10 Best Horror Movies of the 1940s, Ranked FSalinks

The 1940s were a transformative era for horror cinema. This period, largely shaped by the turmoil of World War II, saw a shift away from the supernatural creatures of the 1930s to more subtle, human-centered fears. Even studios like Universal Pictures, which popularized iconic monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein in the previous decade, began exploring more complex and psychological stories.

Although most horror movies from the ’40s feel very dated now, one can still appreciate them for what they are. It can also be interesting to see where certain tropes and techniques originated, whether it’s the suggestiveness of Cat People or the werewolf mythology of The Wolf Man. In this regard, the 1940s were far from horror’s golden age but nevertheless were important in laying the groundwork for the more accomplished horrors that would follow in the 1950s and, especially, the 1960s. These are the best ’40s horror movies, many of which remain frighteningly relevant today.

10 ‘The Lodger’ (1944)

Directed by John Brahm

“You wouldn’t think that anyone could hate a thing and love it too.” The Lodger is a moody retelling of the Jack the Ripper legend. It centers on signer Kitty Langley (Merle Oberon), who is renting a room in London while news circulates of grisly murders around the Whitechapel district. One of the other lodgers is a mysterious man named Slade (Laird Cregar), whose odd behavior and late-night outings soon arouse suspicions.

While far from perfect, The Lodger stands out with its atmospheric cinematography courtesy of Lucien Ballard (The Wild Bunch, True Grit). He conjures up immersive shots of shadowy alleys and mist-cloaked streets. On the acting side, some of the performances veer into melodrama, but Cregar is terrific as the antagonist. He’s suitably creepy while also rationalizing his actions and making the audience believe that Slade truly believes he is in the right. Rather than being a stock villain, he has more complex motivations and even cites Scripture to justify his crimes.

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9 ‘The Queen of Spades’ (1949)

Directed by Thorold Dickinson

“Don’t cry out! Don’t be alarmed.” The Queen of Spades is a Gothic horror based on a short story by preeminent Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. It revolves around Captain Herman Suvorin (Anton Walbrook), a soldier who becomes fixated on learning the secret to winning at cards. This secret is rumored to be held by an elderly Countess (Edith Evans) who allegedly sold her soul to the devil in exchange for success. The story takes a dark turn when the Countess dies, and her vengeful spirit begins to haunt Suvorin.

The movie is undeniably a melodrama, albeit executed with style, from the costuming to the sets to the cinematography. The plot is likewise intricate, revealing more and more layers as it runs along. For these reasons, subsequent directors like Wes Anderson and Martin Scorsese have praised the film. The latter called it “one of the few true classics of supernatural cinema.” The Queen of Spades isn’t perfect, but it has a certain quaint quality that makes it all the more atmospheric.

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8 ‘The Scarlet Claw’ (1944)

Directed by Roy William Neill

“My good woman, you keep an eye on that dog!” The Scarlet Claw is the eighth entry in the Sherlock Holmes film series with Basil Rathbone as the detective and Nigel Bruce as his loyal companion, John Watson. This one sees the pair heading to a Canadian village to investigate the death of Lady Penrose (Gertrude Astor), who was found with her throat torn out. The villagers believe a legendary, ghostly creature is responsible, but Holmes suspects a more human hand.

While it initially appears to echo the storyline of The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Scarlet Claw ultimately diverges into a unique narrative, making it one of the more engaging movies in this series. Admittedly, the plot is a little like something out of Scooby-Doo, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially because it keeps a self-aware yet suitably eerie tone. The movie is anchored by solid writing, special effects that were ahead of the time, and committed performances from the leads.

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7 ‘Cat People’ (1942)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur

“I envy every woman I see on the street.” Cat People is a landmark horror from influential producer Val Lewton (I Walked With a Zombie, The Ghost Ship). Simone Simon stars as Irena Dubrovna, a Serbian immigrant in New York who believes she is cursed to transform into a deadly panther if aroused by passion or anger. She marries Oliver Reed (Kent Smith), but their relationship remains unconsummated due to her fears.

Cat People is notable for its relative subtlety, dealing in shadows and suggestion, hinting rather than showing. Sure, the soundstages look a little fake at times, but the acting and storytelling are immersively atmospheric and psychologically complex. Indeed, many critics have interpreted the film as a statement on repression and male anxieties surrounding female sexuality. These elements would have been rather risqué for 1942, but the movie was a box-office success, influencing other horrors to follow. Paul Schrader‘s 1982 remake is also worth checking out.

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6 ‘The Body Snatcher’ (1945)

Directed by Robert Wise

“I’m a pretty bad fellow myself.” Another Val Lewton production and originally a Robert Louis Stevenson short story, The Body Snatcher tells the story of Dr. MacFarlane (Henry Daniell), a respected surgeon who secretly relies on a grave robber named John Gray (Boris Karloff) to supply him with fresh cadavers for his medical experiments. Gray’s methods become increasingly unscrupulous, moving from grave robbing to outright murder.

