1764

Horace Walpole's 'The Castle of Otranto' is released and considered the first Gothic novel.

1800s

The history of photography dates back centuries, but it's the nineteenth century when the technology took huge steps forward.

1818

Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is first released.

1819

John Polidori's 'The Vampyre' is released.

1830s

Newspapers begin mass circulation, helped by increased literacy rates and travel connecting

more cities.

1878

The Horse in Motion is made.

1888

The Whitechapel murders occur.

1890s

Yellow Journalism is on the rise.

1893

Black Maria, the first film studio, is founded by Edison in the US (East coast).

1894

The Grand Guignol Theatre is opened in Paris.

It depicts realistic violence on stage.

1895

The oldest film studio, Gaumont, is founded in France.

1896

The second oldest film studio, Pathe, is founded.

What might be the first narrative film is made:

Alice Guy Blache's La Fée aux Choux.

What is considered the first horror movie is made:

Georges Méliès' La Manoir du diable.

1897

Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' is released.

1906

What may be the first feature length film is released:

Story of the Kelly Gang.

1907

Local film censorship laws begin to be enacted in

cities and states in the U.S.

1909

Florence Lawrence is the first (probably) named film star. Actors will start to become public celebrities.

1911

What might be the first feature length horror film is released in Italy: L'Inferno.

1912

Flmmaker's in the US are moving from the East to the West coast. Two major studios open in Hollywood,

Universal and Paramount.

1914 - 1918: World War I

1915

Mutual Film Corporation v. Industrial Commission

of Ohio, Supreme Court decided films are not protected under the First Amendment.

The decision stands 37 years.

1915 - 1952:

no First Amendment

protection from

censorship laws.

1920s-1960s: Star System in effect in Hollywood

1920

Robert Wiene's makes his German Expressionist film,

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

1922

Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) is created.

F.W. Murnau's off-brand film, Nosferatu, is released.

1923

Universal's The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Lon Chaney 'The Man of a Thousand Faces' is released.

1927

First sound movie (Talkie) released: Jazz Singer.

Alfred Hitchcock made a movie inspired by

Jack the Ripper, The Lodger.

1928

The first (probably) all sound horror movie is released: The Terror. [Sadly, this is a lost film].

1929 - 1939: Great Depression

1930

The Production Code (aka Hays' Code) is created

by the MPPDA. It's a list of do's and don'ts filmmaker's must adhere to in order to release their film without a fine.

1931

Universal begins making monster movies with

Tod Browning's Dracula,

and James Whale's Frankenstein.

Fritz Lang makes a movie about a child killer, M.

1934

The Production Code Authority is created to enforce the Production Code. It's a censorship board.

1934 - 1960s:

Hays Code in effect.

A list of Dos and Don'ts.

1938

Orson Welles' famous radio show of H.G. Wells'

novel 'War of the Worlds' airs.

1939 - 1945: World War II

1939

Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'

is released.

1940s

Televisions are becoming increasingly popular.

They are competition for movie theaters.

1943

Olivia de Havilland's lawsuit ends the loophole allowing studios to extend seven year contracts, thus reducing their power over stars.

1945

The Atomic Age begins.

1948

Paramount Decision - due to antitrust issues, studios are not longer allowed to own their own movie theaters (basically monopolizing exhibition and distribution). Thus, limiting studio's power.

Universal makes the horror/comedy,

Abbott and Costello meets Frankenstein.

1950s

McCarthyism!

Red Scare and Lavendar Scare

Marketers realize teenagers are an untapped market to sell things to.

As does the film industry.

Suburbs are on the rise!

Increasing urbanization and white flight.

1950s - 1989: Cold War

1950s - 1973: Vietnam War

1950s - 1960s: Civil Rights

1951

Films are shifting away from nitrate, making film stock far less volatile.

1952

The DSM-I is published.

Psychiatry is slowly advancing.

Burstyn v. Wilson aka The Miracle Decision.

Supreme Court reverses it's 1915 decision. Films now are protected under the First Amendment.

