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The Best '30s Horror Movies

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List RulesVote up your favorite horror films that were released in the 1930s

This list of the best 1930s horror movies features some truly terrifying tales of murder, monsters, and mayhem. Fans of the horror genre might scoff at horror films made over 70 years ago, but if you give these movies a chance, they will most assuredly leave your hair standing on end, and your knuckles white.

One of the most iconic horror movies ever made was released in the ‘30s: Tod Browning’s Freaks. Revolutionary, and unlike any movie that came before or afterward, Freaks featured real sideshow performers with real deformities. The original version of the film was deemed too disturbing to be released. The film ruined Browning’s career. The two dominant horror actors of the ‘30s and ‘40s, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, also appear on this list as Dracula and Frankenstein, respectively. The Black Cat was the first of eight films to pit the two on-screen legends against one another.

Also on this list, you’ll find the work of legendary German director Fritz Lang. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, a follow up to Lang’s earlier silent film about the mad doctor, is regarded as one of the finest horror films of the decade. Vote up the best '30s horror movies below, and be sure to let us know what you think in the comment section.

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Frankenstein
Boris Karloff, John Boles
Released: 1931
Directed by: James Whale
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Frankenstein is a 1931 horror monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and... more on Wikipedia
2
111
16
Dracula
Bela Lugosi, Tod Browning
Released: 1931
Directed by: Tod Browning, Karl Freund
Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as... more on Wikipedia
3
111
19
Bride of Frankenstein
Boris Karloff, Walter Brennan
Released: 1935
Directed by: James Whale
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein. Bride... more on Wikipedia
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King Kong
Fay Wray, Merian C. Cooper
Released: 1933
Directed by: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
King Kong is a 1933 American fantasy monster/adventure film directed and produced by Merian C.... more on Wikipedia
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5
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The Invisible Man
Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart
Released: 1933
Directed by: James Whale
The Invisible Man is a 1933 science fiction film based on H. G. Wells' science fiction novel... more on Wikipedia
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81
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Fredric March, Wallace Beery
Released: 1931
Directed by: Rouben Mamoulian
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1931 American Pre-Code horror film directed by Rouben Mamoulian... more on Wikipedia
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The Mummy
Boris Karloff, Edward Van Sloan
Released: 1932
Directed by: Karl Freund
The Mummy is a 1932 horror film from Universal Studios directed by Karl Freund and stars Boris... more on Wikipedia

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Freaks
Wallace Ford, Edward Brophy
Released: 1932
Directed by: Tod Browning
Freaks is a 1932 American horror film in which the eponymous characters were played by people... more on Wikipedia
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The Black Cat
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1934
Directed by: Edgar G. Ulmer
Not to be confused with the 1941 version also featuring Bela Lugosi. The Black Cat is a 1934... more on Wikipedia
10
62
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Son of Frankenstein
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1939
Directed by: Rowland V. Lee
Son of Frankenstein is a horror monster film and is the third film in Universal Studios'... more on Wikipedia
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Island of Lost Souls
Bela Lugosi, Charles Laughton
Released: 1932
Directed by: Erle C. Kenton
Island of Lost Souls is a 1932 American science fiction horror film starring Charles Laughton,... more on Wikipedia
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50
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Mystery of the Wax Museum
Fay Wray, Lionel Atwill
Released: 1933
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Mystery of the Wax Museum is a 1933 American mystery horror-thriller film released by Warner... more on Wikipedia
13
38
10
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Val Kilmer, Ian McShane
Released: 1986
Directed by: Jeannot Szwarc, A. Edward Sutherland, Robert Florey, Edgar G. Ulmer
Murders in the Rue Morgue is a pre-Code 1932 horror film, loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's... more on Wikipedia
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44
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M
Peter Lorre, Theo Lingen
Released: 1931
Directed by: Fritz Lang
M is a 1931 German drama-thriller film directed by Fritz Lang and starring Peter Lorre. It was... more on Wikipedia
15
43
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The Old Dark House
Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton
Released: 1932
Directed by: James Whale
The Old Dark House is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy horror film directed by James Whale. It... more on Wikipedia
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Werewolf of London
Valerie Hobson, Spring Byington
Released: 1935
Directed by: Stuart Walker
Werewolf of London is a 1935 Horror film starring Henry Hull and produced by Universal... more on Wikipedia
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The Walking Dead
Boris Karloff, Barton MacLane
Released: 1936
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
The Walking Dead is a 1936 American horror film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, directed... more on Wikipedia
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Vampyr
Sybille Schmitz, Nicolas de Gunzburg
Released: 1932
Directed by: Carl Dreyer
Vampyr is a 1932 German–French horror film directed by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer.... more on Wikipedia
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The Hound of the Baskervilles
Basil Rathbone, John Carradine
Released: 1939
Directed by: Sidney Lanfield
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1939 mystery film based on the novel The Hound of the... more on Wikipedia
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35
17
White Zombie
Bela Lugosi, Clarence Muse
Released: 1932
Directed by: Victor Hugo Halperin
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White Zombie is a 1932 American independent Pre-Code horror film directed and produced by... more on Wikipedia
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15
Mark of the Vampire
Bela Lugosi, Lionel Barrymore
Released: 1935
Directed by: Tod Browning
Mark of the Vampire is a 1935 horror film, starring Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan, Bela... more on Wikipedia
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34
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The Raven
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1935
Directed by: Lew Landers
The Raven is a 1935 American horror film directed by Lew Landers and starring Boris Karloff... more on Wikipedia
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28
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Dracula's Daughter
Hedda Hopper, Otto Kruger
Released: 1936
Directed by: Lambert Hillyer
Dracula's Daughter is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Studios, a... more on Wikipedia
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Mad Love
Peter Lorre, Colin Clive
Released: 1935
Directed by: Karl Freund
Mad Love is a 1935 American horror film, an adaptation of Maurice Renard's story The Hands of... more on Wikipedia
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The Ghoul
Boris Karloff, Ralph Richardson
Released: 1933
Directed by: T. Hayes Hunter
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The Ghoul is a British horror film starring Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke, Ernest Thesiger,... more on Wikipedia