Victor Hugo Halperin (August 24, 1895,

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

– May 17, 1983,

Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers adjacent to the east. The city proper had a population of 54,164 at the 2020 Unite ...

) was an American

stage actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

stage director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

, producer, and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

. The majority of his works involved

romance Romance may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings ** Romantic orientation, the classification of the sex or gender with which a pers ...

and

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

. His brother, with whom he collaborated, was producer Edward Halperin (May 12, 1898 – March 2, 1981).

Biography

Victor 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 (born Agnes Henkel; April 4, 1892 – December 25, 1940) was an American actress who rose to fame during the period of silent films. She was known for her role as Lady Diana Mayo in '' The Sheik'' opposite Rudolph Valentino. Caree ...

film, ''When a Girl Loves''. He is best known for his 1932 horror film '' White Zombie'', starring Madge Bellamy and

Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...

. 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. Years after the film's release, Victor Halperin expressed a distaste for his horror films: "I don't believe in fear, violence, and horror, so why traffic in them?" Other notable horror films Halperin directed include ''

Supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

'' (1933) and ''

Revolt of the Zombies ''Revolt of the Zombies'' is a 1936 American horror film directed by Victor Halperin, produced by Edward Halperin, and starring Dean Jagger and Dorothy Stone. One of the earliest zombie films, it was initially conceived as a loose sequel to the ...

'' (1936). 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.

Filmography

Director * ''

Greater Than Marriage ''Greater Than Marriage'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Victor Halperin and starring Marjorie Daw, Lou Tellegen Lou Tellegen (born Isidor Louis Bernard Edmon van Dommelen;"Lou Tellegen, Idol of Stage and Silent Screen, St ...

'' (1924) * '' When a Girl Loves'' (1924) (also producer) * '' The Unknown Lover'' (1925) (also producer) * '' School for Wives'' (1925) (also producer) * '' In Borrowed Plumes'' (1926) (also producer) * ''

Dance Magic "Magic Dance" (also known as "Dance Magic") is a song written and recorded by the English singer David Bowie for the Jim Henson musical fantasy film ''Labyrinth'' (1986). It was released as a single in limited markets worldwide in January 1987. ...

'' (1927) * ''

Ex-Flame ''Ex-Flame'' is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by Victor Halperin and starring Neil Hamilton, Marian Nixon, and Norman Kerry. The film is an adaptation of the 1861 Victorian novel ''East Lynne'', but is set in contemporary England ...

'' (1930) * '' Party Girl'' (1930) (also producer) * '' White Zombie'' (1932) * ''

'' (1933) (also producer) * '' I Conquer the Sea!'' (1936) (also producer) * ''

'' (1936) * '' Racing Blood'' (1936) * ''

Nation Aflame ''Nation Aflame'' is a 1937 American drama film. Directed by Victor Halperin, the film stars Noel Madison, Norma Trelvar, and Lila Lee. It was released on October 16, 1937. Plot Cast * Noel Madison as Frank Sandino, aka Sands * Norma Trelvar a ...

'' (1937) (also producer) * ''

Buried Alive Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive. Animals or humans may be buried alive accidentally on the mistaken assumption that they are dead, or intentionally as a form of ...

'' (1939) * ''

Torture Ship ''Torture Ship'' is a 1939 American science fiction horror film directed by Victor Halperin, based on Jack London's 1899 short story " A Thousand Deaths". The film stars Lyle Talbot as a mad scientist who performs experiments regarding "the crimi ...

'' (1939) * ''

Girls' Town ''Girls' Town'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Victor Halperin and starring Edith Fellows, June Storey and Alice White.Fetrow p.176 Plot The winner of a Midwest beauty contest receives a screen test in Hollywood and takes her sister a ...

'' (1942) Producer * ''

The Danger Point ''The Danger Point'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and starring Carmel Myers, William P. Carleton and Vernon Steele.Munden p.164 Plot Cast * Carmel Myers as Alice Torrance * William P. Carleton as James Bento ...

'' (1922) * ''Double Reward'' (1922) (short film) * ''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

'' (1927) * ''

She Goes to War ''She Goes to War'' is a 1929 sound part-talkie directed by Henry King and starring Eleanor Boardman. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score and sound effects along w ...

'' (1929)

References

External links

* * 1895 births 1983 deaths Film directors from Illinois American horror film directors Film people from Chicago {{US-film-director-1890s-stub