In 1950s America, going to the movie theater was a huge part of life and a regular activity for all the cool cats and daddy-o’s. Whether it was a drive-in or just a good old-fashioned cinema, people flocked to the theaters for grand displays of entertainment.
The most daring of these greasers and hipsters opted for horror movies. This decade saw the rise of monster-based horror (think Godzilla) and sci-fi horror movies incorporating new or futuristic science imagery. There was also an emphasis on recreating classic monsters for modern times, like vampires.
These 10 horror movies from the 1950s are sure to send a shiver down your spine. So, leave your 21st-century cynicism at the door and lean into the frights offered by the special effects, scientific concepts, and larger-than-life attitudes of the 1950s.
The Thing from Another World (1951)
A group of United States Airforce members and scientists find a flying saucer buried in the ice of remote Alaska. Soon after, they find a body of a creature in the snow nearby.
When the ice encasing the body is accidentally melted, the crew find themselves in a battle against the terrifying plant based alien.
Godzilla (1954)
It wouldn't be a '50s horror round-up without Godzilla! Although the Americanized version, Godzilla, King of the Monsters! would not be released until two years later in 1956, this original 1954 Japanese first part the much beloved and feared dinosaur-inspired monster on the map!
Regarded as one of the best monster movies ever, this is a truly iconic installation in the genre.
Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
An expedition of geologists find fossil evidence of a creature that could be the missing link between sea and land animals. A Creature of the same species becomes interested in the expedition and ends up killing two assistants.
On edge but still curious, the scientists risk their lives to go to the very place the creature originated from, the Black Lagoon, as the “Gill-man” follows their trail.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
When alien plant spores fall down to earth, each seed begins taking on the traits and memories of a human until only the visually identical replica human remains.
The only problem is that these copies are devoid of all emotion.
Only doctor Miles Bennell can see that this terrifying invasion is taking place, but can he convince anyone and put a stop to it?
The She-Creature (1956)
A shady carnival hypnotist, Dr. Carlo Lombardi, decides to experiment with hypnotic regression on an unknowing female subject. The experiment causes the woman to regress into a prehistoric humanoid monster.
Lombardi then uses the physical manifestation of his creation to run a reign of terror on the community.
The Fly (1958)
While experimenting with matter transportation, a scientist accidentally enters a machine of his creation with a fly. This causes his atoms to be combined with those of the insect and for parts of their bodies to be exchanged, leading to the disintegration of his mind as the fly takes over.
This is the original behind the well-known 1986 remake of the same name.
The Vampire (1957)
When San Francisco doctor Paul Beecher accidentally takes pills that have been made from the blood of vampire blood, he begins experiencing blackouts, and a series of murders plagues the city.
He realizes far too late that he has been transforming into the terrible monster responsible for the rampage, and that he can’t stop himself.
Scared Stiff (1953)
This film stands out on this list because not only is it a horror comedy, but it’s also a musical! Three New Yorkers sail to Havana to live in an abandoned, and reportedly haunted, castle that has been bequeathed to one of them.
Many secrets and scares await them inside the eerie building.
Them! (1954)
One of the first “nuclear monster” films to be made, this film centers on a species of ants that have been turned into giant monsters after a test of a nuclear bomb.
When two queen ants leave to establish new colonies, the entire fate of humanity is put in the hands of myrmecologists and police officers who must locate and destroy the ants in the sewer system of Los Angeles.
The Blob (1958)
A meteorite crashes to earth and an amorphous alien blob emerges from within it. The blob begins to envelop human victims, growing quickly in size. It is up to one teenage couple to convince their small Pennsylvania town of the blob’s existence and to warn them of its danger.
Unconvinced, the townspeople end up facing the full wrath of the blob that has grown larger than a building.
Featured still from “The Fly” via 20th Century Fox
