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Gothic Fiction

Selected Media Available to Stream on Kanopy

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (dir. Jon S. Robertson, 1920)

This first great American horror film follows the transformation of a prominent London physician, Dr. Jekyll, into the murderous Mr. Hyde while he explores the dual nature of man.

UCLA students, staff, and faculty access through Kanopy. Log into the campus VPN or proxy server to view video.

Nosferatu (dir. F.W. Murnau, 1922)

An unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Nosferatu is the quintessential silent vampire film, crafted by legendary German director F. W. Murnau.

Rather than depicting Dracula as a shape-shifting monster or debonair gentleman, Murnau's Graf Orlok (as portrayed by Max Schreck) is a nightmarish, spidery creature of bulbous head and taloned claws—perhaps the most genuinely disturbing incarnation of vampirism yet envisioned.

UCLA students, staff, and faculty access through Kanopy. Log into the campus VPN or proxy server to view video.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (dir. Wallace Worsley, 1923)

This version of Hunchback, featuring Lon Chaney was a huge production: the sets depicting 15th-century Paris covered nineteen acres of Universal Pictures’ back lot and included the façade of Notre Dame Cathedral. Filming took six months and the climactic sequence employed two thousand extras, but it’s Lon Chaney’s performance that makes the character unforgettable. The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered at New York’s Astor Theatre on September 2, 1923. The success of the film was immediate; it made Carl Laemmle and Universal Pictures a fortune, and turned Lon Chaney into a screen legend.

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The Phantom of the Opera (dir. Rupert Julian, 1925)

A forerunner of the American horror film, and one of the most lavish productions of the silent cinema, The Phantom of the Opera has inspired countless remakes and imitations. But none of its successors can rival the mesmerizing blend of romance and mystery that haunts every frame of the Lon Chaney original.

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Wuthering Heights (dir. William Wyler, 1939)

A servant in the house of Wuthering Heights tells a traveler the unfortunate tale of lovers Cathy and Heathcliff. Academy Award winner.

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Rebecca (dir. Jim O'Brien, 1997)

When Maxim de Winter and his young bride return from Monte Carlo to Manderley, his home in Cornwall, the shadow of his first wife, Rebecca, and sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, threaten the newcomer, who must unravel dark secrets of the past. Based on Daphne du Maurier's classic tale of romance, suspense and jealousy.

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Northanger Abbey (dir. by Jon Jones, 2007)

In Austen's gentle parody of gothic fiction, Felicity Jones (Meadowlands) plays romance addict Catherine Morland. Invited to a medieval country house that appeals to her most lurid fantasies, she forms a close friendship with the younger son on the estate, Henry Tilney (JJ Field, The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton), but their budding romance is mysteriously cut short. Adapted by Andrew Davies.

UCLA students, staff, and faculty access through Kanopy. Log into the campus VPN or proxy server to view video.

Dorian Gray (dir. O. Parker, 2018)

When a young Dorian arrives in Victorian London, he is swept into a social whirlwind by the charismatic Lord Wotton, who introduces Dorian to the pleasures of the city. Henry's friend paints a portrait of Dorian to capture the full power of his youthful beauty. When the portrait is unveiled, Dorian makes a flippant pledge: he would give anything to stay as he is in the picture—even his soul.

The Woman in White (dir. Carl Tibbetts, 2018)

This bold five-part adaptation brings a distinctly modern take to Wilkie Collins’ beloved mystery novel, combining romance, intrigue, and danger in a thrilling ride from the corridors of English country houses to the dankest, deepest corners of the Victorian madhouse. Starring Jessie Buckley, Ben Hardy, and Olivia Vinall, with Dougray Scott as Sir Pervical Glyde and Charles Dance as Mr. Fairlie.

UCLA students, staff, and faculty access through Kanopy. Log into the campus VPN or proxy server to view video.

Other Selected Media Adaptations