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The Inner Sanctum Mystery film series consisted of six films produced by Universal Pictures in the 1940s, all of which featured actor Lon Chaney Jr..[1]
Background
editSimon & Schuster, the company behind the Inner Sanctum Mystery radio series and novels, sold screen rights for use of the title to Universal in June 1943.[2] The contract did not include rights to any stories, however.[1] Each film in the series included the opening statement "Universal presents an Inner Sanctum mystery by arrangement with Simon and Schuster, Inc. Publishers."[3]
The talking head
editEach of the six films is introduced by a talking head inside a crystal ball. Charlie Ellbe, writing in the book Recovering 1940s Horror Cinema: Traces of a Lost Decade, opined that the scene "suggests influences exterior to cinema ... the film as remediated directly from radio."[4]
The series
edit- Calling Dr. Death (1943)[3]: 247
- Dead Man's Eyes (1944)[3]: 252
- The Frozen Ghost (1945)[3]: 253
- Strange Confession (1945)[3]: 255
- Pillow of Death (1945)[3]: 257
Critical response
editIn his book, A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series, Ken Hanke described the series as "very different territory for Universal, though they likely have their roots in the studio's vastly enjoyable Crime Club films from the late '30s."[5] He added, however, that the Inner Sanctum films were "more thoughtful", with "delusions of intellectualism.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Institute, American Film (1999). The American Film Institute catalog of motion pictures produced in the United States. F4,1. Feature films, 1941 - 1950, film entries, A - L. University of California Press. p. 361. ISBN 9780520215214. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- ^ Cole, Michael (Winter 2018). "Lights ... Camera ... Terror!". Nostalgia Digest. 44 (1): 20–27.
- ^ a b c d e f Backer, Ron (January 10, 2014). Mystery Movie Series of 1940s Hollywood. McFarland. pp. 246–259. ISBN 978-0-7864-5700-7. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ DeGiglio-Bellemare, Mario; Ellbé, Charlie; Woofter, Kristopher (2014). Recovering 1940s Horror Cinema: Traces of a Lost Decade. 129: Lexington Books. ISBN 9781498503808. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ a b Hanke, Ken (2013). A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series. Routledge. p. 159. ISBN 9781317928829. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
External links
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