Rating: 
Summary: AN ORIGINAL, ECCENTRIC FILM
Review: Based upon the novel BENIGHTED by J.B. Priestly, THE OLD DARK HOUSE characteristically begins in the midst of a raging thunderstorm as a lone automobile, lost in the Welsh mountains, tries to make its way through the primitive dirt roads. Inside are a bickering, nerve-wracked young couple, Philip and Margaret Waverton (Raymond Massey and Gloria (TITANIC) Stuart) and their war-disillusioned friend, Roger Penderel (Melvyn Douglas). Deciding it is too dangerous to continue, the trio arrive at an imposing stone house, the only shelter in sight......................A thoroughly delightful diversion in the comic/horror genre, this film is a largely (and unjustly) forgotten gem. The movie is perhaps an acquired taste, but its a film that grows in stature with each viewing. This classic flick from the depressed year of 1932 boasts a gallery of memorable performances, even though Laughton is a bit overripe even by his standards! Ernest Thesiger steals the film as the sniffish, craven Horace Femm; he is nothing short of the ideal materialistion of the Priestly character. As Morgan, Karloff makes a surprisingly brief appearance, and, wisely, there was no attempt to beef up his rather uninteresting stock brute character. Raymond Massey is merely competent as Waverton, while the great Melvyn Douglas does good work in his role as the acerbic, world-weary Roger Penderel. For the role of Sir Roderick, the ancient partriarch of the Femm clan, Whale took a gamble by casting a veteran British stage actress, Elspeth Dudgeon (her name was changed to John in the credits!); the gamble was victorious. Unbelievably, Elspeth made her last film in 1949!........ The film's wit is so dry and so gently self-mocking, that a casual viewer might easily laugh the dialogue off as being ridiculous; this input was courtesy of screenwriter Benn W. Levy.
Rating:
Summary: grrrrrrrrr...
Review: Boris Karloff's initial scene in this classic of the macabre lets you know immediately that he won't be talking much ... he opens the front door of the old dark house in answer to the knocking of some stranded travelers and grunts in an animal-like tone. This is only the beginning of what turns out to be a really strange night for five people seeking shelter from a massive storm. In addition to Karloff - who plays Morgan, the butler who goes a little mad when drinking, the other strange denizns of the Femm household include Ernest Thesiger, Eva Moore, Elspeth "John" Dudgeon and Brember Wills as the maniacal Saul Femm.The first time I saw this film on television, I enjoyed t tremendously, but thought the picture was in horrible shape. This DVD version from Kino is the best I've ever seen The Old Dark House. The commentary from Gloria Stewart - who plays Mrs. Waverton - is a treat. Another commentary track featuring director James Whale biographer James Curtis provides a lot of tidbits you probably wouldn't know if he didn't tell you. The only problem with the Curtis commentary is that he sounds like he wasn't interested in doing it. Otherwise, this DVD is great. You really have to be a fan to collect stuff like this.
Rating:
Summary: Granted I am Karloff's #1 fan...
Review: but this movie is breathtaking! This is one of those horror movies, like a lot of the old classics, that is more atmospheric than anything else. A bunch of people in an old creepy house, with old creepy people, trapped in a howling storm, dreading a mysterious inhabitant upstairs. Karloff manages to be disturbed and sympathetic at the same time (he's so good at that - genius!). The emphasis isn't in what's happening but in the anticipation of what might happen. I love this movie.
Rating:
Summary: It was a Dark and Stormy Night ...
Review: Director James Whale deftly combined dry, sardonic humor with classic horror elements to produce the richly entertaining black comedy "The Old Dark House". By turns darkly witty and genuinely creepy, the film benefits from a razor-sharp script, moody cinematography, and uniformly fine performances in addition to Whale's creative directorial flourishes. Simply summarized, the plot involves a group of stranded travelers who take refuge in an isolated Welsh mansion owned by a dangerously eccentric family during a terrific storm; before the night passes, members of the group will encounter terror, romance and even death as the thunder, wind and rain rage outside.
Among a distinguished cast that includes such luminaries as Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, and Gloria Stuart, the acting honors are stolen by Ernest Thesiger playing the pinch-faced, hollow-eyed lord of the manor. Thesiger manages the difficult task of being very funny and vaguely menacing at the same time; in his first scene he introduces himself in a sepulchral but prissy tone as, "Femm ... Horace Femm", and the effect is both marvelously silly and discomfortingly shivery. Eva Moore also makes a distinctive impression in the role of Thesiger's sharp-tongued sister whose begrudging hospitality to her guests does not include "beds ... they can't have beds!" She is particularly ominous as she fingers the fabric of Gloria Stuart's low cut evening gown, noting "fine stuff, but it'll rot", and then proceeds to put her hand on the exposed flesh above Stuart's chest, adding "finer stuff still, but it'll rot too!"
