Much has been written (and rewritten) about classic horror and science fiction films like Nosferatu and Metropolis, as well as not-so-classic pictures like Bride of the Monster and The Hideous Sun Demon. Yet some genre films have fallen through the cracks. The 24 films-some elusive, some easily found on YouTube-examined in this book all suffered critical neglect and were prematurely stacked in the attic. The authors bring them back into the light, beginning with Der Tunnel (1915), based on an international bestseller about the building of a transatlantic tunnel, and ending with The Emperor's Baker-The Baker's Emperor (1951), a bizarre Marxist take on the Golem legend. A variety of thrillers are covered - Fog (1933), Return of the Terror (1934), Forgotten Faces (1928) - along with such sci-fi leaps into the future as The Sky Ranger (1921), High Treason (1929) and Just Imagine (1930). Early adaptations include The Man Who Laughs (1928), The Monkey's Paw (1923), Hound of the Baskervilles (1937) and Sweeney Todd (1928). Rare stills and background material are included in a discussion of Hispanic vintage horror. The career of exploitation auteur, Bud Pollard (The Horror, 1933) is examined.

While Universal's Dracula and Frankenstein (both 1931) have received the most coverage of any of the studio's genre releases, it is the lesser known films that have long fascinated fans and historians alike. Starting with The Last Warning, a 1929 movie released as both a silent and a talkie, Universal provided a decade of films that entertained audiences and sometimes frustrated critics. Each of Universal's horror, science fiction and ?twisted mystery? films receives an in-depth essay for each film. The focus is first on the background to the making of the movie and its place in the Universal catalog. A detailed plot synopsis with critical commentary follows. Filmographic data for the film conclude the entry. Universal's The Shadow short film series is covered in an appendix. Many rare illustrations and movie posters are also included.

The career of Claude Rains is often, and unfairly, overshadowed by the careers of the ever-popular Karloff, Lugosi, Chaney and Rathbone, but few can dispute that he was truly one of the world's foremost character actors. ""The Invisible Man"", ironically, made him quite the visible star. In his own inimitable way, Rains later became John Jasper (in ""Mystery of Edwin Drood""), Louis Renault (""Casablanca""), Julius Caesar (""Caesar and Cleopatra""), and Mr. Dryden (""Lawrence of Arabia""). While concentrating on Rains' more than fifty films, this book also comprehensively examines his work in other media: the stage, radio, television and recordings. His only child, Jessica, in the foreword, provides a brief biography of her father. There are many rare photographs.

During the Silent Era, when most films dealt with dramatic or comedic takes on the ""boy meets girl, boy loses girl"" theme, there were also quite a few motion pictures that dared to tackle such topics as rejuvenation, revivication, mesmerism, the supernatural and the grotesque. A Daughter of the Gods (1916), The Phantom of the Opera (1925), The Magician (1926) and Seven Footprints to Satan (1929) were among the unusual and startling films containing story elements that went far beyond the realm of ""highly unlikely."" Using surviving documentation and their combined expertise, the authors offer their thoughts on these departures from the norm in this encyclopedic discussion on the American view of cinematic horror, science fiction and fantasy in the years between 1913 and 1929.