Forgotten Horrors: Early Talkie Chillers from Poverty Row

Forgotten Horrors

by George E. Turner, Michael H. Price

First edition bound in black cloth. 8 1/2" x 11" hardcover is in near fine condition in a near fine dust jacket. Slight spine lean. The dust jacket has rubs to its corners and spine tips. Mild dust soiling to the rear panel.

Genres: Horror

216 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

A former editor of American Cinematographer, George Turner has also worked as a production illustrator and special effects artist in films and television. Prior to those experiences, he was a newspaperman in Texas. A graduate of West Texas State University, he attended the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art, and took private classes with Ramon Froman, Ben Mead, Stefan Kramar, Bud Biggs and Gerry Pearce. He has written and illustrated numerous books, including The Making of King Kong (with Orville Goldner), Forgotten Horrors (with Michael Price), Murder in the Palo Duro, Panhandle Portrait and Secrets of Billy the Kid. His stories, articles, cartoons, and illustrations have appeared in many magazines. His film credits include Ray Bradbury's Infinite Horizons, One from the Heart, Outland, Zorro and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.

Reviews

[Anthony McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvellous reference book detailing horror films made by Poverty Row studios 1929-1936. Probably most of the films you haven't heard about but fortunately with boutique dealers scouring the vaults and releasing many via DVD etc., nowadays they have become more accessible.
Many no doubt deserve to be forgotten but some of these cheapies often provide more entertainment value than their large-scale counterparts.

The authors, George E. Turner and Michael H. Price have done a sterling job in assembling all the details regarding more than 100 features and serials from such studios as Mascot, Chesterfield, Tiffany, Monogram, Mayfair, Invincible, Principal, Consolidated, Majestic and numerous other long-forgotten companies that made up the battlers of the old Hollywood. One studio represented here that did escape was Republic Pictures.

Peerless research with each film getting a detailed synopsis, credits and with fascinating notes on its production. The many serials included also include chapter titles. To top all of this off are the more than 300 photos, posters, lobby cards and other artwork all beautifully reproduced in glorious black and white in true poverty row style!

A few titles that should arouse your interest: King of the Kongo; The Monster Walks; The Shadow of the Eagle (John Wayne); White Zombie (Bela Lugosi); The Hurricane Express (John Wayne); Law of the Tongs; The Death Kiss; The Vampire Bat (Lionel Atwill); The Whispering Shadow (Lugosi); The Return of Chandu (Lugosi); Drums O'Voodoo; The Wolf Dog (Rin Tin Tin); A Shriek in the Night (Ginger Rogers); Riders of the Whistling Skull; Murder by Television (Lugosi); The Lost City (William Boyd); Picture Brides (Dorothy Mackaill); Queen of the Jungle; The Crime of Dr Crespi (Erich von Stroheim); Scream in the Night (Lon Chaney Jr.); The Amazing Exploits of the Clutching Hand; The Phantom Empire (Gene Autry); Captured in Chinatown (with Tarzan the Police Dog); Jaws of the Jungle; Revolt of the Zombies (Dorothy Stone & Dean Jagger) ...... to mention just a few gems to check out.


"The free-agent filmmakers of Poverty Row - the Hell's Kitchen of Hollywood - receive their just desserts in "Forgotten Horrors", a history of shoestring cinema during the formative years of talking-picture technology. The medium is the "horror" film (broadly defined here, in order to give the reader the most encyclopedic view possible of both the genre and the industry), and the message is a depiction of Poverty Row as a breeding-ground for inventiveness, a tough little cadre of craftsmen who sought to transcend tight money with artistry and make a buck in the process."

Review based on A. S. Barnes hard cover first edition, 1979. 216 pages.
Later editions also available.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an outstanding compendium! From 1929 to 1937 you are presented movie posters, stills and photos of films you probably never heard of: Black Waters, Mamba, The Shadow of the Eagle, The Phantom Express, some early Bela Lugosi flics, The House of Mystery, The Mysterious Mr Wong, The Crime of Dr Crespi, House of Secrets... each movie with cast and a short synopsis what it is about. The author did his homeworks and come up with an excellent book on a long forgotten era. A feast for horror aficionados!