List of science fiction films of the 1930s

This is a list of science fiction films that premiered between 1 January 1930 and 31 December 1939. In Phil Hardy's book Science Fiction (1983), the 1930s were described as a period where both science fiction literature and cinema were "in turmoil" and that by examining films of decade that "it is clear that Science Fiction, in no sense, can be seen as an ongoing genre in the thirties".[1]

Science
fiction films
By decade

In the United States, films would use a science fiction plot device or character such as a mad scientist, but more closely resembled contemporary genres like horror, thriller and detective films.[1] The films enhanced other genres such as melodrama (Six Hours to Live), Westerns (The Phantom Empire) and most predominantly horror films such as Frankenstein or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.[1][2] Towards the middle of the decade, science fiction was prominent in low budget Poverty Row films and film series.[1] European films such as End of the World and F.P.1 antwortet nicht and Things to Come continued the line of prophetic speculation of Fritz Lang's film Metropolis.[1] Towards the end of the 1930s as political climate was changing in Europe, films such as Bila Nemoc used science fiction elements to imagine the horrors of World War II.[1]

Few films from the era have been nominated or won awards, these include Fredric March winning an Academy Award for Best actor for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde while the film received nominations for best writing and cinematography.[3] Gilbert Kurland was nominated for Best Sound Recording for Bride of Frankenstein.[3]

Science fiction films of the 1930s
Title Director Release Primary cast Production country Notes Ref(s)
The Voice from the SkyBen F. Wilson1 January 1930Wally Wales, Neva Gerber, Robert D. WalkerUnited StatesFilm serial with 10 chapters[4][5]
AlrauneRichard Oswald2 March 1930Brigitte Helm, Albert Bassermann, Harald PaulsenGermany[6][7][1]
Just ImagineDavid Butler21 November 1930El Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, Marjorie WhiteUnited States[8][9][10]
End of the WorldAbel Gance23 January 1931Colette Darfeuil, Abel Gance, Victor FrancenFrance[11][12][10]
FrankensteinJames Whale21 November 1931Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae ClarkeUnited States[13][10][4]
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeRouben Mamoulian31 December 1931Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose HobartUnited States[14][15]
L'AtlantideG. W. Pabst8 June 1932Brigitte HelmGermany, France[16][17]
Chandu the MagicianMarcel Varnel, William C. Menzies18 September 1932Edmund Lowe, Irene Ware, Bela LugosiUnited States[18][19][15][20]
6 Hours to LiveWilliam Dieterle16 October 1932Warner Baxter, Miriam Jordan, John BolesUnited States[21][22]
Island of Lost SoulsErle C. KentonDecember 1932Charles Laughton, Richard Arlen, Leila HyamsUnited States[23][24]
F.P.1 Antwortet NichtKarl Hartl22 December 1932Hans Albers, Sybille Schmitz, Paul HartmannGermany[15][25]
Men Must FightEdgar Selwyn17 February 1933Diana Wynyard, Lewis Stone, Phillips HolmesUnited States[26][27]
It's Great to Be AliveAlfred L. Werker2 June 1933Raúl Roulien, Gloria Stuart, Edna May OliverUnited States[28][29][30]
DelugeFelix E. Feist18 August 1933Peggy Shannon, Sidney Blackmer, Lois WilsonUnited States[28][31]
Ein Unsichtbarer geht durch die StadtHarry Piel29 September 1933Harry Piel, Fritz Odemar, Lissy ArnaGermany[32][33][34]
The TunnelKurt Bernhardt27 October 1933Paul Hartmann, Olly von Flint, Gustaf GründgensFrance, Germany[26][35][36]
