15 Greatest Horror Directors Of All Time
8. James Whale
Notable films: Frankenstein, Bride Of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man
If James Whale were alive today it's highly likely that he would resent his inclusion on this list - after the huge success of his earlier horror movies he struggled to break away from his association with the genre and many of his non-horror movies have sunk into obscurity.
Still, no one gets to choose their own legacy, and Whale's contribution to horror is impossible to understate. Frankenstein, landing shortly after the arrival of the talkie, features a portrayal of Frankenstein's monster which has become so iconic as to provide the template for all adaptations since, while Bride Of Frankenstein is arguably the best horror sequel of all time.
Universal Studio's horror output would not have the same reverential status were it not for a handful of masterful directors such as James Whale, who truly defined the potential of the genre while it was still in its infancy.