54 Revolt of the Zombies ( 1936 )

This  is  as  much  a  romance  as  a  horror  film.  A  group  of  Western  archaeologists  descend  on Cambodia  to  find  and  destroy a  secret  formula  for  gaining  control  of  men's  minds  and  turning  them  to  compliant  zombies. The  lone  female  Clare  is  torn  between  two  men  , Armand  ( Dean  Jagger )  and  Cliff  ( Robert  Noland ). She  eventually  chooses  the  latter  but when  Armand  uncovers  the  secret  the  temptation  to  misuse  it  is  too  strong. It's  OK  but   rather  unexciting  for  the  most  part.
 
Dorothy  Stone  ( as  Clare )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

This  is  Dorothy's  only  credited  appearance  in  a  feature-length  film. She  was  more  of  a  stage  actress. She  died  in  1974  aged  69.

53 Dracula's Daughter ( 1936 )

This  was  Universal's  follow  up  to  Dracula   though  they  had  to  pay  MGM's  David  Selznick  through  the  nose  to  make  it  because  he  had  purchased  the  rights  to  an  excised  chapter  from  the  novel, the  only  obvious  source  material  for  a  sequel. In  the  event  the  finished  film  bears  little  relation  to  Stoker's  rejected  story line.  James  Whale  was  approached  to  direct  it  but  managed  to  evade  the  responsibility.

The  film  begins  just  after  the  climax  to  Dracula  with  Van  Helsing  ( Edward  Van  Sloan, the  only  returning  actor  from  the  first  film )  being  investigated  for  his  murder. The  action  then  switches  to  a  Countess  Zelaska  who  turns  out  to  be  Dracula's  daughter  and  a  most  reluctant  vampire  exploring  all  avenues  of  averting  her  fate  from  destroying  his  corpse  ( Bela  Lugosi  "appears"  in  the  form  of  a  wax  bust )  to  seeking  psychiatric  help  from  hero  Dr  Garth  ( Otto  Kruger ).

The  film  is  notable  for  strong  lesbian  overtones  which  were  noted  even  at  the  time.

Gloria  Holden ( as  Countess  Zelaska  )

Sex:   The  Countess's  predilection  for  young  female  victims  can  easily  be  interpreted  as  lesbian.  In  some  scenes  she  wears  a  very  tight  dress  accentuating  her  impressive  boobs

Death :  Killed  by an  arrow  through  the  heart  from  her  jealous  servant  Sandor

Gloria  really  didn't  want  this  role  and  her  obvious  diffidence  actually  adds  to  her  performance  as  the  unwilling  heiress  to  Dracula's  malevolence. Her  performance  was  a  direct  inspiration  for  the  novelist  Anne  Rice. She  was  not  a  lesbian  in  real  life  being  married  three  times. She  retired  in 1958  and  died  in  1991  aged  87.

Marguerite  Churchill  ( as  Janet  )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Marguerite  had  a  short  but  prolific  career  in  the  1930s  before  marrying  one  of  her  leading  men  George  O'Brien   after  which  she  more  or  less  retired. In  later  life  she  lived  in  Europe. She  died  in  2000  aged  89.

Nan  Grey   ( as  Lilli ) 

Sex : In  the  most  obviously  sexual  scene  in  the  film  Lilli  is  lured  to  the  Countess'  abode  on  the  pretext  of  modelling  for  a  painting. Lilli  strips  down  to a  vest-top  and  has  lowered  the straps  when  the  Countess  attacks  her.

Death :  Dies  in  hospital  as  the  trauma  of  re-living  the  encounter  under  Garth's  hypnosis  is  too  much  in  her  weakened  state. It  is  left  unclear  if  she  will  become  a  vampire  too.

 
Nan's  real  name  was  Eschal  Miller. She  was  only  17  at  the  time. She  worked  throughout  the  thirties  until  she  married  a  jockey. Her  second  marriage  was  to  singer  Frankie  Laine  in  1950  and  that  lasted  until  her  death  in  1993  aged  75.  