The Invisible ManJames Whale13 November 1933Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William HarriganUnited States[28][37]
Die Welt ohne MaskeHarry Piel9 March 1934Harry Piel, Kurt Vespermann, Annie MarkartGermany[38][39]
GoldKarl Hartl29 March 1934Hans Albers, Brigitte Helm, Michael BohnenGermany[32][40]
The Vanishing ShadowLew LandersJuly 1934Onslow Stevens, Ada Ince, Walter MillerUnited StatesFilm serial with 12 chapters[38][41][42]
Master of the WorldHarry Piel11 August 1934Walter Janssen, Sybille Schmitz, Walter FranckGermany[32][43]
Once in a New MoonAnthony KimminsDecember 1934Derrick de Marney, Vernon Kelso, John ClementsUnited Kingdom[44][45][46]
The Lost CityHarry Revier14 February 1935William "Stage" Boyd, Kane Richmond, Claudia DellUnited StatesFilm serial with 12 chapters[47][48][49][50]
The Phantom EmpireOtto Brower, B. Reeves Eason23 February 1935Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, Betsy King RossUnited StatesFilm serial with 12 chapters[51][52][53][54]
Loss of SensationAlexandr AndriyevskyApril 17, 1935Sergey Vecheslov, Vladimir GardinSoviet Union[55][56][57][58][59]
Bride of FrankensteinJames Whale22 April 1935Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie HobsonUnited States[38][60][61]
Air HawksAlbert S. Rogell7 May 1935Ralph Bellamy, Tala Birell, Wiley PostUnited States[38][62][63]
The TunnelMaurice Elvey25 October 1935Richard Dix, Leslie Banks, Madge EvansUnited Kingdom[64][51]
The Invisible RayLambert Hillyer20 January 1936Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Frances DrakeUnited States[65][66]
Kosmicheskiy reysVassili Jouravlev21 January 1936Soviet Union[47][67]
Things to ComeWilliam Cameron MenziesFebruary 1936Raymond Massey, Cedric Hardwicke, Edward ChapmanUnited Kingdom[68][69]
Flash GordonFrederick Stephani6 April 1936Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles B. MiddletonUnited StatesFilm serial with 13 chapters[51][70]
The Walking DeadMichael Curtiz14 March 1936Boris Karloff, Ricardo Cortez, Edmund GwennUnited States[71][72][73]
Undersea KingdomB. Reeves Eason, Joseph Kane30 May 1936Ray "Crash" Corrigan, Lois WildeUnited StatesFilm serial with 12 chapters[74][75]
Ghost PatrolSam Newfield3 August 1936Tim McCoy, Claudia Dell, Walter MillerUnited States[65][76]
The Man Who Changed His MindRobert StevensonSeptember 1936Boris Karloff, Anna Lee, John LoderUnited Kingdom[65][77]
Non-Stop New YorkRobert StevensonSeptember 1937John Loder, Anna Lee, Francis L. SullivanUnited Kingdom[78][79]
Skeleton on HorsebackHugo Haas21 December 1937Hugo Haas, Bedrich Karen, Zdenek StephanekCzechoslovakia[71][80]
Flash Gordon's Trip to MarsFord Beebe, Robert F. Hill31 March 1938Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles B. MiddletonUnited StatesFilm serial with 15 chapters[71][81]
Flight to FameC. C. Coleman Jr.12 October 1938Charles Farrell, Jacqueline Wells, Hugh SothernUnited States[82][83][84]
Son of FrankensteinRowland V. Lee13 January 1939Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela LugosiUnited States[85][86][87]
Buck RogersFord Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind11 April 1939Larry "Buster" Crabbe, Constance Moore, Jackie MoranUnited StatesFilm serial with 12 chapters[88][89]
The Man They Could Not HangNick Grinde17 August 1939Boris Karloff, Lorna Gray, Robert WilcoxUnited States[90][91][92]
The Phantom CreepsFord BeebeAugust 1939Bela Lugosi, Robert Kent, Dorothy ArnoldUnited StatesFilm serial with 12 chapters[90][93][94]
The Return of Doctor XVincent Sherman23 November 1939Humphrey Bogart, Rosemary Lane, Wayne MorrisUnited States[95][96]

