10 Best Horror Films of 1930
by nauru-1 | created - 03 Nov 2013 | updated - 17 Mar 2021 | PublicIt takes some effort to eek out any semblance of a top ten for 1930. As silent films transition to sound, there's very little in terms of horror to speak of. That would all change the next year. This also marks the final year where some of the most notable entries are lost films.
Notable Films sometimes labelled as horror:
The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu, The Cuckoo Murder Case
Notable Films that didn't make the cut:
Will of the Dead Man
Jump Back to 10 Best Horror Films of 1900 & 1901
Jump Back to 10 Best Horror Films of 1910
Jump Back to 10 Best Horror Films of 1920
10 Best Horror Films of 1929
10 Best Horror Films of 1931
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 1940
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 1950
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 1960
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 1970
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 1980
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 1990
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 2000
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 2010
Jump Forward to 10 Best Horror Films of 2020
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. The Bat Whispers (1930)
Passed | 83 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A master criminal terrorizes the occupants of an isolated country mansion.
Director: Roland West | Stars: Chester Morris, Una Merkel, William Bakewell, Grayce Hampton
Votes: 1,146
2. The Unholy Three (1930)
Passed | 72 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
"Talkie" remake of Tod Browning's 1925 silent film. A trio of former sideshow performers double as the "Unholy Three" in a scam to nab some shiny rocks.
Director: Jack Conway | Stars: Lon Chaney, Lila Lee, Elliott Nugent, Harry Earles
Votes: 1,394
3. The Cat Creeps (1930)
75 min | Horror, Mystery
Disappearances and strange goings-on in a spooky old mansion.
Directors: Rupert Julian, John Willard | Stars: Helen Twelvetrees, Raymond Hackett, Neil Hamilton, Lilyan Tashman
Votes: 95
4. The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930)
Approved | 30 min | Short, Comedy, Crime
In order to claim an inheritance, the boys present themselves at a creaky, bat-filled mansion on a stormy night.
Director: James Parrott | Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Frank Austin, Stanley Blystone
Votes: 2,048
5. Swing You Sinners! (1930)
8 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Bimbo is seen late at night, trying to steal a chicken. He runs away from a policeman and enters a haunted cemetery. Various ghosts and monsters tell him that he will be punished for his sin.
Directors: Dave Fleischer, Ted Sears | Star: Billy Murray
Votes: 768
6. The Bishop Murder Case (1929)
Passed | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When the body of a man nicknamed "Cock Robin" is found with an arrow in the heart on an archery range along with a chess bishop as a clue, Philo Vance investigates.
Directors: David Burton, Nick Grinde | Stars: Basil Rathbone, Leila Hyams, Roland Young, Alec B. Francis
Votes: 856
7. Mysterious Mose (1930)
6 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Betty Boop (with dog's ears) can't sleep on a scary night, so she sings the title song and meets the gentleman in question... a surreal version of Bimbo.
Directors: Dave Fleischer, Willard Bowsky | Stars: Margie Hines, Billy Murray
Votes: 294
8. Alraune (1929)
103 min | Sci-Fi
A scientist, Professor Jakob ten Brinken, interested in the laws of heredity, impregnates a prostitute in a laboratory with the semen of a hanged murderer. The prostitute conceives a female... See full summary »
Director: Richard Oswald | Stars: Brigitte Helm, Albert Bassermann, Harald Paulsen, Adolf E. Licho
Votes: 119
9. Spooks (1930)
7 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
The Phantom of a cheap opera house helps an aspiring singer by putting a phonograph machine down her skirt. When she spurns him for Oswald the Rabbit, the Phantom takes his revenge.
Director: Walter Lantz | Stars: Pinto Colvig, Walter Lantz
Votes: 140
10. Ingagi (1930)
Passed | 85 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
An expedition enters an area of the Congo jungle to investigate reports of a gorilla-worshipping tribe. After many dangerous adventures, they come upon the tribe they sought, only to watch ... See full summary »
Director: William Campbell | Stars: Sir Hubert Winstead, Charles Gemora, Arthur Clayton, Louis Nizor
Votes: 212 | Gross: $4.00M
Tell Your Friends