5 Essential Pre-Code Horror Films
Since its inception, cinema has had a weird and sordid history. Many of these customs and events seem very bizarre by today's standards, especially when it comes to what was appropriate to show on film and what wasn't. Films push the envelope in so many ways these days when depicting violence and sex, it's hard to fathom what was seen as inappropriate back in the day.
What might be of particular interest to horror fans, is the history of the Hays Code and pre-Code horror films. The Hays Code was a code of ethics that films had to follow if they wanted widespread release. This was before the rating system that cinema-goers will know now, and it pretty much banned any graphic depictions of violence, profanity, and sex. It was made in 1930 but not widely enforced until 1934, which means that from the invention of the talkies until mid-1934 people kind of just went wild.
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Many classics of horror cinema were born in this era, but there are dozens worth checking out. The pre-Code talkie horror films are in many ways seen as better aging and more interesting than what came after the Code's enforcement, and fans should not be holding the fact that they are old against them. From mad scientists creating new life to creepy gothic houses with wild characters, there's a lot to unpack from those few years.
Most will know the broad story of Frankenstein, of course, based on Mary Shelley's classic novel. A mad scientist named Henry Frankenstein decides to build his own human using real body parts, thus creating Frankenstein's monster. Boris Karloff plays the monster in his most famous role.
The film is both scary and beautiful, with there being sad elements as well. Karloff's
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