See also

Notes
  1. Hardy 1984, p. 82.
  2. Johnston 2013, p. 127.
  3. Hardy 1984, p. 391.
  4. Hardy 1984, p. 84.
  5. Bradley 2005, p. 462.
  6. "Alraune". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  7. Erickson, Hal. "Alraune". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  8. "Just Imagine". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  9. Brennan, Sandra. "Just Imagine". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  10. Hardy 1984, p. 83.
  11. "La Fin du monde". Bifi.fr. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  12. "La Fin Du Monde". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  13. "Frankenstein". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  14. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  15. Hardy 1984, p. 86.
  16. "L'Atlantide". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  17. Hardy 1984, p. 87.
  18. "Chandu the Magician". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  19. Hardy 1984, p. 85.
  20. Erickson, Hal. "Chandu the Magician". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  21. "6 Hours to Live". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  22. Hardy 1984, p. 88.
  23. "Island of Lost Souls". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  24. Erickson, Hal. "Island of Lost Souls". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  25. "F.P. 1 antwortet nicht". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  26. Hardy 1984, p. 90.
  27. "Men Must Fight". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  28. Hardy 1984, p. 89.
  29. "It's Great to Be Alive". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  30. Brennan, Sandra. "It's Great to Be Alive". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  31. "Deluge". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  32. Hardy 1984, p. 91.
  33. "Ein Unsichtbarer geht durch die Stadt". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  34. "Ein Unsichtbarer geht durch die Stadt". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  35. "Der Tunnel". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  36. Bock 2009, p. 41.
  37. "The Invisible Man". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  38. Hardy 1984, p. 92.
  39. "Die Welt ohne Maske". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  40. "Gold". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  41. Rainey 2005, p. 706.
  42. Kinnard, p. 11.
  43. "Der Herr der Welt". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  44. Hunter, I. Q. (2002). British Science Fiction Cinema. Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 0-203-00977-0.
  45. Brennan, Sandra. "Once in a New Moon (1935)". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  46. This was released in December 1934, and is frequently listed as a 1935 film. See: Low, Rachael; Manvell, Roger; Richards, Jeffrey (2005). History of British Film. Routledge. p. 367. ISBN 0-415-15652-1.
  47. Hardy 1984, p. 94.
  48. Kinnard, p. 14.
  49. Kinnard, p. 16.
  50. "The Lost City". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  51. Hardy 1984, p. 95.
  52. Kinnard, p. 22.
  53. Kinnard, p. 27.
  54. Cusic, p. 50.
  55. Hardy 1984, p. 93.
  56. Brennan, Sandra. "Gibel Sensatsii". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  57. Johnston 2013, p. 60.
  58. Johnston 2013, p. 61.
  59. "Гибель сенсации" (in Russian). KinoPoisk. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  60. "Bride of Frankenstein". American Film Institute. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  61. Erickson, Hal. "The Bride of Frankenstein". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  62. "Air Hawks". American Film Institute. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  63. Erickson, Hal. "Air Hawks". AllMovie. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  64. "Transatlantic Tunnel". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  65. Hardy 1984, p. 96.
  66. "The Invisible Ray". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  67. "Космический рейс" (in Russian). KinoPoisk. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  68. Hardy 1984, p. 97.
  69. Hochscherf, p. 17.
  70. Kinnard 2008, p. 25.
  71. Hardy 1984, p. 98.
  72. "The Walking Dead". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  73. Betzold, Michael. "The Walking Dead". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  74. Cline 1997, p. 215.
  75. Wollstein, Hans J. "Undersea Kingdom". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  76. "Ghost Patrol". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  77. "The Man Who Lived Again". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  78. Hardy 1984, p. 99.
  79. "Non-Stop New York". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  80. "Bílá nemoc". CSFD. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  81. Kinnard 2008, p. 86.
  82. Hardy 1984, p. 100.
  83. "Flight to Fame". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  84. Erickson, Hal. "Flight to Fame". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  85. Hardy 1984, p. 103.
  86. "Son of Frankenstein". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  87. Soister 2005, p. 153.
  88. Hardy 1984, p. 101.
  89. Kinnard 2008, p. 161.
  90. Hardy 1984, p. 102.
  91. "The Man They Could Not Hang". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  92. Johnston 2013, p. 57.
  93. Rhodes 1997, p. 151.
  94. Erickson, Hal. "The Phantom Creeps". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  95. "The Return of Doctor X". American Film Institute. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  96. Brennan, Sandra. "The Return of Doctor X". AllMovie. Retrieved 23 November 2015.

References
  • Bock, Hans-Michael, ed. (2009). The Concise Cinegraph. Berghahn Books. ISBN 978-1-57181-655-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Bradley, Edwin M. (2005). The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926–1931. McFarland. ISBN 1476606846.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Cline, William C., ed. (1997). In the Nick of Time: Motion Picture Sound Serials. McFarland. ISBN 078640471X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Cusic, Don (2007). Gene Autry: His Life and Career. McFarland. ISBN 0786430613.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hardy, Phil, ed. (1984). Science Fiction. New York : Morrow. ISBN 0-688-00842-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hochscherf, Tobias, ed. (2011). British Science Fiction Film and Television: Critical Essays. McFarland. ISBN 0786484837.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Johnston, Keith M. (2013). Science Fiction Film. Berg. ISBN 1847884784.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Kinnard, Roy (1998). Science Fiction Serials. McFarland. ISBN 0786437456.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Kinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony; Vitone, R. J. (2008). The Flash Gordon Serials, 1936–1940. McFarland. ISBN 0786455004.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Rainey, Buck (2015). Serials and Series: A World Filmography, 1912–1956. McFarland. ISBN 1476604487.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Rhodes, Gary Don (1997). Lugosi: His Life in Films, on Stage, and in the Hearts of Horror Lovers. McFarland. ISBN 0786402571.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Soister, John T. (2005). Of Gods and Monsters: A Critical Guide to Universal Studios' Science Fiction, Horror and Mystery Films, 1929–1939. McFarland. ISBN 1476604991.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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