Review of Old Dark House, The

Introduction

Are you sitting uncomfortably? Then we`ll begin.

This is the original 1932 Universal horror, camp as a row of tents version of JB Priestley`s novel "Benighted". Out (ahem) for the first time on DVD, this unsung classic of the Universal Horror era is considered by aficionadoes one of the most subversive horror pictures of the 1930s.

Gloria Stuart (luminously lovely aged 22, sixty-five years before that unfortunate Titanic business), Raymond Massey and louche Melvyn Douglas are forced to seek shelter when the road is cut off by a landslide at the isolated Femm residence. They are greeted by what must have been the inspiration for The Addams Family. The door is opened by mute manservant Morgan (Boris Karloff, complete with scars, grizzled whiskers and a line in growls) who must be a distant relative of Lurch`s. The Femm Family is dominated by shrill, shrewish Rebecca Femm, a gremlinaceous old biddy who insistes there are "No rooms, no rooms" in a voice reminiscent of that Orc in Lord of the Rings who suggests cooking Merry and Pippin. Veteran (even in 1932) British character actor Ernest Thesiger minces around the joint as Horace Femm, while the real threat, brother Saul, resides upstairs, locked in his room for the safety of the family. Saul Femm (Brember Wills) is a pyromaniac. He has made an important discovery that fire does not burn, it is cold and cuts like a knife and when Morgan lets him out in a drunken rage, Saul wants to show everybody his discovery.

The storm isolating the house has not quite finished as it strands two more travellers before the evening is out. Bluff northern Sir William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton being larger than life practicing for his turn as Henry VIII the following year) turns up with chirpy Gladys DuCane (Lillian Bond). The five strangers find themselves resentfully billeted with the creepy Femms.

Before the night is out, nerves are thoroughly shredded and not everybody makes it in one piece.

The movie is a magnificent piece of high campery which inspired a whole genre of haunted house movies. Being a black and white movie that`s a vintage 74 years of age, it might not be everybody`s cup of tea. Personally, I loved it and I wish somebody would revisit the genre as you don`t need to flood the front stalls with blood to make a good horror movie.

The Old Dark House was loosely remade in 1963 by Hammer Films, directed by 1950s gimmickmeister William Castle, and starred among others Fenella Fielding and Robert Morley.

Video

The movie has not obviously undergone any restoration since its last airing on BBC2 a couple of years ago. The Network print is better framed than before and marginally sharper, but there is enough print and neg damage to say categorically that the transfer has been made from available-materials rather than a restored print. There is an added "Raymond Rohauer Presents" title card inserted into the main title, and a Granada Ventures ident at the start of the menu system which indicates in the UK the title is no longer under Universal ownership.

Intriguingly, there is a preamble title card before the movie begins which announces that the Boris Karloff who performs in the movie is the same one who played the Frankenstein Monster, should there be any arguments.

It is presented in its original 1.37:1 Academy format, and of course was made in black-and-white. The image is soft, indicating a multi-generational source, with matching high contrast and grain. There is also much negative dirt and visible splices which don`t make the film unwatchable, but are annoying when comparing the print with properly restored features of that era such as Universal`s 1931 Frankenstein or RKO`s 1933 King Kong.

POSTSCRIPT: Further research (mainly thanks to David loaning me his R1 Kino edition with its fascinating insert notes) unveils some interesting information I wasn`t aware of before. The movie was not a great hit on either side of the Atlantic, and apart from a reissue in 1939, the movie disappeared back into the Universal vault throughout the forties and fifties. The screen rights lapsed in 1957, by which time Universal had lost track of the movie and it was believed lost by 1963. In 1968, filmmaker and friend of James Whale, Curtis Harrington rediscovered the movie in the Universal vault and was able to rescue it.

Audio

Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono only.

Features

As with most Network titles, there are no subtitles, but everybody speaks so wonderfully clearly in these old movies you might not need them. However, the film is quite well served with extras otherwise. Critic and 100 Best contributor Kim Newman and Stephen Jones contribute an informative audio commentary track on the background of the movie. There is also a short interview taken from the 11th Feb 1999 edition of "Tonight" where Sir Ian McKellan is interviewed about his Oscar® nominated performance as James Whale in "Gods and Monsters". An image gallery of stills completes the package.

Conclusion

Superbly creepy, quirky and spooky, The Old Dark House started a genre all of its own, full of atmosphere and suspense. It`s a movie full of wonderful performances and sly undercurrents, and inspired a generation of between-the-fingers, jump-out-of-your-skin fun such as The Cat and the Canary.