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Date Posted: 23:42:28 02/15/09 Sun
Author: Tim
Subject: The Old Dark House (1932)

The Old Dark House is the second of director James Whale's four Universal horror pictures, the other three being Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein. In many ways it is more like a stage play than the other three, but that is not intended as a criticism, for it is certainly an effective film.

Before the opening credits a producer's note appears onscreen, informing viewers that the Karloff playing the mad butler in this production is the same Karloff who "created the part of the mechanical monster in Frankenstein."

The film opens at night with a married couple driving through a horrible storm in the Welsh Mountains. Philip and Margaret Waverton (Raymond Massey and Gloria Stuart) snipe at each other as they navigate the worsening weather conditions. The wisecracking backseat passenger is Penderel (Melvyn Douglas). The storm escalates to landslides and flooding, but luckily they come upon an isolated old mansion. The door is opened by bearded, mute butler (Boris Karloff) who we later learn is named Morgan.

Inside we meet Horace Femm (Ernest Thesiger), a prim, pale man with a nervous manner bordering on paranoia, and his sister Rebecca Femm (Eva Moore), who owns the house. She is scowling and spiteful, a fervently religious woman who pronounces virtually everyone as "wicked". They are an odd couple indeed, and along with the butler Morgan, make the house a rather unpleasant oasis for the rain-soaked travelers. One memorable scene occurs when Margaret Waverton is changing into dry clothes while old Miss Femm shares the disturbing tale of her late sister Rachel Femm, and accuses pretty Margaret of being a silly wicked girl.

Soon another pair of unexpected guests arrive, William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton) and Gladys Perkins (Lillian Bond), also seeking refuge from the storm. The Femms serve the assembled group a meal, then everyone talks late into the night. Horace Femm makes the cryptic comment that he is wanted by the police, offering no further explanation. Earlier he had warned that the butler Morgan is an "uncivilized brute". The mystery of the old dark house deepens when the Wavertons meet the 102 year old patriarch of the Femm clan, and learn that his eldest son Saul is locked in an upstairs room because he is a madman.

The Old Dark House is successful as a mystery, a character study and a spooky old house picture, with an ample share of wry humor thrown in for good measure. Check it out if you have the chance. As the old saying goes, they don't make 'em like that anymore.

Tim

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Replies:

[> Re: The Old Dark House (1932) -- Rick, 04:37:51 03/01/09 Sun [1]

A good horror film that still stands up strong to this day on TV and DVD.




Rick


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