Phantom Ladies

TIM SNELSON is a lecturer in media history at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England.

• Introduction: Horror on the Home Front1          Rebecca Meets TheWolfman at RKO: The Emergence of the Female Monster Cycle, 1942–19432          Series, Sequels, and Double Bills: The Evolution of the Female Monster Cycle, 1943–19443          "A" Class Monsters: The Escalation into Prestige Productions, 1944–19454          From Whatdunit to Whodunit: The Postwar Psychologization of Horror, 1945–1946Conclusion: Only for the Duration

"One of the freshest, most vibrant books examining how feminine audiences and the demands of wartime shaped the horror and fantasy films of World War II. Absolutely compelling reading, this is a page turner in every sense of the word!"— Wheeler Winston Dixon, author of A Short History of Film"In this lively, original work, Tim Snelson examines the female-monster movie cycle that emerged in Hollywood during World War II. This fresh and compelling look at popular culture during the war years is a win for the reader."— Stephen Prince, author of Digital Visual Effects in Cinema: The Seduction of Reality"Snelson's deft film analysis and evocative historical detail takes us beyond the clichés of male horror/female melodrama: a compelling account of wartime women, both on film and in theatres."— Yvonne Tasker, author of Soldiers' Stories: Military Women in Cinema and Television since WWII"Classic movie buffs and B-movie fans will find Phantom Ladies of considerable interest. Students of Women's Studies can discover an intriguing example of the perenially recurring 'Woman Question' from the novel persepcetive of a cycle of WWII monster movie aimed at American women."— Cineaste