52 The Devil-Doll ( 1936 )

This   was  Tod  Browning's  penultimate  film  and  his  last  in  the  horror  genre.  It  has  impressive  special  effects  but  its  uneasy  blend  of  evil  science  and   chocolate  box  sentimentality  means  it's  not  entirely  enjoyable.

Paul  Lavond  ( Lionel  Barrymore  )  is  a  wrongly  accused  banker who  escapes  from  jail  with  a mad  scientist  Marcel  ( Henry  Walthall )  who  plans  to  reduce  the  human  race  in  size  to conserve  resources. They  reach  the  home  of  his  equally  barmy  wife  Melita   ( Rafaella  Ottiano )  but  Marcel  dies  of  a  heart  attack  that  same  evening. Though  initially  appalled  at  what they're  doing  Lavond  sees  a  way  of  using  the  work  to  exact  revenge  on  his  former   associates  and  restore  his  family's  fortunes.

Lavond's   revenge  plot  involves  him  disguising  himself  as  an  old  crone  which  requires   a healthy  suspension  of  disbelief  and  a  strong  tolerance  level  for  hammy  acting.

Maureen  O'  Sullivan  ( as  Lorraine  Lavond )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Maureen  was  from  Ireland  and  is  most  remembered  for  being  Johnny  Weismuller's  most  regular  Jane  in  the  Tarzan  films  and  for  being  Mia  Farrow's  mother. She  continued  in  acting  on  film, stage  and  television  almost  up  to  her  death  in  1998  aged  87.

Grace  Ford  ( as  Nascha )

Sex : No

Death :  After  being  shrunk  to  doll  size,  she  presumably  perishes  when  Melita  blows  up  the  laboratory  

Grace  appeared  in  just  five  films  in  total. She  died  in  1990  aged  76.

51 The Crime of Dr Crespi ( 1935 )

This  is  an  odd  little  film. Based  on  Poe's  The  Premature  Burial  we're  dealing  once  again  with  a  dastardly  doctor. Dr  Crespi  ( Erich  von  Stroheim )  is  chief  surgeon  at  a  hospital. An  old  flame,  Estelle  wants  him  to  save  the  life  of  the  man  she  married  instead. Crespi  agrees  but  only  so  that  he  can  execute  a  diabolical  revenge. This  plot is  interwoven  with  some  very  soap  opera  scenes  featuring  the  junior  staff  at  the  hospital  and  no  music  at  all  except  at  the  beginning  and  end  ( both  pieces  highly  inappropriate ).

Von  Stroheim  is  excellent  as  the  dissembling  doctor  and  Dwight  Frye  plays  a  good  guy  rather  than  the  village  idiot.

Harriet  Russell  ( as  Estelle  Ross )  

Sex : No

Death : Survives

This  was  Harriet's  only  film  and  I  can  tell  you  nothing  about  her.

Geraldine  Kay  ( as  Nurse  Rexford ) 

Sex :  There's  a  suggestion  she's  having  office  nookie  at  the  end  ( off  screen ).  

Death : Survives

Geraldine  was  a  noted  stage  actress  from  Chicago  but  she  only  appeared in   this  one   film. She  died  in  2001  aged  88.

Jeanne  Kelly  ( as  Nurse  Gordon )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Jeanne   was  at  the  beginning  of  her  film  career  here. She  later  changed  her  name  to  Jean  Brooks  to  avoid  confusion  with  a  famous  male  dancer   and  continued  in  films  up  to  1948. She  suffered  from  an  eating  disorder  and  alcoholism  and  these  conspired  to  kill  her  in  1963  aged  47.

50 Condemned To Live ( 1935 )

This  vampire  film  has  a  decent  premise  but  it's  so  badly  filmed  - the  director  seems  to  have  glued  his  cameramen  into  a  fixed  spot - and  woodenly  acted  that  it's  difficult  to  watch.

Paul  Kristan  ( Ralph  Morgan )  is  a  Professor  of  something  or  other  who  is  highly  respected  by  the  townsfolk  and  engaged  to  the  local  young  beauty  Marguerite. Unfortunately  he's  prone  to  nocturnal  wanderings  during  which  young  women  end  up  dead. Suspicion  falls  on  his  hunchbacked  assistant  Zan ( Mischa  Auer ) .

