from american spinecurdlers like lon chaney 's london after midnight -lrb- 1927 -rrb- and bela lugosi 's dracula -lrb- 1931 -rrb- , to subtler european fare like leni 's waxworks -lrb- 1924 -rrb- and pabst 's pandora 's box -lrb- 1928 -rrb- - both featuring jack the ripper - britain 's capital was a maze of dismal streets and alleys in which evil shadows reared out of fog and pounced on helpless waifs .