The Old Dark House

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Jess Oct 31, 2023 Excellent film! Spooky old house on a dark and stormy night, filled with an assortment of colorful and creepy characters. Perfect blend of genuine chills and dashes of humor. See more Welll A @Azevader88 Oct 4, 2026 This is my first movie with the legend Boris Karloff (why didn't anyone ever tell me he was hot?!), who enters mute and leaves silent, but he didn't even need to because he acts a lot, and I was surprised by the look of the divo identical to the gays on my timeline, 94 years later. In fact, in a scene in the car with Penderel, Gladys uses the word "gay" in the same context we currently use; there are several sexual suggestions in the story, a lot of humor and irony, and even an actress made up as an old man... A very modern sinister house story. Melvyn Douglas is a charm and Gloria Stuart, a beauty. Eva Moore plays a grumpy and funny Rebecca Famm; and Ernest Thesiger, her brother, has a performance as expressionistic as Karloff. The stunt work impresses where the editing disappoints. Overall, James Whale's direction is a delight. . #Telegram See more Wayne K @WayneKelso Aug 14, 2026 An old school horror comedy with actors who, much like those in King Kong, were clearly more used to the stage than the big screen. There’s layers of subtext straight from the source material about the class system in the UK, but the main concern seems to be building an atmosphere of creeping dread while making plenty of room for zany shenanigans. It seems weird to take Boris Karloff, one of the biggest films stars of the time, bury him in makeup and not have him utter a word, but I suppose if it worked in Frankenstein then they may as well do it here too. The ending is pretty shaky, with the late introduction of a major character the film doesn’t utilise very well. A lot of the story is light fluff, with haughty characters exchanging cheeky banter in a creepy rundown house with walls built specifically for shadow puppetry. A fun enough film, but a let down if you’re expecting any gory, pre-code excessiveness. See more Ollie W @RT90619198 Aug 8, 2026 It’s not the towering classic it’s made out to be. It’s not even remotely scary. It’s not even particularly spooky. The interpersonal relationships all seem somewhat unbelievable. I found the characters of Sir William Porterhouse and his dancer girlfriend Gladys to both be rather annoying. I often appreciate bizarre moments in films but I can’t say I understand the sense of casting a woman as the aging father. I’m a big fan of many horror films from this era, including other films by James Whale. I’d say this film is above average, worth a watch but far from breathtaking. See more Melissa L @Agent99 May 30, 2026 I disagree with the high ratings. I found it cheesy and amusing...and I'm fan of classic and film noir movies. See more Teddy B @RT90521672 Jan 30, 2026 What a misery it would have been were this film lost forever! James Whale's homoerotic subtext, campy flair, suspenseful and masterful direction, as well as the exhilirating array of performances and, as always with Whale, the breathtakingly Gothic set-pieces, make-up and lighting make 'The Old Dark House' an underrated masterpiece sorely deserving of a place among the 'Universal Horror' classics catalog. See more Read all reviews

The Old Dark House

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