Maxine  Doyle  ( as  Marguerite )

Sex :  Marguerite  wears  a  white  nightgown  in  which  her  large  breasts  hang  free  but  the camera  never  comes  close  enough  for  a  good  look.

Death : Survives

Marguerite  was  a   former  vaudeville  dancer  who  had  a  brief  film  career  in  the  thirties. She  married  a  director  of  Westerns  and  her  career  petered  out  in  bit  part  roles. She  died  in  1973  aged  58.

Heidi  Shope   ( as  Anna )

Sex : No

Death :  Anna  opens  the  door  to  the  vampire  and  is  slain  by  him.

Heidi  was  born  in  Switzerland  and  made  only  two  films  in  1935, in  both  of  which  she  is  called  Anna. She  died  in  1995  aged  89.

Barbara  Bedford  ( as  Martha  Kristan )

Sex : No

Death :  Dies  ( off screen )  shortly  after  giving  birth  to  Paul, presumably  from  blood  loss

Barbara  had  been  a  prominent  actress  in  the  silent  era  but  her  voice  wasn't  thought  to  match  her  looks  when  talkies  came  in. Nevertheless  she  hung  around  and  played  many  uncredited  roles right  up  to  1945. She  died  in  1981 aged  78.

Marilyn  Knowlden  ( as  Maria ) 

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Maria's  only  function  in  her  one  scene  is  to  underline  what  a  good  guy  the  Professor  is.  The  only  real  reason  for  including  her   is  that,  now  aged  90, she's  the  first  person  featured  here  that  is  still  alive  at  the  time  of  writing.

49 Werewolf of London ( 1935 )

This  might  be  more  famous  for  inspiring  a  great  song  but  it's  still  a  pretty  good  film  with  a  Picture  of  Dorian  Gray  blend  of   supernatural  horror  and  social  comedy.

Wilfred  Glendon  ( Henry  Hull )  is  a  botanist  chasing  a  rare  flower  in  Tibet. He finds  it  but  is  scratched  by  a  werewolf   in  the  process. While  he  works  on  growing  the  flower  in  his  lab  to  the  neglect  of  his  lovely  wife  he  is  visited  by  a  Dr  Yogami  ( Warner  Oland )  who  claims  that  they  met  in  Tibet  and  that  the  blooming  flower  is  the  only  thing  that  can  prevent  a  werewolf  going  out  on  the  prowl  during  a  full  moon. Glendon  soon  realises  that  he  needs  the  flower  for  more important  reasons  than  personal  prestige.

Valerie  Hobson  ( as  Lisa  Glendon )

Sex :  Lisa   is   using  an  old  flame  as  an  escort   while  her  husband  frets  in  the  lab  but  there's  no  suggestion  she's  being  unfaithful  to  him.

Death : Survives  

I  think  this  one  was   Valerie's  last  role  in  horror  films.

Amber  Norman  ( as  Streetwalker  )

Sex : She's  coming  on  to  a  zoo  guard  but  he's  not  very  interested

Death  : Eviscerated  by  the  werewolf  Glendon  ( off screen )

Amber  had  been  reasonably  successful  towards  the  end  of  the  silent  era  but  was  now  reduced  to  tiny  roles  like  this  one. Her  career  petered  out  not  long  afterwards. She  died  in  1972  aged  71.

There  was  a  previous  victim  in  the  film  but  there's  no  record  of  her  name.

 

48 The Raven (1935 )

This  was  one  of  the  films  that  led  to  a  temporary  ban  on  horror  films  in  England  which  in  turn  sparked  off  a  decline  in  the  US. It  has  to  be  said  this  picture  was  controversial  because  of  what  it  suggested  rather  than  what  it  depicted.

