SHV - S05E00 - The Silent Age (1896-1930)

In this special episode zero, a prelude to Universal Monsters, we'll trace the roots of horror from the silent era, how Carl Laemmle built Universal Pictures and literally created the movie studio system in the process, and the rise of Lon Chaney and how the man of 1000 faces was the first true horror icon. We'll also talk about how the financial woes of the great depression set the company up for an unlikely savior as the new wave of horror films ushered in by Carl Laemmle, Jr, would help keep the studio afloat during the worst financial crisis in U.S. history.