- Actors: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton
- Director: James Whale
- Disc Format: AC-3, Black & White, Dolby, Full Screen, Subtitled, Surround Sound
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
- Rated: Not Rated
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: October 24, 2017
- Run Time: 72 minutes
A year after
finding monumental success at Universal Studios with Frankenstein (1931), James Whale reunited with Boris Karloff to
make The Old Dark House. What first
appears to be one of the first haunted house films actually sets up the
template for another horror genre that would primarily become popular in the
1970s with movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There are no real
supernatural events in The Old Dark House,
and the only monsters are the disturbed humans that occupy the gothic estate.
When a group of normal men and women find themselves stranded by a storm, they
must survive the night and their abnormal and potentially dangerous hosts.
The first to
arrive at the gloomy house in Wales
is married couple Philip (Raymond Massey) and Margaret Waverton (Gloria Stuart),
who are joined by their bachelor friend, Penderel (Melvyn Douglas). They are
greeted fairly inhospitably by the elderly owners of the home, Rebecca Femm and
her passive brother, Horace, who agree to let them wait out the passing of the
storm without much warmth. The number of the visitors increases when Sir
William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton) and his chorus girl companion (Lilian
Bond) also emerge from the storm looking for shelter. Little do these five
guests know, as rude as Rebecca and her brother may be, they are the least
dangerous inhabitants of the home.
The first
warning of danger comes when there is word that the butler, Morgan (Boris
Karloff), has gotten into the liquor supply. The monstrous man spends the
remainder of the film stumbling around the house, leering and groping at
Margaret, assaulting anyone who gets in his way with unrivaled strength. As the
group is split up, some members discover the existence of other family members,
including an elderly patriarch that is bedridden, and a homicidal pyromaniac brother
hidden away in one of the bedrooms.
The gothic
horror remains a constant in the film, from beginning to end, but the movie is
far more interested in the intricacies of the relationships between the guests
than any cheap scares. As a result, much of the movie is spent in clever
banter, showcasing the natural charms of the cast and providing a great deal of
levity to the proceedings. Whale proves to be just as interested in the comedic
relief as he is the eerie qualities of the narrative, most of which come out in
the atmospheric setting and photography. It would be easier to emphasis the
horror as much as the humor if it weren’t for the lack of actual danger and the
abruptness with which the entire endeavor ends. There isn’t even a need to
dispatch the villain, because there is never one monster distinguished among
the disturbed inhabitants of the old dark house.
Despite being
thought lost for several decades, the print of The Old Dark House which was eventually discovered is in
surprisingly good condition. This Blu-ray release offers a newly restored 4K
presentation of this print, offering the most clarity you are likely to find in
a film this old. Along with two commentary tracks and a featurette about Curtis
Harrington’s discovery of the lost print, there is an all-new interview with
Sara Karloff. The first commentary includes star Gloria Stuart, while the
second is delivered by James Whale biographer, James Curtis. There is also a
small booklet insert included in the package, which has excerpts from an
interview with Harrington along with a few production photos.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8/10
Historical
Significance: 8.5/10
Special Features: 6.5/10
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