The  picture  paired  Karloff  and  Lugosi  again. The  latter  is  Dr  Vollen, an  eminent  surgeon  who  has  retired  in  order  to  indulge  an  obsession  with  Poe. Persuaded  by  appeals  to  his  vanity,  he  saves   the  life  of   the   daughter  of  a  judge  and  becomes  infatuated  with  her. When  the  judge  warns  him  off , Vollen  plots  a  macabre  revenge  assisted  by  Bateman  ( Boris  Karloff )  an  escaped  murderer  promised  a  repair  to  the  disfigurement  Vollen  himself  has  inflicted.

Lugosi  has  much  the  bigger  part  and  is  clearly  enjoying  himself  as  the  mad  doctor. Take  the  duo's  star  power  out  of  the  equation  and  it  would  be  a   pretty  average  movie. It's  also  very  loosely  plotted  with  no  indication  of  what  Vollen  intended  for  the  other  four  guests  he  invited.

Irene  Ware  ( as Jean )

Sex : No

Death : Survives  

Irene  was  a  former  beauty  queen  from  New  York. She  was  much  in  demand  in  the  thirties  but  married  well  and  left  the  business  in  1940  to  raise  her  children. She  died  in  1993  aged  82.

Inez  Courtney  ( as  Mary  Burns )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Inez  was  an  Irish-American  actress  who  usually  appeared  in  lighter  fare  where  she  could  sing  or  be  funny. She  too  married  well, to  an  Italian  count, and  left  the  business  in  1940. She  died  in  1975  aged  67.

47 Mark of the Vampire ( 1935 )

This  film  was  Tod  Browning's  second ( the  first  wasn't  horror )  as  he  tried  to  claw  his  way  back  from  the  debacle  of  Freaks. This  was  a  safer  bet  as  it  was  a  remake  of  his  own  silent  film  ( now  lost)  London  After  Midnight   of  1927.

The  film  has  some  atmosphere  and  makes  effective  use  of  animals  but  it's  sunk  by  a  gaping  plot  hole  at  the  end  when  the  sinister  Count  Mora  and  his  daughter  Luna  are  revealed  to  be  actors  rather  than  vampires. This  cannot  be  squared  with  events  earlier  in  the  film. They  can't be  working  with  the  police  to  trap  a  murderer  since  they  are  on  the  scene  before  the  murder  takes  place  and  if  they're  giving  cover  to  him  which  would  make  more  sense  they're  accomplices  who  would  be  banged  up  with  him  at  the  end  but  they're  not.

Bela  Lugosi  who  played  Mora  protested  this ending  to  no  avail. It's  hard  to understand  why he took  such  an  unrewarding  role; he  has  hardly  any  lines,  just  walks  around  in  his  Dracula cape  with  an  unexplained  head  injury. I  guess  it  was  either  friendship  or  finance  that  brought him  in.


Elisabeth  Allan  ( as  Irina )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Elisabeth  was   originally  from  Skegness. She  went  to  Hollywood  in  1933  but  returned  to  the  UK  in  1938  after  a  number  of  disappointments. She  appeared  in  a  number  of  British  films  and  was  a  top  TV  personality  in  the  fifties. She  died  in  1990  aged  80.

Carol  Borland  ( as  Luna )

Sex :  No

Death  : Survives

Carol  has  virtually  no  lines  and  is  revealed  to  be  merely  an  actress  at  the  end  but  nevertheless  Luna  defined  the  appearance  of  the female  vampire  for  decades  afterwards. Carol  was  something  of  a  protege of  Lugosi's  , having  appeared  with  him  in  the stage version  of  Dracula  , although  she  was  prone  to exaggerate  their  relationship. She ostentatiously  retired  in  1953  when she  only  had  this  and  an  uncredited  appearance  in  Flash  Gordon  to  her  credit. She  made  a  unexpected  comeback  in  two  eighties  horror  movies. She  died  in  1994  aged  79.

46 Bride of Frankenstein ( 1935 )

Now  we  come  to  another  famous  screen  queen  of  the  thirties  although  she's  hardly  in  this; it  just  shows  you  don't  need  a  lot  of  screen  time  to  make  an  impact.

