What are the Top Vintage Horror Movie Posters? We look at the most collectible horror movie posters from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
Collectable Classic Horror Posters
Original posters for classic horror movies are some of the most sought-after items amongst collectors, with many selling for record prices at auction. Given that horror movies have been around almost since the invention of the moving image, it's easy to see why the material around them is such a vital part of cinema history.
It's this importance that drives up prices and reels in collectors like no other. Of course, any original poster can fetch a good price and would be at home in any diversified collection, but classic horror movies seem to have more of a cult following. From gruesome artwork to famous stars and directors, classic horror movie posters are highly collectable for aficionados and amateurs alike.
Here is our list of the most collectable and sought-after horror film posters that you should keep an eye out for.
Best 1920s horror posters
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)
Any list of classic horror movie posters worth its salt has to start here. Directed by Robert Wiene, this silent horror stars Werner Kraus as the title character, Dr Caligari and Conrad Veidt as the eerie somnambulist Cesare.
The wealth of original promotional artwork plays on the sense of fractured reality and mysterious tension the film conjures up in viewers to this day.
Phantom of the Opera (1925)
This famous tale of love and murder was first committed to film back in 1925, directed by Rupert Julian.
Starring Lon Chaney in makeup that reportedly made audiences faint when the Phantom's face was first revealed, this is yet another classic horror with a poster to match its sinister and operatic story.
Nosferatu (1922)
Inspired by the most famous vampire story of all time, Nosferatu tells the tale of Count Orlok (the German Expressionist take on Count Dracula), who preys on the young wife of his estate agent while unleashing the plague on their town.
Directed by F. W. Murnau with Max Schreck in the main role, Nosferatu posters show the perfect representation of the terrifying silent vampire as a black-clad figure.
Best 1930s horror posters
King Kong (1933)
Moving to the 1930s, how could we not include the most iconic monster movie ever made?
Directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, the heart-breaking finale of King Kong is gloriously depicted in vibrant colours in the original poster.
M (1931)
The magnum opus of one of early cinema's greatest visionaries, Fritz Lang's "M", tells the story of the joint manhunt by the police and criminal underworld for a serial killer played by Peter Lorre.
The poster of a sinister hand with a red "M" painted on it is as iconic as it is collectable for the earliest of slasher films.
The Mummy (1932)
When you start a list of classic horror films, it doesn't take long before the great Boris Karloff makes an appearance. Karl Freund directed Karloff in his role as the resurrected ancient Egyptian priest Imhotep as he searches for his reincarnated love in modern-day Cairo.
The beautifully coloured poster for "The Mummy" was the work of famous Universal artist and designer Karoly Grosz.
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Based on the short story by Edgar Allen Poe and directed by Robert Florey, "Murders in the Rue Morgue" stars another of the most iconic early horror movie stars, Bela Lugosi.
The original poster is another shocking and vibrant masterpiece by Karoly Grosz, depicting the most quintessential of horror movie tropes - the mad scientist.
Dracula (1931)
To tell the story of Dracula appropriately, you need serious talent. Luckily for filmgoers of the 1930s, director Tod Browning had Bela Lugosi to depict one of, if not the, greatest horror movie monsters of all time.
The poster depicts the supernatural terror of the Dracula story in that inimitable style of the early 30s.
The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)
Another classic starring Boris Karloff, this sequel to the famous "Frankenstein" was directed by James Whale.
The poster describes the titular bride, played by Elsa Lanchester, as '...more fearful than the monster himself!', which we feel is a nice touch.
Best 1940s horror posters
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Based on the short story by Robert Louis Stevenson, the tale of "The Body Snatcher" closely resembles the real-life murders of Burke and Hare in 19th century Edinburgh.
With the combined star power of horror heavy-hitters Karloff and Lugosi, posters for this film are incredibly sought-after.
I Walked With a Zombie (1943)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Frances Dee, the film follows a nurse as she is sent to care for an ailing plantation owner on a Caribbean island.
The poster, designed by William Rose, perfectly advertises the ethereal and shocking horror of this voodoo zombie classic.
Voodoo Devil Drums (1944)
Possibly more famous for its poster than the film, given that it was only a short, this is another movie exploiting the interest in black magic, particularly Voodoo, during the 1940s.
The stylised red, black and white design is as eye-catching as it is desirable.
Dr Cyclops (1940)
Directed by Ernest B. Shoedsack, "Dr Cyclops" is an early attempt at sci-fi horror, telling the story of a mad scientist in the middle of the Peruvian jungle attempting to shrink animals to a minute size.