1954

The Comics Code Authority is created.

Censorship extends to comic books.

1955

One of the first movies about teenagers is made:

Rebel Without a Cause.

Cinema sees a rise in teen movies and characters.

1957

Ed Gein is caught. He's the inspiration for many horror movies.

Early horror movies are centered one teenagers:

I Was a Teenage Werewolf.

Hammer Studios begins their Monster Cycle with

Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Terrence Fisher:

The Curse of Frankenstein.

Shock Theater begins on CBS

with horror host Zacherle.

1958

Another early teen horror movie, this time with

adult vs youth themes is released: The Blob.

Hammer continues their horror cycle with:

Horror of Dracula.

Rod Sterling's Twilight Zone begins airing.

Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine begins distribution. (proto-Fangoria).

Paramount sold their back catalogue of pre-1948 films to CBS (I think). TV and Films continue to merge.

1960s - 1980s: Second Wave Feminism

1960s - 1970s: Sexual Revolution

1960s: Counterculture Movement

1960

Alfred Hitchcock adapts Psycho.

Roger Corman begins his eight film Poe-Cycle.

1961

The Space Race between the US and Russia (which started in the 50's) finally crafts meet escape velocity with men aboard. Sci-fi movies are taking note!

1964

The Addams Family and The Munsters

both being airing.

1964:

Civil Rights Act

G

PG

R

NC-17

1968

MPA establishes the rating system: (current ratings)

G, PG, R, NC-17

George Romeo makes Night of the Living Dead.

Rosemary's Baby is adapted from the 1967 novel.

1969

Tate-LaBianca murders, by the Manson family.

1970s

Credits at the end of films, rather than the beginning, becomes the standard.

Exploitation films (sexploitation, blacksploitation, brucesploitatio, ect) all over films in the US.

Films still in the era of Macho-ism as wave of young educated male directors take over the industry, ushering in New Hollywood.

1970s - 1990s:

Serial killers and

child abductions

are on the rise...

1971

"America's public enemy number one () is drug abuse." - President Nixon.

1972

Wes Craven (and Sean Cunningham) make the

Last House on the Left.

1973

William Friedkin adapted Peter Blatty's The Exorcist.

Roe v. Wade legalized abortion nationwide.

[This decision was overturned in 2022].

US left Vietnam...

1974

Tobe Hooper made The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Black Christmas has a limited release.

1975

Stephen Spielberg adapts Jaws.

The Blockbuster is born!

Wide theatrical releases!

1976

Brian de Palma adapts Stephen King's Carrie.

Richard Donner makes The Omen.

1978

John Carpenter makes one of the most successful independent movies in history,

the Father of the Slasher: Halloween.

1979

Ridley Scott made Alien.

A film adaptation is released The Amityville Horror.

Fangoria Magazine is first released.

1980s

Ronald Reagan is President:

Nationalism. War on Drugs. Rise in prison pop. Defund mental health. Increase homelessness.

Pro-consumerism.

Counter-revolution to the more liberal 70s.

AIDS epidemic.

Rise in child abductions. Start milk cartoon campaign.

The Stranger Danger campaign.

1980s - 2000s:

Satanic Panic

1980

Ted Turner launched a 24 hour news channel: CNN

'Michelle Remembers' is released.

Satanic Panic is on the rise. (Egbert's disappearance).

Terrible psychiatric practices. (McMartain Trial).

Victor Miller (and Sean Cunningham) made:

Friday the 13th.

1981

Rick Baker won the inaugural Academy Award

for Best Makeup for his work on

An American Werewolf in London.

Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead is released.

MTV launched.

PG-13

1984

Wes Craven made A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Addition to the Rating System: PG-13.

The "Just Say No" (to drugs) campaign begins.

1985

Music censorship boards and a hearing led to the Parental Advisory and Explicit Lyrics stickers.

Late 80s

VHS + home video increasingly prevalent.

"By the end of the 1980s the target audience of Western commerical cinema was teenage,

male and hooked on MTV." - Mark Cousins.