Up from the Vault

A number of thrillers made in the 1920s and 1930s have become available again thanks to new technology. There are a few, however, that remain elusive to most, if not all, movie buffs. This book covers 21 thrillers from those decades that are well-regarded and eagerly sought, but difficult to find—The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu (1923), The Unknown Purple (1923), The Sorrows of Satan (1926), While London Sleeps (1926), The Monkey Talks (1927), The Chinese Parrot (1927), Stark Mad (1929), The Unholy Night (1929), High Treason (1929), The Spider (1931), Eran Trece (1931), The Monkey’s Paw (1933), Trick for Trick (1933), Deluge (1933), The Vanishing Shadow (1934), The Witching Hour (1934), Double Door (1934), Black Moon (1934), Le Golem (1936), The Scarab Murder Case (1937), and Sh! The Octopus (1937). For each film, the author provides such details as the production company, running time, release date(s), cast and production credits, a synopsis, and commentary.

John T. Soister is a teacher of modern and classical languages, and lives in Denver, Colorado.

John T. Soister
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 248
Bibliographic Info: 45 photos, appendix, index
Copyright Date: 2010 [2004]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4923-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8185-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      xi

Introduction      1

The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu (1923)      9

The Unknown Purple (1923)      30

The Sorrows of Satan (1926)      38

While London Sleeps (1926)      50

The Monkey Talks (1927)      57

The Chinese Parrot (1927)      66

Stark Mad (1929)      73

The Unholy Night (1929)      80

High Treason (1929)      94

The Spider (1931)      105

Eran trece (1931)      113

The Monkey’s Paw (1933)      127

Trick for Trick (1933)      135

Deluge (1933)      143

The Vanishing Shadow (1934)      151

The Witching Hour (1934)      165

Double Door (1934)      172

Black Moon (1934)      178

Le Golem (1936)      186

The Scarab Murder Case (1937)      199

Sh! The Octopus (1937)      207

Appendix: The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu. Episode 10: The Fiery Hand      219

Index      227

“unique…highly interesting…incisively written…important piece of history…does a service to fans”—Monsters from the Vault; “fascinating…a great read and a great book”—Little Shoppe of Horrors; “magnificent…a must…important…wonderful”—VideoScope; “very interesting…a good job…recommended reading”—Silents Are Golden; “fluid writing style…[the author has] done his homework”—Video Watchdog; “sheds light on 21 undeservedly neglected films”—C&RL News.