American movie treasures: Universal's Horror Movies - upcoming events

As the 21st century moves on, we are increasingly marking the centennials of the formative events and births in cinema history. Some are of master filmmakers; but a century ago the essential industrial structures and systems of ‘classic’ cinema were also falling into place. And as well as the workflows of the movie business, the first household names in film production were also beginning to appear. Hollywood’s Universal Studios and Japan’s Nikkatsu both came into being in 1912. Although both are the oldest surviving ‘major’ studios in their respective national filmmaking industries, both have been through many of changes of ownership, business models and not a few brushes with bankruptcy. And whilst no two film national cinemas could be more different than those of Hollywood and Japan, Universal and Nikkatsu have taken oddly similar journeys. For the remainder of 2012 and into 2013 we’ll selectively and all-too-briefly survey the best and the typical of both studios.

Part of our ongoing American Movie Treasures series (presented with the support of the Embassy of the United States) Universal’s Movies focuses on the less prestigious ‘B’ genre movies that have come to define the studio’s filmmaking; from the 1910s to early ‘30s under boss Carl Laemmle Snr, then up until its sale to the talent agency MCA in the early 1960s, when it arguably became the first of the Hollywood majors to move on from a classic studio production system.

June begins with a look at a selection of a few of the classics from Universal’s probably most renowned and critically appreciated house genre: its fantasy/ horror movies of the 1930s, from directors like Tod Browning, James Whale and Robert Florey. Later in 2012-13, we’ll move onto the key works from the studio’s specialist melodramas, noir and comedy franchise producers. The choices won’t always be obvious. Yet they’ll always be deserving and respectful of a studio history equally about the curios and anonymous pop delights of its ‘programmer’ and franchise productions – its Ma and Pa Kettle and Abbot and Costello comedies, the Lon Chaney (Sr and Jr) horrors, the Deanna Durbin musicals – as the certified Hollywood ‘classics’ of prestige directors like James Whale, John Stahl, Alfred Hitchcock or Anthony Mann.

American Movie Treasures: Universal’s Movies is presented with the support of the Embassy of the United States. Presented with the assistance of Universal Studios.