Toys - Trading Cards - Movie Posters - Wallpapers In August of 1957, fifty two classic horror films (more or less) were released to television under the package title of Shock!. They were part of a ten-year, $20-million deal by Screen Gems to license 550 films from Universal-International for syndication. The package consisted mainly of older Universal horror releases, such as the original Dracula and Frankenstein, but also a few lesser flicks to fill out the list (such as 1935's The Great Impersonation). This moment is important for fans of classic movie monsters, because the release of the Shock! package to local television markets was the beginning of the Monster Craze among American youth that continues today. This was the first time that kids could enjoy the Universal monsters in their own homes - prior to this, the movies had only been shown in theaters, in original runs and re-releases. Once kids got a load of Lugosi, Karloff, and the rest, they immediately adopted them as their own - as well as the newer (to them) crop of monsters appearing at the time onscreen, such as Creature From The Black Lagoon. The package was of course a success, and it would be followed by imitators such as Associated Artists re-releasing the old Monogram pictures, among others, which caused even more monstrous mayhem on TV's. Soon would follow the first issue of Famous Monsters Of Filmland, the first Aurora models, and all of the other licensed toys and items which helped cement the love of monsters in the hearts of the creature-kids. But it all started with Shock!. Here's a list of the fifty-two films that made up that package:  The Black CatCalling Dr. Death The Cat Creeps Chinatown Squad Danger Woman A Dangerous Game Dead Man's Eyes Destination Unknown Dracula Dracula's Daughter Enemy Agent Frankenstein Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man The Frozen Ghost The Great Impersonation Horror Island House of Horrors The Invisible Man The Invisible Man Returns The Invisible Ray The Last Warning The Mad Doctor of Market Street The Mad Ghoul Man Made Monster The Man Who Cried Wolf The Mummy The Mummy's Ghost The Mummy's Hand The Mummy's Tomb Murders in the Rue Morgue The Mystery of Edwin Drood The Mystery of Marie Roget Mystery of the White Room Night Key Nightmare Night Monster Pillow of Death The Raven Reported Missing! Sealed Lips The Secret of the Blue Room Secret of the Chateau She-Wolf of London Son of Dracula Son of Frankenstein The Spider Woman Strikes Back The Spy Ring The Strange Case of Doctor Rx Weird Woman Werewolf of London The Witness Vanishes The Wolf Man [Information taken from the highly recommended by Kevin Heffernan]
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