10 Most Memorable Death Scenes In Horror Films

Maria's accidental drowning at the hands of Boris Karloff's creature was hugely controversial in 1931, and to be honest, it isn't that much easier to watch today. It's an absolutely heartbreaking scene: the creature encounters the first person not to be instantly horrified by his appearance - an innocent (like himself) - and is invited to join in her game of throwing flowers into the lake. Once he runs out, he excitedly scoops Maria up and throws her in, too, and is confused when she fails to float like the flowers.

Originally, at the insistence of the censors, the American version of the film featured a cut from the moment just before the monster picks up Maria to a shot of her lifeless body being carried through the streets. In fact, this edit didn't quite have the censor's desired effect, instead proving to be even more controversial: the jump implied intentional harm towards the little girl rather than an accident resulting from the creature's naivety.

Leaving the audience to fill in the blanks themselves was surely far more problematic.