This  was  the  direct  sequel  to  Frankenstein  and  director  James  Whale  was  reluctant  to  make  it. He  was  eventually  won  over  by  agreement  that  he  could  direct  an  adaptation  of  John  Galsworthy's  One  More  River   but  the  script  then  went  through  a  number  of  re-writes  before  shooting  began.  Boris  Karloff  and  Colin  Clive  reprised  their  roles  from  the  first  film but  Mae  Clarke  was  too  ill  to  take  part  and  replaced  by  Valerie  Hobson. Dwight  Frye  also  returned  ; having  been  killed  by  the  Monster  in  the  first  film  he  plays  a  different  but  similar  character  who  suffers  the  same  fate.  The   framing  prologue  featuring  Byron  and  the  Shelleys  was  in  one  of  the  submitted  scripts; Whale's  decision  to  have  the  same  actress  portray  both  Mary  Shelley  and  the  Bride  came  later.  He  said  it  was  to  emphasise  how  the  story  sprang  from  the  dark  side  of  the  imagination  but  he  may  also  have  had  in  mind  that the  part  of  the  Bride   alone  with  no  lines  as  such  wouldn't  be  attractive  to  many  actresses.

The  action  starts   where  the  original  left  off  with  the  Monster  apparently  being  destroyed  by  a  burning  windmill. He  somehow  survives  that  and  kills  the  parents  of   young  Maria, the  child  he  accidentally  drowned  in  the  first  film. He  then  runs  amok  around  the  countryside  with   the  villagers   in  pursuit  before  landing  at  the  dwelling  of  a  blind  hermit  who  calms  him  down  and  teaches  him  some  speech.  In  the  meantime  Henry  Frankenstein  is  nursed  back  to  health  and  forswears  his  earlier  experiments  but   his  sinister  mentor  ( not  in  the  first  film )  Dr  Pretorius  ( Ernest  Thesiger )  wants  him  to  continue  and  eventually  finds  the  means  to  persuade  him.

This  is  a  pretty  good  sequel  though  rather  mis-titled  as  the  Bride  only  appears  in  the   last  ten  minutes  of  the  film  and  she's  not  marrying  Frankenstein  either. The  delays  in  making  the  film  also  made  it  subject  to  the  Hays  Production  Code  and  you  can  tell  during  the  Monster's   murderous   rampage  that  cuts  have  been  made. However  Whale  doesn't  properly  account  for  the  demise  of  Baron  Frankenstein, alive  and  well  at  the  end  of  the  first  film  but necessarily  dead  and  buried  while  Henry  convalesces  and  the  Monster  roams  at  large.  

Karloff  didn't  want  the  Monster  to  speak  but  does  pretty  well  in  conveying  the  pathos  of  the  Monster's  situation  anyway  and  Clive's  advancing  alcoholism  actually  enhances  his  performance  as  the  desperate  doctor. The  film  is  awash  with  Christian  symbolism although  Whale  himself  was  not  a  strong  believer.

Valerie  Hobson  ( as  Elisabeth  Frankenstein )

Sex : Elisabeth's  night  gown  is  pretty  see-through  and  low  cut

Death : Survives

Valerie , who  looked  nothing  like  Mae  Clarke,  hasn't  got  much  to  do  except  look  concerned  and  scream   in   a  very  male- dominated  film. She  was   a  British  actress  from  Larne  who  was  only  18  but  had  already  appeared  in  a  dozen  films  before  this  one.  She  gave  up  acting  in  1954  when  she  married  as  her  second  husband, a  certain  John  Profumo. She  stood  by  him  when  his  whoring  became  public  knowledge  and  they  were  still  married  when  she  died  in  1998  aged  81.

Elsa  Lanchester  ( as  Mary  Shelley / the  Bride )

Sex : Her  dress  as  Mary  Shelly  really  emphasises  her  boobs

Death :  The  Bride  perishes  when  the  Monster  causes  Pretorius's  laboratory  to  explode

Elsa  was  also  British  although  somewhat older. After  a  colourful  upbringing  Elsa  became  a star  of  the  London  stage  where  she  met  Charles  Laughton. They  were  married  in  1929  and she  followed  him  over  to  Hollywood. With  the  iconic  "punk"  hairstyle, the  Bride  is  Elsa's most  famous  role  but  she  was  a  very  versatile  actress  and  was  Oscar-nominated  for  her  role in  1957's  Witness  for  the  Prosecution. Her  last  film  was  in  1980. She  died  of bronchopneumonia   in  1986  , three  years  after  being  left  bedridden  by  a  stroke. She  was  84.

