Art of the Title

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Terrified (1963)

Terrified
The human mind is strange, Marge. Even doctors can't know everything about it.
—David Baker
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The cold opening to Terrified is both ambiguous and haunting: a ghost town, an overgrown graveyard, coyotes and unknown creatures of the night at its edges. Amongst the tombstones, a masked villain taunts a bound man as he slowly drowns him in an open grave. Its title sequence is an extension of his terror, zooming in on his bloodshot eyes, then his dilating pupils to frame the main title card and subsequent credits.

Little more than a glorified version of static horror title sequences common in the ’30s and ’40s, it builds on the template with narrative context and strong type design.

  • Credits

Titles and Opticals: Consolidated Film Industries
Music:
 Michael Andersen

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Title sequence

  • Category

    Film
  • Styles

    1950s, black and white, live action, main title, opening scene, typographic
Terrified
  • Film Director

    Lew Landers
  • Release Date

    May 1, 1963
  • Aspect Ratio

    1.33:1
  • Studio

    Bern-Field Productions
  • Country

    USA
  • Language

    English
  • Reviews

    Reviews on Letterboxd
  • IMDb has full details

Article

  • Writer

    Ben Radatz
  • Published

    August 22, 2014

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