RETRO MOVIE REVIEW: THE OLD DARK HOUSE, 1932

THE OLD DARK HOUSE, 1932, directed by the great James Whale, screenplay by Benn W. Levy, from the novel by J.B. Priestly, starring the legendary Boris Karloff, Charles Lambert, and Gloria Stuart.

James Whale, the master of the golden age of Universal horror pictures was really on a roll in the early 1930s! His credits are still influential and recognized nearly a hundred years later. He was a true master of the macabre that was skilled at bringing fright and humor together cinematically. I believe that’s where he transcended as a storyteller. Directors can easily be held to a standard, usually sticking with a certain theme like drama or comedy, but James Whale was the first to blatantly mix two very distinct styles successfully, horror and comedy. In my book, he was the originator of cinematic dark humor.

Looking at the bulk of Whale’s horror achievements in just five years, FRANKENSTEIN, 1931; THE OLD DARK HOUSE, 1932; THE INVISIBLE MAN, 1933; THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, 1935, one can see how he had developed a dark humor style to perfection. All of the above mentioned classic horror films had a decent share of humor to keep audiences entertained. Whale was a great storyteller who could blend together dramatic, comical, and horror themes seamlessly.

This is way before people where scratching their heads about comedy in horror in films like AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, 1981 or the original EVIL DEAD trilogy.

THE OLD DARK HOUSE primarily plays out like a comedy but is always categorized as horror. I often wonder what Whale’s thought about that? Was he making a comedy and tossed in a bit of suspense or was it supposed to be scary? I think if Boris Karloff was not cast as the fiendish manservant Morgan, the movie might have been considered a true dark comedy. Remember, Boris Karloff was a hot commodity just after Frankenstein from the year before, solidifying his status as a horror icon. Karloff’s brooding sinister tone (although once again mute) changes the dynamics of the film, leading to what on the surface can generally be categorized as horror.

But then again, what is true horror? Something like say – family dysfunction? Many may agree that family dynamics can be truly horrific; others might think it comical. This is where Whale succeeds with THE OLD DARK HOUSE; it’s basically a film about a dysfunctional family disrupted by unwanted guests.

During a violent rainstorm that washes out the countryside, five travelers are stranded at the menacing Femm family estate for the night. Although unwelcomed, the travelers do their best to cope with the strange shenanigans of the foreboding family. The hosts of the travelers are the nervous brother Horace, played brilliantly by Ernest Thesiger, (THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, 1935) and the abusive sister Rebecca. All are tended to by the hulking, disfigured, mute manservant Morgan (Karloff). As the stormy night unfolds, dark secrets of the Femm family are revealed. The mysterious death of a sister is discovered along with the invalid 102-year-old father of the family who is stored in his luxurious bedchamber. He has one warning for the travelers; do not set Saul free. Saul is the eldest brother of the family who is locked in a room at the top of the estate. Saul has one goal if he is set free and that’s to burn the house to the ground. As the manservant Morgan gets drunk and violent, things quickly get out of hand. Add a budding romance and a bit of social and economical culture class and you have a film packed with great entertainment.

THE OLD DARK HOUSE is a classic film that holds up as good old-fashioned cinema that breaks the mold early on what is considered horror or comedy. Categorize the film as you will, just check it out!