Top 10 Beefcake Horror Movies: The 1960s

Horror movies in the 1950s were simple: two guys compete over a girl; a monster kidnaps her; they work together to rescue her; one is killed, and the other sweeps her off to a fade-out kiss. All very linear, very serious, very black-and-white.

In the 1960s, horror movies were more likely to contain satire, parody, self-referential humor, Vincent Price, William Castle, and, as the Hayes Code faded away, naked ladies.  Not to worry, though, there was still ample beefcake. Here are the Top 10 Beefcake Horror Movies of the 1960s (some with gay subtexts, too):

1. Tormented (1960): The beefy Richard Carlson of Creature from the Black Lagoon strips again, tormented on the beach by the ghost of his ex-girlfriend, whom he murdered.

2. Mr. Sardonicus (1961): A nice scene of handsome Ronald Lewis scrubbing down in the bathtub before he is is forced to treat the evil Baron Sardonicus, whose face is contorted into an evil mask.

3. Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961). A crazy horror comedy about a mobster trying to get his hands on Cuban treasure, a secret agent out to stop him, and a sea monster that looks like a muppet. Robert Towne as the secret agent spends about half the movie in a swimsuit.

4. Eegah! (1962).  Elvis wannabe Arch Hall Jr., left, plays the guitar at poolside before clashing with hefty Richard Kiel's kind-hearted cave man. In color!

5.I Eat Your Skin (1964).  The muscular Bill Joyce, left, strips down at poolside before jetting off to a remote Caribbean island to fight zombies. Unfortunately, this was his only starring role.

6. The Horror of Party Beach (1964)/The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965); These are nearly the same movie, attempts to cash in on the popularity of the beach genre with girls in bikinis, guys with biceps, rock music, and a monster. In Party Beach, look for John Scott in his only starring role buddy-bonding with his girlfriend's father. In Beach Girls, look for beach buddies Arnold Lessing and Walker Edmiston.

More after the break

7. Bloody Pit of Horror (1965).  A book publisher and his models go to an old castle to shoot cheesecake photos, and run afoul of bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay, left.

8. Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966): horror-Western pastiche with a strong gay subtext between John Lupton's Jesse James and his sidekick, man-mountain Cal Bolder (last of the discoveries of gay talent agent Henry Willson).

9. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968: Dracula rises from the grave and begins biting naked girls on the neck, until the shirtless Barry Andrews, one of the victims' boyfriends, decides to intervene (top photo). He gets the assistance of renegade priest Ewan Hopper.

10. Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969): Count Dracula and his wife move into a vacant castle in Arizona and begin biting naked girls on the neck, until the pajama-clad owner (Gene O'Shayne, left) and his serial-killer friend (Robert Dix) show up.

11. Eye of the Cat (1969): Often nude counterculture icon Michael Sarrazin and his girlfriend go to an old mansion intending to rob an elderly woman.  Instead he takes a shower, gets cruised by her nephew Tim Henry, and runs afoul of some cats.