The Kino DVD offers a beautiful video transfer of this film which was once considered lost. After the film's negative was discovered moldering in a vault, and then painstakingly restored, a copy was shown a very few times on pay cable TV channels back in the early 1990's; unfortunately, that print was so dark that the movie was virtually unwatchable. The Kino version features correctly balanced contrast and a clearer, crisper soundtrack. As far as extras go, there is a wonderful photo gallery; excerpts of an interview with Curtis Harrington, a long-time acquaintance of James Whale who initiated the long search for the film's missing negative; and a commentary by film historian James Curtis. Best of all is a second audio commentary by actress Gloria Stuart who with great intelligence and charm reveals fascinating tidbits about the film's production, the other cast members, and the shooting of individual scenes, as well as general stories about Hollywood and her own career.
The 1962 Hammer remake of the same title, directed by William Castle, bears very few similarities with Whale's production; Castle's version is almost devoid of horror and emphasizes broad comedy which sometimes veers into the realm of slapstick. Both are entertaining films in their own ways, but I personally prefer Whale's original and heartily recommend that you add it to your home DVD library.
Rating: 
Summary: The classic spookhouse with things that go bump in the night
Review: Forget all those modern "wannabe" horror films that cut the suspense and story for buckets of blood and guts. "The Old Dark House" (1932) is a terrific film, set in the ever popular haunted house on a dark, spooky rainy night. Horace and Rebecca Femm, brother and sister, are the owners of a drab mansion. However, they definitely do not play the good natured hosts when stranded travellers are forced to stay there because of the terrible storm. Ernest Thesiger gave a terrific performance as the pessimistic Horace Femm, who constantly worries about the worst that could happen. Fans of Charles Laughton might be surprised to see him playing an arrogant loud mouth that only believes in making money in order to "smash people". Frightening as ever, Boris Karloff gives a tense portrayal of Morgan, the frequently inebriated butler who is described by the Femm family as "an uncivilized brute" and "a savage". Like most horror films of this era, "The Old Dark House" has a devious surprise appearance of something which is only slightly hinted at during the film, and finally comes out in the open towards the end. I thought this film was very well written and performed, quite unlike the scary films of today that spend more money for the gore.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Classic Horror Camp!
Review: From the master of early horror camp(James Whale, director of Frankanstien and The Bride of Frankenstien) comes a masterpiece of equal integrity. Look for a VERY young Gloria Stuart (Titanic) in a starring role.
Rating:
Summary: Old Dark House is a Gem of the Genre
Review: Great fun throughout!Make sure and read disclaimer before opening credits!Creaky old atmosphere and ensemble acting by Laughton,Douglas,Karloff,Stuart,and Massey.Plot is simple(group of fellow travelers are stranded at a-you know--OLD DARK HOUSE), but plot is not what is important here.The atmosphere,dialogue, and characterizations is what makes OLD DARK HOUSE a Universal gem of the genre!
Rating:
Summary: Gothic Camp
Review: Great fun. Possibly the inspiration for Rocky Horror. Get the DVD version. One of Gloria Stuarts first films. Another reviewer said she was inspired to quit show business after this, but of course she went on to make 57 more films per the internet movie database. Lots of great stars in a fast pace dark comic farce.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Let This Hidden Gem Get Away!
Review: Haunted houses don't normally exist with heavenly hosts who can be accurately described as peculiar, whimsical, eccentric, and strangely charming. A dark stormy night is the catalyst as weary travelers arrive and enter the mysterious old mansion hoping to avoid the lesser of two evils (being stranded in a car stuck in the mud on an unpaved country road). Despite the looming threat of unimaginable horror, the movie remains essentially passive. It turns out to be quite an intelligent collection of unconventional characters who combine to assure a "5-star" rating for this quirky, comedic melodrama. A highly unique and creepy spook house atmosphere is enhanced by a sinister and downright nasty lady of the house. But it's all in good fun, and the acting is brilliant (Gloria Stewart is my personal faviorite but the entire cast is great!). DVD quality is very good here, especially considering this 1932 production was almost lost forever (more details provided in the special DVD "extras").
Rating:
Summary: Ernest Thesiger Rocks the House!
Review: If you're expecting a horror movie, forget it - that aspect doesn't really kick in until the last couple of reels and was probably pretty old hat even in 1932. What you get is something altogether more unexpected and much more welcome - one of the greatest comedies of manners ever made.Those who don't like their wit dry need not apply, but those who do are in for a real treat. Charles Laughton's blustering but good natured Yorkshireman channels more than a pinch of George Formby, but it's Ernest Thesiger who steals the show even more wholeheartedly than he did in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN - never has one man got so much comic mileage with so little visible effort from the words "Have a potato." Forget Dr. Pretorius, this is the absolutely unique Thesiger's finest hour. There are plenty of good lines to go round the rest of the tremendous cast ("Not even Welsh should sound like that," notes Melvyn Douglas when confronted with Karloff's grunting), the characters are really rather likeable for a change, and even the wildly unconvincing casting of an actress to play the family patriarch does not detract. Not a horror classic, not a prototype slasher movie (despite its obvious influence on the genre), but a truly great comedy. Sit back, pour yourself a gin and have a potato...
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