 One example, "The Ghost Breaker" (1914), was based on a 1909 play, though the film's horror elements were more interesting to the audience than the comedy elements.In the United States following the trauma of World War I, film audiences sought to see horror on screen but tempered with humor.The "pioneering" comedy horror film was "One Exciting Night" (1922), written, directed, and produced by D. W. Griffith, who noticed the stage success of the genre and foresaw a cinematic translation.