“Twice the Thrills! Twice the Chills!”

In the mid-1950s, to combat declining theater attendance, film distributors began releasing pre-packaged genre double-bills—including many horror and science fiction double features. Though many of these films were low-budget and low-end, others, such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Horror of Dracula and The Fly, became bona fide classics. Beginning with Universal-International’s 1955 pairing of Revenge of the Creature and Cult of the Cobra, 147 officially sanctioned horror and sci-fi double-bills were released over a 20-year period. This book presents these double features year-by-year, and includes production details, historical notes, and critical commentary for each film.

Bryan Senn’s work has appeared in Filmfax, Cult Movies, Shivers, Midnight Marquee Press and Monsters from the Vault. The author of numerous books on the history of cinema, he lives in Montana.

Bryan Senn
Format: softcover (8.5 x 11)
Pages: 433
Bibliographic Info: 192 photos, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6894-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3571-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments  vi
Introduction  1
The Double Features
1955
• Revenge of the Creature & Cult of the Cobra 13 • It Came from Beneath the Sea & Creature with the Atom Brain 16 • Day the World Ended & The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues 18
1956
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers & The Atomic Man 21 • World Without End & Indestructible Man 25 • The Black Sleep & The Creeping Unknown 28 • Earth vs. the Flying Saucers & The Werewolf 30 • It Conquered the World & The ­She-Creature 33 • 1984 & The Gamma People 37 • Curucu, Beast of the Amazon & The Mole People 40
1957
• Voodoo Island & Pharaoh’s Curse 42 • Attack of the Crab Monsters & Not of This Earth 44 • Voodoo Woman & The Undead 47 • Zombies of Mora Tau & The Man Who Turned to Stone 48 • Kronos & She Devil 51 • The Curse of Frankenstein & X the Unknown 54 • The Giant Claw & The Night the World Exploded 57 • I Was a Teenage Werewolf & Invasion of the Saucer Men 60 • Beginning of the End & The Unearthly 63 • The Monster That Challenged the World & The ­Vampire 66 • 20 Million Miles to Earth & The 27th Day 69 • The Cyclops & Daughter of
Dr. Jekyll 73 • The Unknown Terror & Back from the Dead 76 • The Amazing Colossal Man &
Cat Girl 78 • From Hell It Came & The Disembodied 80 • I Was a Teenage Frankenstein &
Blood of Dracula 82 • The Viking Women and the Sea Serpent & The Astounding She
Monster 85 • The Brain from Planet Arous & Teenage Monster 86
1958
• The Screaming Skull & Terror from the Year 5000 90 • Giant from the Unknown & She Demons 92 • The Return of Dracula & The Flame Barrier 95 • War of the Satellites & Attack of the 50 Foot Woman 98 • The Haunted Strangler & Fiend Without a Face 100 • The Revenge of Frankenstein & Curse of the Demon 104 • The Space Children & Colossus of New York 108 • Horror of ­Dracula & The Thing That Couldn’t Die 109 • The Crawling Eye & The Cosmic Monster 113 • Attack of the Puppet People & War of the Colossal Beast 116 • It! The Terror from Beyond Space & Curse of the Faceless Man 118 • The Fly & Spacemaster X-7 120 • How to Make a Monster & Teenage Cave Man 124 • The Blob & I Married a Monster from Outer Space 126 • The Brain Eaters & Earth vs. the Spider 129 • Monster on the Campus & Blood of the Vampire 131 • Monster from Green Hell & Half Human 134 • Frankenstein’s Daughter & Missile to the Moon 136
1959
• House on Haunted Hill & The Cosmic Man 139 • Horrors of the Black Museum & The Headless Ghost 141 • The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake & Invisible Invaders 144 • Gigantis the Fire ­Monster & Teenagers from Outer Space 147 • Womaneater & The H Man 150 • The Killer Shrews & The Giant Gila Monster 152 • The Wasp Woman & Beast from Haunted Cave 156 • Return of the Fly & The ­Alligator People 158 • A Bucket of Blood & Attack of the Giant Leeches 162 • The Incredible Petrified World & Teenage Zombies 165 • The Mummy & Curse of the Undead 168
1960
• 12 to the Moon & The Electronic Monster 171 • The Brides of Dracula & The Leech Woman 173 • Battle in Outer Space & The Electronic Monster 176 • 13 Ghosts & 12 to the Moon 178 • Last Woman on Earth & The Little Shop of Horrors 180 • Caltiki the Immortal Monster & Tormented 184
1961
• Dr. Blood’s Coffin & The Snake Woman 186 • The Curse of the Werewolf & The Shadow of the
Cat 189 • The Devil’s Hand & Bloodlust! 192 • The Devil’s Partner & Creature from the
Haunted Sea 194 • The Head & The Black Pit of Dr. M 196 • The Phantom Planet &
Assignment Outer Space 198
1962
The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus & The Manster 200 • Hand of Death & The Cabinet
of Caligari 204 • The Brain That Wouldn’t Die & Invasion of the Star Creatures 207
• First Spaceship on Venus & Varan the Unbelievable 209
1963
• Corridors of Blood & Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory 212 • The Old Dark House & Maniac 215
