Victor Hugo Halperin
Encyclopedia
Victor Hugo Halperin was an American
stage actor, stage director, film director
, producer
, and writer
. The majority of his works involved romance
and horror
.
Halperin began his career as a filmmaker in 1922, working as a writer on The Danger Point (an original story). In two years he was working as a writer-producer-director on the Agnes Ayres
film, When a Girl Loves. He is best known for his 1932 horror film White Zombie
, starring Madge Bellamy
and Bela Lugosi
. Once thought "lost", the film has grown in stature over the years, first gaining a cult status, and eventually becoming recognized as one of the leading classics of the genre.
Halperin often worked in collaboration with his brother Edward. The Halperin Brothers produced a series of independent low-budget films in the 1930s. Victor Halperin retired in 1942, after working as a director at PRC studios.
Films Halperin directed include When a Girl Loves (1924), Greater than Marriage (1924), The Unknown Lover (1925), Party Girl (1930), and Girls' Town (1942). Notable horror films include White Zombie
(1932), Supernatural (1933), Revolt of the Zombies (1936), Torture Ship
(1937), and Buried Alive (1939).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage actor, stage director, film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. The majority of his works involved romance
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
and horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
.
Halperin began his career as a filmmaker in 1922, working as a writer on The Danger Point (an original story). In two years he was working as a writer-producer-director on the Agnes Ayres
Agnes Ayres
Agnes Ayres was an American actress who rose to fame during the silent film era. She was best known for her role as Lady Diana Mayo in The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik opposite Rudolph Valentino.-Early life and career:...
film, When a Girl Loves. He is best known for his 1932 horror film White Zombie
White Zombie (film)
White Zombie is a 1932 American independent Pre-Code horror film directed and produced by brothers Victor Halperin and Edward Halperin, respectively. The screenplay by Garnett Weston tells the story of a young woman's transformation into a zombie at the hands of an evil voodoo master. Béla Lugosi...
, starring Madge Bellamy
Madge Bellamy
Madge Bellamy was an American film actress who was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era, and ended following a romantic scandal in the 1940s.-Early life:...
and Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
. Once thought "lost", the film has grown in stature over the years, first gaining a cult status, and eventually becoming recognized as one of the leading classics of the genre.
Halperin often worked in collaboration with his brother Edward. The Halperin Brothers produced a series of independent low-budget films in the 1930s. Victor Halperin retired in 1942, after working as a director at PRC studios.
Films Halperin directed include When a Girl Loves (1924), Greater than Marriage (1924), The Unknown Lover (1925), Party Girl (1930), and Girls' Town (1942). Notable horror films include White Zombie
White Zombie (film)
White Zombie is a 1932 American independent Pre-Code horror film directed and produced by brothers Victor Halperin and Edward Halperin, respectively. The screenplay by Garnett Weston tells the story of a young woman's transformation into a zombie at the hands of an evil voodoo master. Béla Lugosi...
(1932), Supernatural (1933), Revolt of the Zombies (1936), Torture Ship
Torture Ship
- Plot summary :A mad scientist performs experiments on "the criminal mind" on captured criminals on board his private ship.- Cast :*Lyle Talbot as Lt. Bob Bennett*Irving Pichel as Dr...
(1937), and Buried Alive (1939).