Vampires in Silent Cinema
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Book Presentation:
Despite the enormous cultural impact of Nosferatu (1922) on modern entertainment, the history of vampires in silent film is largely unknown.
Vampires in Silent Cinema covers the subject from 1896-1931, reclaiming a large array of forgotten films from countries ranging from the United States and France to Hungary and Russia. Drawing on thousands of primary sources, Rhodes explores vampirism in all of its manifestations, from the supernatural undead to the natural vamp.
About the Author:
Gary D. Rhodes is Professor of Media, Oklahoma Baptist University. He is the author of Emerald Illusions: The Irish in Early American Cinema (2012), The Perils of Moviegoing in America (2012), and The Birth of the American Horror Film (2018). He is a founding editor of Horror Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Rhodes is also the writer-director of the documentary films Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula (1997) and Banned in Oklahoma (2004).
Press Reviews:
Rhodes' book is full of original information, presented affably. It entertains as well as informs. It moves through the 18th through 21st centuries, providing a history of vampire culture, and how it was presented through press, books, the stage and screen. -- Doug Gibson ― Plan 9 Crunch
Vampires in Silent Cinema is an invaluable resource for aficionados and scholars of early cinema. Rhodes' extensive research leaves no stone unturned and has shed light on many mysteries and misconceptions around the birth of the vampire genre. It is among the most illuminating and original books on vampires in recent memory.
-- Robert Eggers, Director of The Witch and Nosferatu
At last, an account of the vampire in silent cinema that is fully researched! From Theda Bara’s sexy "vamp"; Musidora’ s criminal Irma Vep; a lost Hungarian film; through to Murnau’s Nosferatu and the lead-up to Lugosi’s "talkie," Rhodes combines the enthusiasm of a fan with the care of a scholar.
-- Tom Gunning, University of Chicago
> From the same author:
Neglected Scorsese (2025)
Overlooked Films, Television Shows, and Commercials
Dir. Phillip Sipiora and Gary D. Rhodes
Subject: Director > Martin Scorsese
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of American Horror Film Shorts (2023)
1915–1976
by Gary D. Rhodes, David J. Hogan, Mark Martucci and Henry Nicolella
Becoming Dracula (2021)
The Early Years of Bela Lugosi, Volume Two
by Gary D. Rhodes and Bill Kaffenberger
Subject: Actor > Bela Lugosi
Becoming Dracula (2021)
The Early Years of Bela Lugosi - Volume One
by Gary D. Rhodes and Bill Kaffenberger
Subject: Actor > Bela Lugosi
Son of Dracula (2019)
by Gary D. Rhodes, Tom Weaver and Robert J. Kiss
Subject: One Film > Son of Dracula
The Films of Budd Boetticher (2017)
Dir. Gary D. Rhodes and Robert Singer
Subject: Director > Budd Boetticher
No Traveler Returns (2012)
The Lost Years of Bela Lugosi
by Gary D. Rhodes and Bill Kaffenberger
Subject: Actor > Bela Lugosi
Stanley Kubrick (2007)
Essays on His Films and Legacy
Dir. Gary D. Rhodes
Subject: Director > Stanley Kubrick
Lugosi (2006)
His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers
Subject: Actor > Bela Lugosi
Docufictions (2005)
Essays on the Intersection of Documentary and Fictional Filmmaking
Dir. Gary D. Rhodes and John Parris Springer
Subject: Genre > Documentary
> On a related topic:
Vampires on the Silent Screen (2023)
Cinema's First Age of Vampires 1897-1922
Danish and German Silent Cinema (2025)
Towards a Common Film Culture
Dir. Lars-Martin Sørensen and Casper Tybjerg
Subject: Silent Cinema
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