Anne  Darling  ( as  Shepherdess )  

Sex : No

Death : Survives

The  Monster  redeems  himself  for  Maria's  death  by  saving  the  Shepherdess, after  she  ( not  very  convincingly )  falls  into  a  pond.  Anne  was  merely  an  extra  who  made  a  number  of  uncredited  appearances  in  films  in  the  mid-thirties. She  died  in  1991  aged  76.      

45 Maniac ( 1934 )

This  is  a  shocker  in  more  ways  than  one, a  low  budget  stolen  identity  tale  that  uses  pseudo-scientific  captions  in  a  vain  attempt  to  convince  you  that  the  story  makes  some  sort  of  sense.

Dr  Meirshultz  ( Horace  B  Carpenter ) is  a  mad  doctor  engaged  in  bringing  corpses, particularly  attractive  women  back  to  life. He  is  reluctantly  assisted  by  Maxwell  ( William  Woods ) a  stage  mimic  who  is  on  the  run  for  reasons  which  escape  me. Having bungled  a  corpse raid  Maxwell  is  ordered  to  shoot  himself  so  that  Meirshultz  can  carry  out  a  heart  transplant. In  the  most  comprehensible  action  of  the  film  Maxwell  shoots  him  instead.

He  then  steals  the  doctor's  identity  and  treats  topless  women  ( uncredited  extras ). When  he  inherits  a  fortune  his  estranged  wife  Alice  comes  looking  for  him  but  doesn't  recognise  him.

It's  exploitative  trash with  no  non-carnal  reasons  for  watching  it.

Thea  Ramsey  ( as  Alice  Maxwell )

Sex :  Alice  is  barebacked   and  then  has  a  towel  over  her  boobs  while  she  uses  a  slimming  machine. She  is  a  bit  overweight  actually.

Death : Survives

Thea  made  no  other  films  and  I  can  tell  you  no  more  about  her.



Celia  McCann  ( as  Jo )

Sex :  Jo  is  one  of  three  girls  who  appear  in  just  one  scene, talking  with  Alice  in  a  hotel  room  in  various  states  of  undress. Jo  walks  around  in  a  bra  and  pants.

Death : Survives

Celia  made  just  one  other  picture, an  uncredited  role  as  a  prostitute in  Narcotic.

Marvelle  Andre  ( as  Marvel )

Sex : Her  night  gown  is  low  cut.

Death : Survives

Marvelle  was  only  14  when  she  appeared  in  this  and  her  voice  sounds  like  she's  swallowed  a  couple  of  helium  balloons. She  made  a  few  more  films  than  the  others  although  mostly  in  uncredited  roles. She  died  in  1990  aged  71.

Jenny  Dark  ( as  Maizie )

Sex : Maizie's  in  the  bath  so  we  see  some  bare  back  and  a  bit  of  leg. She  later  lounges  around  in  her  underwear.

Death : Survives

This  is  the  only  one  of  Jenny's  four  films  in  which  she's  credited. She  appeared  in  director  Dwain  Esper's  next  film  Marihuana.

  

44 House of Mystery (1934 )

An  archaeologist  Prendergast  ( Clay  Clement  )  provokes  an  ancient  Hindu  curse  in  "Asia"  in  1913  by  stealing  some  treasure  and  a  high  caste  Indian  dancer  Chanda.  He  then  disappears. Twenty  years  later  the  investors  in  his  expedition  track  him -now  a  cripple - down  and  want  their  share  of  the  loot. He  complies  as  long  as  they  stay  in  his  dark  creepy  house  for  a  week  to  experience  the  Curse  for  themselves. A  killer  gorilla  then  starts  bumping  off  characters  you  don't  give  a  stuff  about  when  the  lights  go  out.
 Haven't  we  been  here  somewhere  before  ?