1964
• Gorath & The Human Vapor 217 • The Horror of Party Beach & Curse of the Living Corpse 220 • The Evil of Frankenstein & Nightmare 223 • Castle of Blood & Hercules in the Haunted World 226 • Witchcraft & The Horror of It All 228 • Godzilla vs. the Thing & Voyage to the End of the Universe 231 • The Horrible Dr. Hichcock & The Awful Dr. Orlof 234
1965
• The Gorgon & The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb 236 • Face of the Screaming Werewolf & Curse of the Stone Hand 238 • The Human Duplicators & Mutiny in Outer Space 240 • The Lost World of Sinbad & War of the Zombies 242 • The Curse of the Fly & Devils of Darkness 244 • Creature of the Walking Dead & Attack of the Mayan Mummy 247 • Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster & Curse of the Voodoo 249 • The Black Torment & The Brain 251 • The Vampire’s Coffin & The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy 253 • Die, Monster, Die! & Planet of the Vampires 255
1966
• Dracula, Prince of Darkness & The Plague of the Zombies 258 • Queen of Blood & Blood Bath 262 • Rasputin the Mad Monk & The Reptile 264 • Billy the Kid vs. Dracula & Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter 266 • The She Beast & The Embalmer 268 • The Navy vs. the Night Monsters & Women of the Prehistoric Planet 271 • The Blood Drinkers & The Black Cat 272 • Tomb of Torture & Cave of the Living Dead 274 • Death Curse of Tartu & Sting of Death 276 • Castle of Evil & Blood Beast from Outer Space 278 • The Deadly Bees & The Vulture 279
1967
• Prehistoric Women & The Devil’s Own 281 • The Projected Man & Island of Terror 283 • Frankenstein Created Woman & The Mummy’s Shroud 286 • Bloody Pit of Horror
& ­Terror-Creatures from the Grave 289 • They Came from Beyond Space &
The Terrornauts 292 • It! & The Frozen Dead 294
1968
• The Curse of the Doll People & The Vampire 296 • Brides of Blood & Blood Fiend 298 • The Living Head & The Witch’s Mirror 301 • Berserk & Torture Garden 302 • Kill, Baby … Kill! & Sound of Horror 304 • The Man and the Monster & The Bloody Vampire 307
1969
• The Brainiac & The Curse of the Crying Woman 309 • Nightmare in Wax & Blood of Dracula’s ­Castle 311 • Mad Doctor of Blood Island & The Blood Demon 313 • The ­Vampire-Beast ­
Craves Blood & Curse of the ­Blood-Ghouls 315
1970
• Bloodthirsty Butchers & Torture Dungeon 318 • Horror House & The Crimson Cult 320 • Trog & Taste the Blood of Dracula 324 • War of the Gargantuas & Monster Zero 327 • Night of the Witches & Dr. Frankenstein on Campus 330 • The Body Beneath & Guru the Mad Monk 332
1971
• Scars of Dracula & The Horror of Frankenstein 334 • Beast of Blood & Curse of the Vampires 337 • I Drink Your Blood & I Eat Your Skin 340 • War Between the Planets & Superargo and the Faceless Giants 343 • The Blood on Satan’s Claw & The Beast in the Cellar 345 • The Beast of the Yellow Night & Creature with the Blue Hand 349 • Blood Suckers & Blood Thirst 352 • Cauldron of Blood & Crucible of Horror 354 • The Velvet Vampire & Scream of the Demon Lover 357 • Godzilla’s Revenge & Island of the Burning Damned 360
1972
• The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! & The Man with Two Heads 362 • Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb & Night of the Blood Monster 365 • Twins of Evil & Hands of the Ripper 368 • Vampire Circus & Countess Dracula 370 • Daughters of Satan & Superbeast 373 • Dracula A.D. 1972 & Crescendo 376 • Carnival of Blood & Curse of the Headless Horseman 378
1973
• Sssssss & The Boy Who Cried Werewolf 381
1974
• The Beast Must Die & Seizure 384 • Count Dracula’s Great Love & The Vampires
Night Orgy 386 • Legacy of Satan & Blood 389 • Frankenstein and the Monster
from Hell & Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter 391
Appendix A: Chronology  397
Appendix B: ­Double-Bills by Distributor  400
Bibliography  403
Index  409

• “You need this [book], believe me. I can’t think of any [books] that gave me so much pleasure and fun. Bryan Senn at the top of his game.”—Little Shoppe of Horrors
• “[Senn’s] reviews are as thorough and informed as they are entertaining…more than delivers as film criticism…valuable”—Bookgasm
• “Senn’s reviews are as thorough and informed as they are entertaining…more than delivers as film criticism…valuable””—Flick Attack
• “When Bryan Senn writes books on cinema, many monster movie fans know he grabs their attention right away and won’t let go”—Scary Monsters Magazine
• “[Senn’s] historical details, and choices of anecdotes are consistently entertaining and a sufficiently sarcastic, reflecting the fun of scarfing down a bucket of popcorn…Twice the Thrills! Twice the Chills! is such a blast that it will likely inspire you to host a double feature in your own home.”—Psychobabble
• “Senn puts everything he can into a critique of each film and the book is filled with interesting anecdotes. The book is well researched and becomes a highly readable and enjoyable book.”—Midnight Marquee
• “It’s a keeper of a book, nicely and humorously and knowledgeably written.”—Films in Review