Jun 26, 2020
In this week's edition of The Studios Year-by-Year, it's Universal 1932, and we have two horror movies with wildly divergent styles. First, it's Robert Florey's Murders in the Rue Morgue, perhaps the sickest and most sadistic of the 30s Universal horror classics (surpassing even The Black Cat) and a probable influence on RKO's King Kong. Then it's John Stahl's Back Street (also shot by Karl Freund), based on the novel by noted feminist author and friend of the podcast Fannie Hurst, which we consider as a kind of Handmaid's Tale cautionary tale in the mode of so op instead of sci fi, but with plenty of saving ambiguity. Both shot by Karl Freund, they couldn't be further apart in style or their approach to melodrama. A great double feature!
Time Codes:
0h 01m 00s: Murders in the Rue Morgue (dir: Robert Florey)
0h 48m 51s: Back Street (dir: John M. Stahl)
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Theme Music:
“What’s Yr Take on Cassavetes?” – Le Tigre