The Birth of the American Horror Film

Although early cinema has long been a key area of research in film studies, the origin and development of the horror film has been a neglected subject for what is arguably one of the world's most popular film genres. Using thousands of primary sources and long-unseen illustrations, The Birth of the American Horror Film examines a history that begins in colonial Salem, taking an interdisciplinary approach to explore the influence of horror-themed literature, theatre and visual culture in America, and how that context established an amorphous structural foundation for films produced between 1895 and 1915. Exhaustively researched, bridging scholarship on Horror Studies and Early Cinema, The Birth of the American Horror Film is the first major study dedicated to this vital but often overlooked subject.

“"In a remarkable work of historical research, Gary Rhodes provides what must certainly be the definitive study of the origins of the horror film genre." -- W. A. Vincent, Michigan State University, CHOICE "The Birth of the American Horror Film is a handsome book filled with reproductions of film stills, photographs and illustrations. Rhodes' work triggers a cumulative effect of wide-ranging association. One is left with a comprehensive overview of numerous related topics in the service of a measured thesis. I read with interest and pleasure, as Rhodes's prose if remarkably lucid, his considerations important." -- Anne Golden, Monstrum”

The Birth of the American Horror Film is a handsome book filled with reproductions of film stills, photographs and illustrations. Rhodes' work triggers a cumulative effect of wide-ranging association. One is left with a comprehensive overview of numerous related topics in the service of a measured thesis. I read with interest and pleasure, as Rhodes's prose if remarkably lucid, his considerations important.--Anne Golden "Monstrum"

Gary D. Rhodes is Professor of Media, Oklahoma Baptist University. He is the author of Emerald Illusions: The Irish in Early American Cinema (2012), The Perils of Moviegoing in America (2012), and The Birth of the American Horror Film (2018). He is a founding editor of Horror Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Rhodes is also the writer-director of the documentary films Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula (1997) and Banned in Oklahoma (2004).

'A fascinating and overdue study. This book demonstrates the multiple different contexts out of which the horror film was born. Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the horror film.' Mark Jancovich, University of East Anglia'This is a meticulous study of the intermedial roots and manifestations of horror-themed cinema in all its varieties prior to 1915. The depth and scope of Rhodes' erudite scholarship make this an indispensable read for everyone interested in one of the most persistent features of American cinema of all ages: horror.' Jan Olsson, Stockholm UniversityAlthough early cinema has long been a key area of research in Film Studies, the origin and development of the horror film has been a neglected subject for what is arguably one of the world's most popular film genres. Using thousands of primary sources and longunseen illustrations, Gary D. Rhodes examines a history that begins in colonial Salem, taking an interdisciplinary approach to explore the influence of horror-themed literature, theatre and visual culture in America, and to show how that context established an amorphous structural foundation for films produced between 1895 and 1915. Exhaustively researched, bridging scholarship on Horror Studies and Early Cinema, The Birth of the American Horror Film is the first major study dedicated to this vital but often overlooked subject.Gary D. Rhodes serves as MA Convenor at Queen's University Belfast. He is currently writing a monograph entitled The Birth of the American Horror Film: Volume Two, 1916-1931.Cover image: from the illustrated song Ghost of the Violin (Scott and Van Altena, 1912), published with thanks to the Marnan Collection, LLC, of Minneapolis, MinnesotaCover design: Workhaus[EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.comISBN 978-1-4744-3085-2 [PPC]ISBN 978-1-4744-3086-9 [cover]Barcode

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