The Old Dark House (1932)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

J.B. Priestley (novel)
Benn W. Levy (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 October 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Beware the night!

Plot:

Seeking shelter from a pounding rainstorm in a remote region of Wales, several travellers are admitted to a gloomy...

Plot Keywords:

Pyromaniac | Roadblock | Butler | Candlelight | Drunkenness

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Morgan (as Karloff)
Melvyn Douglas	...	Roger Penderel
Charles Laughton	...	Sir William Porterhouse
Lilian Bond	...	Gladys DuCane Perkins (as Lillian Bond)
Ernest Thesiger	...	Horace Femm
Eva Moore	...	Rebecca Femm
Raymond Massey	...	Philip Waverton
Gloria Stuart	...	Margaret Waverton
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Sir Roderick Femm (as John Dudgeon)
Brember Wills	...	Saul Femm

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #2017-R, 4 February 1937 for re-release) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This was Charles Laughton's first American film.

Quotes:

Margaret Waverton: It's a dreadful night.
Rebecca Femm: What?
Margaret Waverton: I said it's a dreadful night.
Rebecca Femm: Yes, it's a very old house. Very old.
Margaret Waverton: It's very kind of you to let us stay.
Rebecca Femm: What?
Margaret Waverton: I say you're very kind.
Rebecca Femm: Yes it is a dreadful night. I'm a little deaf.
Margaret Waverton: I understand.
Rebecca Femm: Yes. No beds!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed! (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Singin' in the Rain

"Have a Potato.....Have a Potato"

Truly one of Universal greatest unsung horror films, The Old Dark House is a unique blend of gothic setting, quirky characterizations, wicked black and dry humour, a great ensemble cast, and the workings of the mind of James Whale. Whale made the film the year after Frankenstein. He was again paired with Karloff. But unlike their first association, Karloff's star is far less brighter in this film as his performance, although good and servicable, is over-shadowed by atmosphere, Whale's direction, witty dialogue, and a cast of scene stealers such as Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Eva Moore, and Ernest Thesiger. Others in the notable cast include lovely Gloria Stuart, Lillian Bond, and Raymond Massey. Thesiger and Moore, as the brother and sister imposed upon by travellers in the stormy night, are fantastic as they interact and play out their eccentricities to perfection. Thesiger has the choice lines in the film as the effeminate Horace Femm, a cowardly man that cowers to his deaf sister. He is a joy to watch and each of his lines oozes with oil. Moore is also very good as she bellows repeatedly, "N beds! No beds! They can have no beds!" The story is based on a novel by J. B. Priestly. The plot is somewhat antiquated now, but Whale's direction puts a lot of life into it. And let's not forget Karloff, however small his part, still turns in a great menacing performance as a lecherous, drunken servant named Morgan ogling Gloria Stuart from the moment he sees her. The Old Dark House is a great film, and it should be more highly touted by Universal!