Horror Film History Highlights for September

Isle of the Dead (1945) RKO Radio Pictures directed by Mark Robson, and starred Boris Karloff was released on September 1, 1945. The film was inspired by the painting Isle of the Dead by Arnold Böcklin.


Max Schreck (Friedrich Gustav Maximilian Schreck) a German actor who is remembered for his lead role as Count Orlok in the film Nosferatu (1922) was born on September 6, 1879.

 

Max Schreck as Juana's father in Doña Juana (1928).

The Cat and the Canary (1927) is an American silent horror film adaptation of John Willard's 1922 play of the same name. Directed by German Expressionist filmmaker Paul Leni, the film was released on September 9, 1927 and is considered by many to be a major influence in the "old dark house" genre of films produced from the 1930s through the 1950s.

Maniac aka Sex Maniac, (1934) is an American exploitation/horror film directed by Dwain Esper and written by Hildegarde Stadie, Esper's wife. Maniac was as an adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe story "The Black Cat" was released on September 11, 1934.  John Wilson, the founder of the Golden Raspberry Award, named Maniac (1934) one of the "100 Most Amusingly Bad Movies Ever Made" in his book The Official Razzies Movie Guide.

The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936) was a British science fiction/ horror film starring Boris Karloff and Anna Lee. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and was released on September 11, 1936 in London. The film was also known as The Brain Snatcher or The Man Who Lived Again.

Before I Hang (1940) a science fiction/ horror film released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Nick Grinde, and starring Boris Karloff was released on September 17, 1940. 

The Mummy's Hand (1940) released on September 20, 1940 was the first of a series of films featuring the mummy named Kharis. Tom Tyler played Kharis in this film but it would be Lon Chaney, Jr., who would take over the role for the following three sequels.

Herbert George "H. G." Wells, an English writer known for his work in the science fiction genre was born on September 21, 1866. His most notable science fiction works include The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The Island of Doctor Moreau.

The Ape (1940) a Monogram Pictures film produced and directed by William Nigh and, starring Boris Karloff was released September 30, 1940. This would be the last film in Boris Karloff's 6-picture contract with Monogram. He would however return in 1958 for "Frankenstein-1970."