This October, I’m going to be doing something a little bit different with my contribution to 4 Shots From 4 Films. I’m going to be taking a little chronological tour of the history of horror cinema, moving from decade to decade.
Today, we continue to look at the 1950s.
4 Shots From 4 Horror Films
La Bruja (1954, dir by Chano Urueta)
Cult of the Cobra (1955, dir by Francis D. Lyon)
Dementia (1955, dir by John Parker)
The She Creature (1956, dir by Edward L. Cahn)
As today is Erik Estrada’s birthday, it’s obvious what today’s song of the day has to be.
No matter what you may think of the show, this theme has one of the greatest bass lines of all time. If you’re not dancing, you might want to call 911.
Today’s Horror on the Len is 1955’s Dementia, an experimental horror film without dialogue. The film follows a young woman (Adrienne Barrett) over the course of one surreal and nightmarish night on Los Angeles’s skid row.
Despite an opening endorsement from no less a Hollywood luminary as Preston Sturges, audiences in 1955 were not sure what to make of this dream-like film. However, it has since been rediscovered and reappreciated by audiences who appreciate the film’s surreal vision.
by John Parker
This romantic cover is from 1955.
Dream World was a magazine that existed, briefly, in 1957. Each issue dealt with stories of men who had “incredible powers.” Judging from the covers of Dream World, the only possible use for any of those powers was to either get laid or get rich. Apparently, readers in 1957 didn’t feel that they needed special psychic powers to do either of those because Dream World only lasted for three issues. Here are the three covers of Dream World:
by Ed Valigursky
This first issue is from February of 1957 and it features a cover by Ed Valigursky. According to the cover, it featured a story called “Ways to Get A Gal.” Apparently, in 1957, it helped if you had x-ray vision. Then you could spend all day staring through a brick wall and seeing what books she had sitting on her book shelf. I’m sure that’s what the man on the cover is focusing on, right?
by John Parker
This second issue is from May of 1957. According to the cover, this issue featured a man who could make his dreams come true and apparently, he’s been dreaming about a startlet with sharp eyebrows and bountiful cleavage. This issue also featured something called “You Too Can Win A Harem.” Hopefully, this was a story and not an actual contest.
by Ed Valigursky
The third and final issue came out in August of 1957 and featured a cover by Ed Valigursky. This one featured a story about a man whose touch turned stone to flesh, which I guess is what’s happening on the cover. It also features a story about Mr. Milford’s Magic Camera, which took naked pictures in the days before mirror selfies.
There would be no more issues of Dream World after this but a good cover, like a dream, never truly dies.
This October, I’m going to be doing something a little bit different with my contribution to 4 Shots From 4 Films. I’m going to be taking a little chronological tour of the history of horror cinema, moving from decade to decade.
Today, we continue to look at the 1950s.
Four Shots From Four Films
La Bruja (1954, dir by Chano Urueta)
Cult of the Cobra (1955, dir by Francis D. Lyon)
Dementia (1955, dir by John Parker)
The She Creature (1956, dir by Edward L. Cahn)
Through the Shattered Lens 