This  is  just  full  of  cliches  and  plot  holes ; there's  no  real  reason  for  the  twenty-year  gap  for  a  start  and  the  motive  for  most  of  the  murders  remains  murky. It  is  fairly  light  in  tone  with  comic  cops  and  a  bickering  eldely  couple  providing  some  mild  amusement  but  it's  easily  forgotten.

Verna  Hillie  ( as  Ella  Browning )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Verna  was  better  known  for  Westerns  in  a  short  film  career  curtailed  by  contracting  Bell's  palsy. She  later  worked  as  a  health  care  administrator. She  died  after  a  stroke  in  1997  aged  83.

Joyzelle  Joyner  ( as  Chanda )

Sex :  Her  dancing  costume  is  quite  skimpy

Death :  Survives  but  may  well  be  executed  for  murder  after  the  events  of  the  film

Joyzelle  was  not  , surprise  surprise, Indian. She  was  a  bit  part  actress,  usually  employed  for  her  dancing  skills,  and  this  was  probably  her  most  substantial  role. It  was  also  one  of  her  last. She  died  in  1980  aged  75.

Fritzi  Ridgeway  ( as  Stella  )  

Sex : No

Death :  Neck  broken  by  the  ape  although  there's  no  real  motive  as  Stella  is  merely  a  companion  to  one  of  the  investors  who's  already  been  despatched.

Fritzi  was  also  at  the  end  of  her  career  having  made  enough  money, mainly  in  Westerns,   in  the  silent  era  to  build  her  own  hotel  in  1928. She  died of  a  heart  attack in  1961  aged  62.

43 Chloe, Love Is Calling You ( 1934 )

This  is  an  awful, very  un-p.c.  film , dealing  in  voodoo  practices  and  inter-racial  union  with  all  the  subtlety  of  Bernard  Manning.

Mandy  ( Georgette  Harvey ) is  a  voodoo  priestess  with  a  light-skinned  daughter  Chloe  ( Olive  Borden ) . Chloe  falls  for  a  white  man  Wade  Carson  ( Reed Howes )  who  saves  her  both  from  an  alligator  and  a  black  rapist . The  local  blacks  don't  like  this  and  plan  to  sacrifice  her. That's  what  I  can  glean from  a  very  muddled  script   in  a  film  that  jumps  from  one  scene  to  another  with  little  regard  to  narrative  flow.

Olive  Borden  ( as  Chloe )

Sex : Chloe  is  about  to  be  raped  at  one  point  but  is  rescued  before losing  any  clothes.

Death : Survives

Olive  had  been a  big  silent  movie  star  but  struggled  to  translate  to  talkies  , not  helped  by  a  reputation  for  being  greedy  and  difficult. This  turned  out  to  be  her  last  film. She  moved  to  New  York  and  worked in  vaudeville  but  struggled  with  alcoholism  and  was  declared   bankrupt . She  worked  in  menial  jobs  then  joined  the  army  in  1942 winning  a  citation  for  bravery. She  was  honourably  discharged  with  a  foot  injury  and  ended  her  days  as  a  cleaner  at  a  home  for  destitute  women. She  died  ofg  a  stomach  ailment  and  pneumonia  in  1947  aged  41.

Molly  O' Day (  as  Joyce )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Molly, who's  pretty  superfluous  in  the  film, was  also  coming  towards  the  end  of  her  film  career  which  had  peaked  with  The  Patent  Leather  Kid  in  1927. Born  as  Suzanne  Noonan  in  1911  she  was  the  sister  of  the  better  known  Sally O' Neil. She  died  in  1998  aged  87.

42 Supernatural ( 1933 )

This  is  a  mildly  entertaining  film  about  possession  from  beyond  the  grave. It's  an  intriguing  premise  that   isn't  satisfactorily  developed.

