Erickson, Hal. "Voodoo Island". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
54. Eder, Bruce. "The Woman Eater". AllMovie. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
55. "The Blob (1958) - Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., Irvin Shortess Yeaworth, Jr., Irvin S. Yeaworth | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related".
56. Erickson, Hal. "Blood of the Vampire". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
57. "Black Cat Mansion". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
58. Eder, Bruce. "The Brain Eaters". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
59. Binion, Cavett. "Bride and the Beast". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
60. Erlewine, Iotis. "El Castillo de los Monstruos". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
61. Binion, Cavett. "Corridors of Blood". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
62. Eder, Bruce. "Curse of the Faceless Man". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
63. Erickson, Hal. "Dracula". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
64. Erickson, Hal. "El hombre y el monstruo". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
65. Erickson, Hal. "Giant from the Unknown". Allmovie. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
66. Erickson, Hal. "I Bury the Living". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
67. Binion, Cavett. "Macabre". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
68. Erickson, Hal. "Monster on the Campus". Allmovie. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
69. "My World Dies Screaming". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
70. Binion, Cavett. "Return of Dracula". Allmovie. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
71. Erickson, Hal. "The Screaming Skull". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
72. Blaise, Judd. "The Thing That Couldn't Die". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
73. Erlewine, Iotis. "El Ataud del Vampiro". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
74. Binion, Cavett. "Attack of the Giant Leeches". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
75. "Beast from Haunted Cave". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
76. Binion, Cavett. "A Bucket of Blood". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
77. Curti 2017, p. 315.
78. Eder, Bruce. "Caltiki - Il Mostro Immortale (1959)". AllMovie. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
79. Mannikka, Eleanor. "Caltiki - Il Mostro Immortale (1959)". AllMovie. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
80. "Die Nackte und der Satan". Filmportal.de. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
81. Blaise, Judd. "La Casa del Terror". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
82. Eder, Bruce. "Curse of the Undead". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
83. Brennan, Sandra. "The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
84. Binion, Cavett. "The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
85. Dorset, Jeaniff. "The Ghost of Yotsuya". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
86. Erickson, Hal. "The Giant Gila Monster". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
87. "House on Haunted Hill". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
88. Harwell 1997, p. 157.
89. Binion, Cavett. "The Man Who Could Cheat Death". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
90. Bush, John. "The Mummy". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
91. https://www.allmovie.com/movie/plan-9-from-outer-space-v38287
92. Deming, Mark. "Terror Is a Man". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
93. Seibert, Perry. "The Tingler". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
94. Brennan, Sandra. "Tempi duri per i vampiri". Allmovie. Retrieved August 7, 2011.

Bibliography

• Curti, Roberto (2017). Riccardo Freda: The Life and Works of a Born Filmmaker. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476628387.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Derrey, Charles (2009). Dark dreams 2.0: a psychological history of the modern horror film. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3397-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Harwell, Thomas Meade (1997). Studies in Texan folklore – Rio Grande Valley. Lewiston: Edwin Mellen Press. ISBN 0-7734-4208-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hutchings, Peter (1993). Hammer and Beyond: The British Horror Film. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-3720-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Curti, Roberto (2015). Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957–1969. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476619897.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Weaver, Tom (2006). Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers. McFarland. ISBN 0786428589.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Warren, Bill (2009). Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, The 21st Century Edition. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786442300.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)