Rolling right along in our A-to-Z Part Deux challenge this week with the letter “R”. Let’s get right to it, for the letter “R” we’ve got Roland Pertwee (Writer) and the movie he wrote on that we’re reviewing today…The Ghoul (1933).
Title: The Ghoul
Director: T. Hayes Hunter
Released: August 7, 1933 (United Kingdom)
Runtime: 1 hour 17 minutes
Available to stream on: Tubi
Professor Henry Morlant (Boris Karloff) is an Egyptologist on his death bed who believes that an ancient jewel, dubbed the “Eternal Light”, will grant him eternal life once presented to Anubis. The doctor leaves the room after examining Professor Morlant and informs someone that Morlant does not have much time left. Shortly after this statement is made, we see Morlant’s solicitor, Broughton (Cedric Hardwicke), thumbing through the professor’s ledgers. Broughton sees where Morlant recently purchased the “Eternal Light” for £75,000. If this is true, it mean’s Henry Morlant has very little left to his name.
Morlant calls for his servant, Laing (Ernest Thesiger), and informs him that the jewel is to be buried with him upon his death. Morlant goes so far as to grip the “Eternal Light” in his hands and then proceeds to bind his hand. However, Morlant also asks for Laing to be careful as he doesn’t trust Broughton.
After Morlant passes, he is buried in the mausoleum that is on the property’s grounds with the key to the tomb left in the door. Before shutting the door however, Laing made sure to swipe the jewel. Laing decides to hide the jewel and contact one of Professor Morlant’s heirs.
If an entire town’s worth of people trying to find the “Eternal Light” wasn’t enough, Professor Henry Morlant himself rises from the dead. Upon noticing that the jewel is missing from his hand, thus impacting his ability to present it to Anubis in the afterlife, he rises from the tomb and staggers out into the world in search of the “Eternal Light”.
How far will Professor Henry Morlant have to travel to find the jewel?
What will happen to those who get in his way?
Who winds up in possession of the “Eternal Light”?
The Ghoul (1933) does an excellent job of using darkness, shadows, and fog to create a gothic atmosphere. That atmosphere serves the brooding tone that is present throughout the film. Unfortunately, the subplots and numerous side characters ultimately take away from what could have been an impactful horror/thriller.
The beginning provides us with an interesting premise despite the obvious nods to Karloff’s The Mummy which was released a year prior. And the third act, where Morlant is on the hunt for the “Eternal Light” is a lot of fun. However, the second act, where we are basically playing a game of “whodunnit” is a bit of a bore. For a movie that heavily advertises Boris Karloff, we could have used a lot more of him. When he isn’t on the screen, The Ghoul (1933) suffers as a result.
That being said, with a runtime of under an hour and twenty minutes, this is still worth a watch, if nothing else, for the limited screen time occupied by the late great Boris Karloff.
Well, there we have it. Another letter in the books. But what did you think of The Ghoul (1933)?
Tell me what you thought in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!
Next up we’ve got the letter “S”. Keep your eyes on Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram this Wednesday to see who and what movie we’ll be covering next Sunday.