The Turn to Gruesomeness in American Horror Films 1931-1936

<p> Critics have traditionally characterized classic horror by its use of shadow and suggestion. Yet the graphic nature of early 1930s films only came to light in the home video/DVD era. Along with gangster movies and sex pictures horror films drew audiences during the Great Depression with sensational content.</p><p> Exploiting a loophole in the Hays Code which made no provision for on-screen gruesomeness studios produced remarkably explicit films that were recut when the Code was more rigidly enforced from 1934.</p><p> This led to a modern misperception that classic horror was intended to be safe and reassuring to audiences.</p><p> The author examines the 1931 to 1936 happy ending horror in relation to industry practices and censorship. Early works like <I>Murders in the Rue Morgue</I> (1932) and <I>The Raven</I> (1935) may be more akin to <I>The Texas Chain Saw Massacre</I> (1974) and <I>Hostel</I> (2005) than many critics believe.</p>