Ruth  Rogen  is  a  serial  murderess  awaiting  execution. Doctor  Houston  persuades  her  to  leave her  body  to  him  to  test  out  some  theory  about  malingering  evil  influence.
While  this  is  going  on  her ex-lover  Paul  Batvian , himself  a  murderer  who  betrayed  her  to the police ,  is  preparing  a  fake  seance  to  ensnare  Roma  Courtenay, an  heiress  whose  twin  brother has  recently  died.  Her  fiance has  doubts  about  the  seance  and  takes  her  to  see   Houston  just as  he  is  experimenting  with  Rogen's  corpse. Her  spirit  transfers  to  Roma  who  seeks  to revenge  herself  on  Batvian. This  is  contrived  enough  but  there  are  plentiful  red  herrings  that only  confuse  the  viewer. Just  for  starters  we  don't  know  how  Roma's  brother  died, what  really happened  between  Ruth  and  Batvian  or  why  the  latter  accuses  the  family  lawyer  of  killing Roma's  brother.

Carole  Lombard  ( as  Roma  Courtenay ) 

Sex : As  possessed  by  Ruth, Roma  seeks  to  seduce  Batvian  but  only  gets  so  far  as  his  hand  on  her  clothed  breast  before  their  tryst  is  interrupted.

Death : Survives

Carole   was  happier doing  comedy   and  didn't want  this  part but she does well enough in a dual personality role. She  became a big star after Twentieth Century in 1934 and especially  after becoming Mrs   Clark  Gable in 1939. Alas  they  only  had  three  years  together  as  she  was  killed  in  an  air  crash  returning  from  a  War  Bond  tour  in  1942  aged  33.

Vivienne  Osbourne  ( as  Ruth  Rogen )

Sex : No

Death : Executed  in  the  electric  chair  ( offscreen ) .  Her  spirit  leaves  Roma  upon  the  death  of  Batvian  so  presumably  is  at  peace ?

Vivienne  ( who  doesn't  look  very  scary )  was  originally  Vera  Spragg. She  was  a  character  actress  who  flitted  between  stage  and  screen  throughout  her  career  and  was  a  more  than  capable  singer. She  died  in  1961  aged  64.  

41 The Black Cat ( 1934 )

This  is  the  first  of  a  number  of  films  to  pair  up  Bela  Lugosi  and  Boris  Karloff.  Much  was  made  of  their  professional   and  personal  rivalry  ( perpetuated  in  Ed  Wood  )  but  in  truth  they  had  a  friendly  relationship.

A  newly-wedded  couple  travel  on  the  Orient  Express  through  Hungary  and  blunder  into  a  blood  feud  between  a  revenge-crazed  surgeon  recently  released  from  a  prison  camp  ( Lugosi )  and  a  sinister  architect  ( Karloff  )  who  has  murdered  his  wife  and  then  married  his  daughter.  The  latter  is  also   a  Satanist  who  plans  to  sacrifice  the  woman  in  a  ritual.

The  film  is  bigger  on  atmosphere  than  comprehensible  plot  - the  feline  of  the  title  is  at  best  a  red  herring  -  but  certainly  worth  seeing  for  the  sparring  between  the  two  titans  who  have  the  majority  of  the  screen  time.

Jacqueline  Wells  (  as  Joan  Allison )

Sex :  No  apart  from  a  couple  of  smooches

Death : Survives

Jacqueline  had  been  a  child  actress  in  the  silent  era. She  was  required  to  change  her  name  to  Julie  Bishop  on  signing  a  new  contract  with  Warner  Brothers  in  1941  and  made  her  best  known  films  under  that  name. She  died  in  2001  aged  87.

Lucille  Lund  ( as  Karin )

Sex : No  though  she  plays  all  her  scenes  in  nightwear

Death  :  Killed  by her  husband  after  disobeying  his  orders  to  stay  out  of  sight

Lucille  also  played  the  preserved  corpse  of  her  mother  in  the  film. She  was  a  busy  actress  in  the  thirties  but  gave  up  acting  to  raise  her  daughters  in  1939. She  did  some  acting  in  commercials  in  the  seventies. She  died  in  2002  aged  88.