The Old Dark House (1932)

Welcome back for another installment of Mubi Monday! This week we have a lesser-known, pre-Hays Code, Universal Pictures movie that stars a Universal Horror icon with…The Old Dark House (1932).

Title: The Old Dark House

Director: James Whale

Released: October 20, 1932

Runtime: 1 hour 12 minutes

Available to stream on: Mubi, Kanopy, and Tubi

Philip (Raymond Massey) and Margaret (Gloria Stuart) Waverton, along with their friend, Penderel (Melvyn Douglas), are driving through the Welsh countryside. Poor weather has made for treacherous driving conditions and as a result, they now find themselves lost. Luckily, they spot a house up ahead with lights on.

Upon approaching the house, they are greeted by the brother and sister duo of Horace (Ernest Thesiger) and Rebecca (Eva Moore) Femm who take them in. Almost immediately, Horace warns everyone about their butler, Morgan (Boris Karloff). According to Horace, Morgan is at his most dangerous after he has been drinking. Meanwhile, Rebecca shows Margaret to a room and gives her a brief history lesson on the Femm family. In fact, their father, who is 102 years old, still lives in the house upstairs. As for the rest of the Femm’s, simply put, they were godless sinners.

After everyone has settled in, they all join together downstairs for dinner. As the potatoes and roast beef are being passed around, the group is unexpectedly joined by another pair seeking shelter from the storm. Sir William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton) and Gladys Perkins (Lilian Bond) get acquainted with the rest of the group by the fireplace after everyone has finished dinner.

While everyone seems to be getting along, things are about to take a turn. The electricity in the house unexpectedly goes out. It is at this point that everyone not named Horace or Rebecca begins to question their decisions that led them here. Normally, hearing a voice from behind a locked door might not raise an eyebrow. However, when the power goes out and you are on high alert, everything becomes suspicious.

If the electricity going out wasn’t enough, now they have Morgan to deal with. He has been drinking and is on the loose. Morgan sees Margaret by her lonesome and chases after her. While running upstairs to try and get away she sees Philip coming downstairs holding a lamp. Philip sees Morgan chasing after Margaret and hurls the lamp at him, knocking Morgan down the stairs.

Who and/or what is behind the locked door upstairs?

Will the visitors to the Femm house survive the night?

One thing that I really enjoyed with The Old Dark House (1932) is the cast. Yes, the story itself works well as an early haunted house film. Everyone, even Boris in an underused role, rises to the occasion and elevates the film as a whole. The comedy works, the chemistry is believable, and when applicable, the fear feels genuine.

Technically speaking, The Old Dark House (1932) is equally as enjoyable. For example, the effects in the opening sequence where Mr. Waverton is struggling to keep the car on the road in the storm are nothing short of impressive given the era. There’s the Gothic atmosphere that is established and present throughout. If you pay close attention, you can also notice that the sets begin to mirror each character’s state of mind.

While I would have enjoyed there being a bit more meat on the bones of the overall plot, I still had a good time with The Old Dark House (1932). It is an often overlooked, if not completely forgotten, horror movie from the heyday of horror at Universal Pictures. If you have yet to see it, consider this your recommendation to correct that.

Well, there you have it. Those are my thoughts on The Old Dark House (1932). But what are yours? If you’ve seen it, tell me what you thought in the comments below or by reaching out on social media!

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