Category Archives: Horror

After “Psycho”: Robert Bloch in the 1960s

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lwaggen2

Last Halloween, we introduced the recently processed papers of author Robert Bloch, best known as the author of the novel Psycho (1959), which was adapted in 1960 by Alfred Hitchcock into the legendary film of the same name.  In that … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptations, American Literature, Authors, Biography and profiles, Film History, Hollywood history, Horror, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Macabre Magic of Richard Matheson’s Stories -Part Two

Posted on November 1, 2023 by ahcadmin

In this blog series, we are celebrating the life and work of Richard Matheson, a master of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. His stories and novels have inspired countless films, TV shows, and writers, from The Twilight Zone to Steven … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Fantasy, Halloween, Horror, Literature, Pop Culture, popular culture, science fiction, television history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Macabre Magic of Richard Matheson’s Stories – Part One

Posted on October 28, 2023 by ahcadmin

Richard Matheson was a master of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. His stories and novels have inspired countless films, TV shows, and writers, from The Twilight Zone to Steven Spielberg, from Stephen King to George A. Romero. He wrote about … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Fantasy, Halloween, Horror, Literature, Pop Culture, popular culture, science fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meet Grande Dame Guignol at the American Heritage Center

Posted on October 31, 2022 by ahcadmin

This Halloween, we consider the sub-genre of horror films referred to as “Grande Dame Guignol,” also known as “Hagsploitation,” “Psycho-biddy,” or “Hag Horror,” and three films in that sub-genre that are represented in three of our collections. Films of this … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Film History, Holidays, Hollywood history, Horror, Motion picture actors and actresses, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Many Faces of Peter Lorre

Posted on October 25, 2021 by ahcadmin

This Halloween, we highlight the career of actor Peter Lorre (1904-1964), who is represented in two of our collections. Lorre, who was born László Löwenstein in Hungary, began acting for the stage in Vienna in the early 1920s. He gained … Continue reading →

Posted in Holidays, Hollywood history, Horror, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

William Beaudine, Bela Lugosi, and Horror Films Out West

Posted on October 26, 2020 by ahcadmin

For Halloween 2018 and 2019, we brought you blog posts on The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster, two low-budget horror movies financed by Texas radio pioneer Gordon McLendon. This year, we shine a spotlight on the career of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film History, Holidays, Hollywood history, Horror, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Pop Culture, popular culture, Uncategorized, Western Films | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

In A World Not Like Our Own

Posted on June 1, 2020 by ahcadmin

The Science Fiction or Si-Fi world has expanded and captured the minds of many due to its striking details, other worlds, and personable characters. Today it produces TV shows, box office features, and conventions that bring visitors from around the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Hollywood history, Horror, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, popular culture, science fiction, television history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Giant Gila Monster

Posted on October 21, 2019 by ahcadmin

Last Halloween, we brought you a blog post on The Killer Shrews, a low-budget horror movie shot in Dallas, Texas, and released in 1959.  What is the film’s connection to the American Heritage Center?  We hold the papers of Forrest … Continue reading →

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Attack of the Killer…Shrews?

Posted on October 28, 2018 by ahcadmin

With it being the Halloween season, it seems appropriate to take note of a gruesome creature of movie land that may have haunted our dreams, or is kitschy enough to have  made us roll our eyes in disbelief. You’ve heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, events, Fantasy, Holidays, Horror, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Pop Culture, popular culture, science fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Terror in the Theater – Fifties Fears

Posted on November 13, 2017 by ahcadmin

Science fiction films of the 1950s commonly expressed several themes: fear of technology leading to unintended consequences; invasion of the planet by aliens; and the effects of atomic radiation. Because science fiction movies were not constrained by reality, more imaginative … Continue reading →

Posted in Cold War, Fantasy, Horror, motion picture history, Politics, Pop Culture, popular culture, science fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments