Uncanny Bodies: The Coming of Sound Film and the Origins of the Horror Genre

by Robert Spadoni

In 1931 Universal Pictures released Dracula and Frankenstein, two films that inaugurated the horror genre in Hollywood cinema. These films appeared directly on the heels of Hollywood's transition to sound film. Uncanny Bodies argues that the coming of sound inspired more in these massively influential horror movies than screams, creaking doors, and howling wolves. A close examination of the historical reception of films of the transition period reveals that sound films could seem to their earliest viewers unreal and ghostly. By comparing this audience impression to the first sound horror films, Robert Spadoni makes a case for understanding film viewing as a force that can powerfully shape both the minutest aspects of individual films and the broadest sweep of film production trends, and for seeing aftereffects of the temporary weirdness of sound film deeply etched in the basic character of one of our most enduring film genres.

Genres: Film, Horror, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Leftjab]

Really wanted to like this more than I did. Its thesis statement – of how Dracula’s 1931 release coincided with the shift from silent to talking pictures as well as the birth of the horror genre and the Universal cycle of horror movies, and how Dracula is considerably dated when compared with Frankenstein released months later because the approach to sound in that short window of film history (roughly 1926-1931) treated it like a gimmick in terms of Dracula rather than the “new way” (for want of a better description) of Frankenstein. Great thesis, great ideas. I love those 1930s horror films – the opening of The Mummy is amazing, as is Fredric March’s performance in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dreyer’s Vampyr is a rare, special film unlike anything before or since – so this was right up my alley and Spadoni hits his strengths when he sets up the cinematic landscape of the 1920s/30s – I was most satisfied with the shall we say historical aspects of this short book.

Where Spadoni loses me – though it’s interesting how he presents some of the continuity issues with these films – is when he starts to get into the more film theory aspects of interpreting individual shots of movies. I was reminded of the documentary Room 237 about the “hidden” messages in The Shining: This doc and the film theory aspects of this book are written by film scholars and I find most of this sort of explication to be hot air. If you’re writing a paper or book on early sound films or the early days of the horror genre, this would be a good source for some info, but beyond that, it didn’t do much for me.

[Aljoša Harlamov]

Izredno zanimiva razprava, ki skuša pokazati, kako je prvotna tranzicija iz nemega k zvočnemu filmu pripomogla k pozitivni, to je prestrašeni recepciji zlasti filma "Dracula" (1931). Ta je namreč izkoristil kratkotrajno, a močno potujitev filma kot forme, ki jo je pri občinstvu zaznamoval ta prehod. Raziskuje, kako so človeške figure, ki govorijo (v začetku tudi mehanično, počasi, iz enega zvočnika izza platna itd.), na filmskem platnu nenadoma (spet) delovale popolnoma unheimlich, kako je ljudi prevzel vsak najmanjši zvok, obenem pa je tišina v zvočnem filmu izpadla še toliko grozljivejše in nenaravnejše.
Pri tem se naslanja zlasti na sočasne recenzije, pa na zelo podrobno branje filmskih tehnik in uporabe zvoka v filmu. Izjemno zanimivo in prepričljivo pisanje, dobro argumentirano, z občutkom za dramaturgijo (nekaj res finih atmosferskih citatov) in tekoče. Edini večji minus je v precej zaznavnem tehnološkem determinizmu, ki pozabi pregledati še kakšne kulturološke, kulturne, družbene, politične in druge vzroke tega procesa.

[Eric]

The most intriguing and challenging aspect of the book is its attempt to transport modern movie viewers back to the days and mindset of theater patrons at the dawn of cinema, when the "uncanny" representations of human beings on the movie screen disturbed some audience members. Some even viewed movie characters as "living corpses", animated but devoid of life. This reaction, argues author Spadoni, was exploited by early horror filmmakers in their presentation of literal living corpses, namely Dracula the vampire and Frankenstein's undead creation.

[Malcolm Davis]

I am always interested in films dealing with the early talkieperiod,so I was looking forward to reading this book.Alas my hopes were dashed.This reads more like a tutorial for students than a book for people interested in film.The language is at times unintelligible and written in a language i call acadmese.Whilst there are a few interesting passages such as comparing press book descriptions of Lugosi and Karloff,they did not inhibit my desire to reach the end of this book asap.

[Mark Potts]

If you are even considering reading this, you will definitely own an anorak. Furthermore, you will understand what it's all about from the title. I rather enjoyed it. I had actually thought about this quite a bit already and he makes some good points I hadn't considered before.

Not for everyone but, if you are In touch with your inner nerd, it's well worth the effort. It's more of a long essay or, article, at 130 pages 🤓...

[Sarah]

pretty cool ig

[Megan]

chapter 5