One of the most profitable film genres is horror – why? Because people are cowards. People have always been easy to scare. Even in the late 19th century, a time associated with science and reason, was incredibly superstitious. All it took was a dark rumor and angry mobs would appear out of nowhere. In 1892 a vampire scare took hold of Rhode Island. Two years later, an outbreak of seizures began to affect young girls in Montreal, causing many to believe they were possessed by the devil. And for decades leading up to this, many in London claimed to encounter a strange monster known as Spring-Heeled Jack. You see, horror existed before video technology did, so it only makes sense that film fans would not need to wait long before the first horror movie.
The First Films
Going into 1896, the film industry had firmly seeded. In America, the first businesses devoted solely to showing moving pictures were opened – and in France, pioneering directors were experimenting with simple visual effects like stop motion and stop tricks. Spearheading this was the filmmaker Georges Méliès, who, being French, was extremely weird.
A lifelong magician, his background was as a stage performer, traveling all over Europe to perform illusions. So when he attended a showing of early film technology, he immediately wanted in. The show was run by two brothers, who possessed a type of camera called a Cinematograph. Méliès tried to purchase one from them, but wishing to keep control of the market, they refused. So he traveled to London, where he bought a more rudimentary camera known as an Animatograph. It wasn’t exactly state of the art equipment, but through trial and error, Méliès quickly gained expert knowledge in filmography.
So in 1896 he began producing his own short films for public release – and as they were an immediate hit, he kept making them. And when I say he kept making them, I mean he probably made too many. In fact, by the end of that year he’d made 80. Only eight of them have survived into modern times, so let’s face it, most of them were probably dull. But among those eight is the world’s first horror movie.
The First Horror Movie
Called the Devil’s Manor in original French, it has come be known by multiple names. In America it was released as The Haunted Castle, and in the UK it was The Devil’s Castle – but wherever it was shown, audiences were shocked. Set in a medieval castle, the film opens with a giant bat,who eventually reveals himself as the devil – and with the help of a magical mate, has a woman appear from a cauldron.
When two unlucky guards walk into the area, the devil then plays brutal pranks on them – the kind only Satan himself would – like poking them with sticks, or conjuring ghosts to torment them. As it turns out, one of the guards ran away, and the other defeated Satan with a giant cross. Though it might look silly to us now, people at the time had never seen anything like it. People were stupid and gullible – they were still scared of gypsy curses, and the Chinese. So when this trash was released in theaters, a lot of audience members actually fainted.
Perhaps it was his transformation from bat into humanoid, making an otherwise comedic routine scary to 19th century eyes. This element, along with the devil’s weakness being a cross, has caused many to identify the creature more as a vampire than Satan. Either way it was a big success, and at 3 minutes long, much longer than most others of the time.
The Next Horror
Strangely, Méliès actually remade this film just one year later. Shorter than the original, the remake was just 45 seconds long, reflecting lessons learned by it’s creator. It’s faster paced, cutting out unnecessary elements, and showing off more visual effects in rapid succession. Also in 1897, an English film pioneer George Albert Smith published his own film called The Haunted Castle. Many suspect it was a remake of Méliès’ work – but like so many early films, it has been lost to history.
Speaking of which, the Devil’s Manor was also thought to be a lost film, disappearing at some point in the early 20th century. For decades it was gone, and most expected it to remain that way. But Year after year it went unnoticed, as many hidden gems in junk stores do. Yet finally in 1985, it was identified for the treasure it was. Because of this chance discovery, the world’s first horror movie lives on.