Classic Must-See Movies: Horror 1920-1960: Dracula, King Kong, Psycho, Phantom of the Opera

Horror Movies from the 1920's Through 1960. These Movies Represent the Best Classic Movies from the Early Days of Horror

I know it can be a bit difficult to decide on a movie for Saturday night. That is why I have made this list of must-see movies. I hope it helps you in your decisions. This list is made up of horror movies from 1920 up until 1960. I left out all the bad ones and just listed the goodies. So hold on tight, grab the popcorn and don’t forget it’s just a movie.

Top Horror Movies of All Time (1920-1960)

Nosferatu, A symphony of terror (1922) – This is one of the earliest adaptations of Bram Stokers famous Count Dracula. The movie follows the odd infatuation of a mad man. Oddly, there is some debate on whether or not this movie was actually a piece of the Nazi propaganda machine and the Count Orloc character is actually a representation of Lenin. Well, I guess you’ll have to watch the movie and decide for yourself.

The Phantom of the Opera (1925) – This movie is a classic love story in which a famous opera singer is forced to relinquish her role in an upcoming opera to an unknown by a phantom that lives in the opera house. The phantom does this because he is in love with the unknown singer. There have been over a dozen versions of this tale but the 1925 version is by far the best.

Freaks (1930) – A horror movie set around circus freaks. In this movie we see a complex and deadly love triangle in which a trapeze artist schemes with her lover to cheat a midget out of his inheritance money. One of the earliest movies to focus on deformities, it was banned in many countries because of its characters disfigurements.

King Kong (1933) – A group of explorers discover a giant ape on an out of the way island. When the ape is brought to New York it escapes and begins ruining the city in search of the woman who discovered the ape. This movie has been remade and has many sequels but I promise you none come close to capturing the essence of the original.