1930s Archives - Desperate Living

Gothic Noir: Bela Lugosi in Edgar Wallace’s Dark Eyes Of London

Bela Lugosi makes a rare British film appearance in this 1939 crime melodrama based on the work of Edgar Wallace.

Tabu – F.W. Murnau’s Exotic Tale Of The South Seas

The collaboration between Murnau and documentarian Robert Flaherty is a melodramatic and exotic fiction passed off as reality for Western audiences.

Dancing On The Moon – Classic Cartoon Romance With Another Girl, Another Planet

A delightful Dave Fleischer cartoon and its unexpected revival at the heart of 1990s hipster filmmaking.

Welcome To The House Of Pain – Exploring The Island of Lost Souls

Looking back at one of the most brilliantly subversive horror films of the 1930s.

The Reprobate Movie Night: The Terror Of Tiny Town

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Another long-lost cult classic for your viewing pleasure.

The Horrific History Of The ‘H’ Certificate

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The short-lived effort by the British censors to give “morbid and horrible” films their own restrictive adults-only category.

The Enduring Pleasures Of The Cat and The Canary

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Revisiting the classic 1939 version of the much-filmed murder-mystery story.

Noirvember: The Edgar Wallace Films Of The 1930s And 1940s

Continuing our crime month with a look at a trio of early British films based on the novels by the master of the genre.

The 1930s Nudism Racket

A vintage documentary look at the nudist lifestyle that is both enthusiastic and salacious.

The Fleet’s Lit Up! Thomas Woodrooffe’s Notorious Drunken Performance

Tired and Emotional – the BBC’s top broadcaster of the pre-war era produces a commentary for the ages.

Away From It All: Vintage British Holiday Resort Advertising

Classic holiday resort posters promising a world of sun, sea and sophistication for British holidaymakers who avoided the temptations of the continent.

Intimate Interviews With Bela Lugosi