The Essential Watchlist that Capture the Essence of Melchiad Koloma...

Dir: Harry A. Pollard

A scientist discovers a death ray and locks it in a box, giving the key to his daughter, who soon finds herself hunted by criminals looking to steal the deadly mineral.

Dir: Eugenio Testa

The Italian adaptation of the famous novel about Dr. Frankenstein and his monstrous creation.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Monster of Frankenstein perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Edward F. Cline

A bank clerk ends up in a seemingly haunted house that is actually a thieves' hideout.

Dir: Jan S. Kolár

A fascinating piece of cinema that shares thematic elements.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Haunted House perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Károly Lajthay

A girl has frightening visions after visiting an insane asylum where one of the inmates claims to be Drakula and she can not be sure whether they were a nightmare or real.

Dir: Bruno C. Becker

It is the year 1950; women have taken over men's jobs and have become the aggressors in romantic situations. Lizzie Hap stuffs the ballot box, defeats her opponent, Minnie Fish, and is thereby elected Fire Chief of the all female fire department, and succeeds in winning the hand of her fair loved one, Willie Wart.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Otrávené svetlo perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Richard Smith

Harpo played the hero, a detective named Watson who "made his entrance in a high hat, sliding down a coal chute into the basement". Groucho played an "old movie" villain, who "sported a long mustache and was clad in black", while Chico was probably his "chuckling [Italian] henchman". Zeppo portrayed a playboy who was the owner of a nightclub in which most of the action took place, including "a cabaret, [which allowed] the inclusion of a dance number". The final shot showed Groucho "in ball and chain, trudging slowly off into the gloaming". Harpo, in a rare moment of romantic glory, gets the girl in the end.

Dir: Maxwell Karger

Horace Parker is a wealthy young man who is exceedingly selfish and self-centered. He is engaged to Minnie Talbotr who has discovered his selfishness and she is on the brink of calling off the engagement. On Christmas Eve, a messenger from Mars comes to Earth to show Parker the error of his ways.

A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Dracula's Death perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Dir: Jan S. Kolár

Richard Bor brings his neighbor, the landowner Drazicky, an old book. The latter tries in vain to persuade his wife Dagmar to leave. In the book Drazicky finds the story of the Mystery of the Black Tower and he falls asleep. He goes into the tower and finds an alchemist's laboratory and the body of a man holding instructions describing how he can be revived. Drazicky successfully carries out the experiment and finds out that the man is his ancestor Jesek Drazicky who lived during the time of Rudolf II. He had become the apprentice of the alchemist Borro who had entrusted him with the mystery of the elixir of life.

Dir: Maurice Elvey

Sherlock Holmes comes to the aid of his friend Henry Baskerville, who is under a family curse and menaced by a demonic dog that prowls the bogs near his estate and murders people.