Victor Hugo Halperin (August 24, 1895 in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

– May 17, 1983 in

Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is the List of cities and towns in Arkansas, tenth-largest city in Arkansas, United States and the county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, Benton County. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers adja ...

) was an American

stage actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

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 controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

, producer, and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

. The majority of his works involved

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

and horror. 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, 1896 – December 25, 1940) was an American actress who rose to fame during the silent film era. She was known for her role as Lady Diana Mayo in '' The Sheik'' opposite Rudolph Valentino. Career Ayres b ...

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

Madge Bellamy Madge Bellamy (born Margaret Derden Philpott; June 30, 1899 – January 24, 1990) was an American stage and film actress. She was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era and ended following a rom ...

and

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

. 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?"Rhodes 2001, p. 237 Other notable horror films Halperin directed include ''

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

'' (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 stars Dean Jagger and Dorothy Stone (actress), Dorothy Stone. One of the earliest zombie films, it was initially conceived as a ...

'' (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, and Tyrone Power Sr. Frederick Tyrone Edmond Power Sr. (2 May 1869 – 23 December 1931) was an English-b ...

'' (1924) * '' When a Girl Loves'' (1924) (also producer) * ''

The Unknown Lover ''The Unknown Lover'' is a 1925 American silent drama film produced and directed by Victor Halperin (an early effort for him) under his Victory Pictures banner and released by the Vitagraph Company of America, soon to become part of Warner Bros. ...

'' (1925) (also producer) * '' School for Wives'' (1925) (also producer) * ''

In Borrowed Plumes ''In Borrowed Plumes'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Victor Halperin and starring Marjorie Daw, Niles Welch and Wheeler Oakman.Munden p.376 Cast * Marjorie Daw as Mildred Grantley / Countess D'Autreval * Niles Welch as Phi ...

'' (1926) (also producer) * ''

Dance Magic "Magic Dance" (also known as "Dance Magic") is a song written and recorded by David Bowie for the 1986 Jim Henson film ''Labyrinth''. It was released as a single in limited markets worldwide in January 1987. Upon Bowie's death in 2016, the sin ...

'' (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 A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

'' (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. Cast list * Noel Madison as Frank Sandino, aka Sands * Norma Trelvar as ...

'' (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 t ...

'' (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 The winner of a Midwest beauty contest receives a screen test in Hollywood and takes her sister along, ...

'' (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 Cast * Carmel Myers as Alice Torrance * William P. Carleton as James Benton * ...

'' (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 silent film directed by Henry King and starring Eleanor Boardman. The film was released a year after Boardman had starred in '' The Crowd''. Cast * Eleanor Boardman * John Holland * Margaret Seddon * Eulalie Je ...

'' (1929)

References

External links

* * 1895 births 1983 deaths American film directors Deaths in Arkansas Horror film directors People from Chicago {{US-film-director-1890s-stub