Gothic horror films saw a boom in the 1930s, with classic horror novels such as Frankenstein and Dracula being adapted for the big screen by Universal Pictures. Unable to afford the rights to any of the best known stories, Halfpenny Pictures decided instead to follow in the footsteps of F.W. Murnau when he created Nosferatu (1922) as an imitation of Dracula. The result was Forbidden Serum, a film about a mad scientist who discovers a serum which allows him to bring people back from the dead. Obviously taking inspiration from Frankenstein (1931), Forbidden Serum proved popular as a B-feature and inspired Francis Amberton to fund several other “knock-off” productions in the same vein.
