Republic Horrors: The Serial Studio's Chillers

When fans and scholars look back on the horror films of the forties, several studios immediately come to mind. Universal, of course, normally heads the list since it was the undisputed home of horror, with a fear franchise that included the likes of "Frankenstein," "Dracula," "The Wolf Man," "The Invisible Man," and "The Mummy." But there exists another body of work in the same genre that has remained generally unavailable for TV viewing for over 50 years. The studio that made these horror films, Republic, didn’t specialize in this type of fare. Its bread and butter came from serials and westerns aimed solidly at the Saturday matinee crowd. But Republic, a self-contained lot located in the San Fernando Valley, had all the ingredients necessary to compete with larger fright factories. Unfortunately, the films discussed in this book have largely fallen through the cracks. Movies like "The Catman of Paris" and "Valley of the Zombies" rarely show up on television. Hopefully, this book will inspire the media to make the movies covered here, along with other Republic offerings that have been largely absent for several decades, available once again to the general public. It’s time for a whole new generation to enjoy Republic's special celluloid magic! But, for now, let author Brian McFadden take you back to a world that's very different from today’s Hollywood, with its giant movie studios run by huge conglomerates. Imagine, instead, a time when a tight-knit organization made up of talented and dedicated individuals who took pride in their work, could consistently turn out polished films on bare-bones budgets. Each chapter contains an in-depth look at the film itself, as well as a behind-the-scenes section on the circumstances surrounding the production of the film and the talented individuals involved.