by Kristian Cortez, Staff Writer

When prompted on the spot to list horror films released before 1978, the same familiar titles tend to come to mind first: Carrie or The Exorcist, classics like Dracula or Frankenstein. Titles that have been celebrated for decades now and don’t necessarily need the exposure. I considered this as I began to pull titles together for this list and what I’ve arrived at is six films—one taken from each decade of horror, beginning in the 1920s and concluding in the 1970s—that are very rarely, if not ever, mentioned in horror round-ups. 

The titles listed below are, in a sense, the odd ones out. Although, their lack of popularity does not mean they aren’t worthy of your time or that they don’t deliver a proper scare. So, try one or two out. You never know, a new favorite could be waiting for your discovery.

The Cat and the Canary (dir. Elliott Nugent, 1927)

Twenty years have passed since the death of Cyrus West and it is finally time to read his will. When family members gather at his haunted mansion for the reading, they come to find that a lunatic has escaped from a nearby asylum and is somewhere on the grounds. A silent horror film directed by German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni, it stars Laura La Plante, Forrest Stanley, and Creighton Hale. Unique to this horror film is how it also functions as a mystery. It is revealed early on that one of the family members knows they are second in line for West’s inheritance, leaving us the viewer, to suspect the intentions of everyone in the mansion. Oh, and they all happen to be stuck together for the night.

The Old Dark House (dir. James Whale, 1932)

Five travelers seek shelter from a treacherous storm at the Femm family estate where they quickly learn of the horrors that live within the house. A pre-Code horror film directed by James Whale and featuring an ensemble cast that includes Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stuart and Charles Laughton. The provided ambience is everything you want in a horror story: a thunderstorm (whose loud sounds are present in every scene), a large dark and dusty house, a creepy butler who never utters a word, and a mysterious second floor where an unknown someone may or may not be hiding. Brother and sister, Horace and Rebecca Femm, (played by Ernest Thesiger and Eva Moore) make this film for me as they perfectly balance coming off creepy one moment and then funny in another. 

Dead of Night (dir. Alberto Cavalcanti, 1945)

An architect arrives at a country cottage and upon meeting the other guests relays to them that despite not knowing any of them, he has seen them before in a recurring dream. The guests then each take turns telling their own supernatural experiences. The stories play out in individual segments with the final one, involving an insane ventriloquist’s dummy, being the scariest of the bunch. Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, and Robert Hamer, it stars Mervyn Johns, Googie Withers, Sally Ann Howes, and Michael Redgrave. Some of the best horror stories are ones that take ordinary events or objects and turn them into something sinister. In this collection of stories, we are asked to think twice about being alone in a hospital, how creepy the game of hide-and-seek really is, and how mirrors are probably the scariest things we own.

Curse of the Demon (dir. Jacques Tourneur, 1957)

An American psychologist travels to England for a conference only to find himself investigating a mysterious death connected to the leader of a satanic cult. Directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, and Niall MacGinnis. Although it contains very little similarities between one of my all-time favorites, Rosemary’s Baby, I’d reckon the two paired together would make a wonderful double feature line-up. Like Rosemary’s Baby, here we engage with the leader of a satanic cult invoking harm onto others and we have a character in Dr. Holden who only believes in rational explanations. It makes for an engrossing viewing experience as we root for the characters to open their eyes and believe what is in front of them.   

Black Sunday (dir. Mario Bava, 1960)

In the 1630s, a vampiric witch is burned at the stake but before dying, vows revenge and puts a curse on the descendants of her accuser. She returns from the grave with her servant and sets out to possess the body of a look-alike descendant. Directed by Italian director Mario Bava and starring Barbara Steele, John Richardson, and Andrea Checchi. Atmosphere is everything in a story about vampires or witches and this film succeeds on all levels. A crypt covered in cobwebs, a gothic mansion, foggy passageways, eerie music—it's got it all.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (dir. Robert Fuest, 1971)

This is a love story. A horror love story. Four years after the death of his wife due to surgery, Dr. Anton Phibes seeks revenge on the nine members of her medical team whom he blames. Striking the perfect balance between horror and dark comedy, the film was directed by Robert Fuest and stars horror legend Vincent Price and Joseph Cotten. Brilliant is the actor who can provide an engrossing performance without uttering a single word, relying solely on facial expressions and the intensity of their stare. Vincent Price is that actor. We hear his iconic voice only when his character is plugged into a gramophone and since this heavy contraption is not portable, the majority of Price’s scenes have him moving around in silence. Dr. Phibes is proof that Price didn’t need words to be terrifying on screen. The only element required was his presence.