Oscar-Winning Horror and Suspense Movies

By Mark H. Harris, About.com Guide

The first horror movie to win an Academy Award, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was edgy, stylish and ahead of its time. It's best known for its seamless transformation scene of the refined Jekyll turning into the monstrous Hyde -- movie magic that remained a mystery for decades until director Rouben Mamoulian revealed the secret (colored filters and makeup). Star Fredric March was a co-winner of the Best Actor award (the only time the award has been shared), along with The Champ's Wallace Beery. (Note: The now-more renowned Frankenstein was not nominated in any categories that year.)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Fredric March
Also nominated for Best Cinematography (Karl Struss) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Percy Heath and Samuel Hoffenstein).

Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color: Alexander Golitzen, John B. Goodman, Russell A. Gausman and Ira Webb
Best Cinematography, Color: Hal Mohr and W. Howard Greene
Also nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (Edward Ward) and Best Sound Recording (Bernard B. Brown).

Gaslight (1944)
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Ingrid Bergman
Best Art Direction (Black-and-White): Cedric Gibbons, William Ferrari, Edwin B. Willis and Paul Huldschinsky
Also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Charles Boyer), Best Supporting Actress (Angela Landsbury), Best Adapted Screenplay (John L. Balderston, Walter Reisch and John Van Druten) and Best Black-and-White Cinematography (Joseph Ruttenberg).

Previous

• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
• The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
• Rosemary's Baby (1968)
• The Exorcist (1973)
• An American Werewolf in London (1981)
• Aliens (1986)
• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
• Jurassic Park (1993)
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

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