Iconic theatrical posters for the film perfectly put across the intensity of the doctor's mania.
The Phantom of the Opera (1943)
With a looser connection to the original story by Gaston Leroux, this second iteration of the classic Phantom tale was the first to be filmed in Technicolor and is the only classic Universal horror movie to win an Oscar.
The posters for the movie play more on the glamorous nature of the story's setting to make the most of the Technicolor innovations in cinema at the time.
The Spiral Staircase (1946)
Directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Dorothy McGuire and Ethel Barrymore, "The Spiral Staircase" is based on the novel "Some Must Watch" about a serial killer who targets disabled women.
The original poster does a fantastic job accentuating the spooky remoteness of the film's setting.
Best 1950s horror posters
The Brain Eaters (1958)
Originally billed as a double-feature alongside "The Spider", this is another early sci-fi horror about mysterious forces overtaking a quiet town.
Directed by Bruno VeSota and starring Ed Nelson, the poster for this film is the perfect blend of gory horror and dread-inducing design.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Another classic monster movie with an equally classic poster design.
Starring Julie Adams and directed by Jack Arnold, this film tells the tale of a mysterious prehistoric creature lurking in the depths of the Amazonian jungle.
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
We've had Karloff, we've had Lugosi, and now it's Vincent Price's turn to appear on our horror list. "House on Haunted Hill", directed by William Castle, is the story of five people who must spend a night in a haunted house to win $10,000.
The ominous poster design encapsulates the horrifying terror and mystery depicted in the film itself.
Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)
If you want a classic horror movie poster with terrifying aliens in the process of destroying humanity that is the source of many child nightmares, "Invasion of the Saucer Men" is the one for you.
Directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Steven Terrell and Gloria Castillo, this is definitely one for the horror-fan collection.
The Killer Shrews (1959)
Poster designers soon realised that subtlety could also work when instilling a sense of dread into an audience.
For "The Killer Shrews", directed by Ray Kellogg and starring Ingrid Goude, this is exactly what they went for.
Not of This Earth (1957)
This classic, directed by Roger Corman and starring Paul Birch and Beverly Garland, has one of the most iconic horror movie posters of all time.
With a terrified woman by the border and an ominous alien emerging from space in bright light, it is incredibly collectable.
Them (1954)
Another memorable classic horror film poster design popularly reproduced in art prints, "Them", tells the story of giant nuclear ants threatening our existence.
The film was directed by Gordon Douglas and starred James Whitmore and Joan Weldon.
Best 1960s horror posters
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
No horror genre list would be complete without an entry from Hammer Film Productions and one of their greatest sons, Christopher Lee.
There are two iconic posters for this movie, one of Lee as the central figure as Dracula bearing down out of the image in purple, and another, in inimitable 60s style varying from earlier posters, of a sexualised image of a woman with a pair of plasters over what we can only assume are bite marks upon her neck.
Eyes Without a Face (1960)
The 60s was the decade of European cinema, so it's not surprising to find an entry on our list from France. "Les Yeux Sans Visage" tells the story of a doctor attempting to create a new face for his disfigured daughter.
The striking red poster is beautifully stylised and would look at home in any horror poster collection.
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes, this eerie psychological horror is brilliantly advertised in the poster.
With an inserted photograph of Farrow in green behind an ominous landscape and baby pram, the intensity of the horror simply pours out of it.
Psycho (1960)
We couldn't leave out the master of suspense. Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is one of the essential horror movies that every film fan has to see.
The iconic fractured poster displays the confusing nature of the film, with Janet Leigh's Marion Crane being stalked by Anthony Perkin's psychotic (pun intended) Norman Bates.
The Birds (1963)
Just as he made cameos in all of his films, the poster for Hitchcock's "The Birds" also contains a cameo from the genius director himself.
Standing beside Tippi Hedron as she is stuck in the nightmarish scenario of being attacked by the titular birds, Hitchcock warns, '...the next scream you hear may be your own.'
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
A true icon of low-budget, independent horror, "Night of the Living Dead" by the great George A. Romero is a true classic.
The poster is just as memorable as the film, with a series of shocking stills showing the characters as they fight off the encroaching ghouls; this is a must-have for all horror movie fans.
Original Vintage Movie Posters for Sale
We created this website to provide a vintage movie poster guide. If you have an interest in classic movie posters from the 1950s, 1960s or 1980s, we hope you will learn more about the most popular posters of the period.
Take a sneak peak at some of the posters we have in stock here. However, if you have a film in mind and don't see it here, please get in touch as we'd be happy to locate it for you.
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