Béla Lugosi also shows up in a supporting role as a blackmailing janitor in the last of eight collaborations between Lugosi and Karloff. The latter is the true highlight; he is wonderfully creepy and has a number of hard-hitting moments here, especially one unexpected and explosive outburst of violence. The Body Snatcher went down well with audiences on release, in part due to its undercurrents of black comedy. There’s also some daring innuendo in the dialogue, which would have delighted certain viewers.

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5 ‘The Spiral Staircase’ (1946)

Directed by Robert Siodmak

“The only thing that keeps me from cracking you in the jaw is the almost certain possibility that it would break your neck.” This psychological thriller fuses horror with noir. Dorothy McGuire leads the cast as Helen, a mute young woman who works as a servant in a secluded mansion house. As a serial killer targets women with physical impairments in the nearby town, she becomes increasingly terrified that she might be the next victim.

The plot is fairly generic, but the film’s style was innovative for the time. For example, it features many then-novel point-of-view shots, especially from the killer’s perspective. Indeed, The Spiral Staircase, with its mysterious murdered and female-dominated cast, has since been recognized as a forerunner of the slasher subgenre. Plus, it’s superior to many horrors of its day in that the villains mostly come across as normal and reasonable rather than demonic, making them all the more menacing.

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4 ‘Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein’ (1948)

Directed by Charles Barton

“I know there’s no such person as Dracula.” On the more lighthearted end of the spectrum is this beloved comedy-horror, uniting the iconic slapstick duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello with the classic Universal monsters. They play a pair of bumbling freight handlers tasked with delivering crates containing the remains of Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange) to a wax museum, but sinister schemes are afoot.

This film represents Abbott and Costello’s finest work, allowing them to unleash their comedic talents without undermining the stature of the iconic monsters, which was no small feat to pull off. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankensteinwas a big hit, paving the way for more films featuring comedians and various scary creatures. It also helped craft a blueprint that countless comedy horrors would emulate in the decades to follow. Even more serious monster mash films would borrow some of its elements, like the idea of Dracula being all the monsters’ leader.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Release Date

June 15, 1948

Cast

Bud Abbott , Lou Costello , Lon Chaney Jr. , Béla Lugosi

Runtime

83 minutes

Writers

Robert Lees , Frederic I. Rinaldo , John Grant

3 ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ (1945)

Directed by Albert Lewin

“I like persons better than principles and persons with no principles better than anything at all.” The young, handsome, and hedonistic Dorian (Hurd Hatfield) wishes that his portrait, rather than he, would age and bear the consequences of his actions. As he indulges in a life of excess, his wish comes true—the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque, reflecting the corruption of his soul while Dorian remains outwardly youthful and unblemished. However, he can’t outrun his sins forever.

This is an effective adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel, boasting sharp dialogue, striking special effects (for the time), abundant Gothic suspense (it won the Oscar for Best Cinematography), eerie piano compositions, and much to say about vanity, desire, and the cost of immortality. The writing, in particular, is great, rich in metaphors and eloquent phrasing, reflecting the brilliant source material. It’s a timeless story and one of the more thoughtful riffs on the old Faustian legend.

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2 ‘The Wolf Man’ (1941)

Directed by George Waggner

“As the rain enters the soil, the river enters the sea, so tears run to a predestined end.” Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) returns to his ancestral home in Wales, where he tries to mend his relationship with his estranged father. After being bitten by a werewolf during a chance encounter in the woods, Larry is cursed to transform during the full moon, becoming a threat to those he loves.

On top of being a cornerstone of Universal horror, The Wolf Man is the defining werewolf story. So many of the subgenre’s tropes originate here, like the moon being the catalyst for the transformation and silver bullets being the only thing that can kill the creatures. More than that, The Wolf Man is simply a powerful, tragic story of a decent person wrestling with the dark, uncontrollable aspects of their nature. Not every aspect of it has aged well, but The Wolf Man is undeniably a classic.

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1 ‘Dead of Night’ (1945)

Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, and Robert Hamer

“You can’t cheat a ghost.” This groundbreaking British horror anthology comprises five supernatural tales directed by different filmmakers and framed by an overarching narrative in which guests at a country house take turns telling scary stories. Their tales range from a haunted mirror and a ghostly children’s party to a mysterious hearse driver and ventriloquist tormented by his malevolent dummy.

Dead of Night deftly weaves these disparate stories into one coherent whole, producing a genuinely unsettling atmosphere that was miles ahead of what most horror movies were doing at the time. It’s all held together by believable dialogue, brilliant use of lighting, strong performances, an ingenious circular narrative structure, and chilling orchestral music. Dead of Night is even laugh-out-loud funny at times. It all builds up to a climax where elements of every story converge in the best way. For all these reasons, the film has appeared on several publications’ lists of the best anthology movies ever.

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NEXT: The 15 Best Hammer Horror Movies, Ranked