31 Days of Horror Recommendations: The Old Dark House (1932)

 

Year: 1932

Country: USA

Subgenre: Horror Comedy/Mansion Mystery

Runtime: 72 minuntes

Director: James Whale

Even the most casual of film viewers are familiar with Universal's 1931 classic Frankenstein. A few of the more hard core horror hounds know that James Whale not only directed that classic, but also it's sequel. Universal Monsters fans are also big fans of his direction in 1933 of The Invisible Man with Claude Rains. But, his direction of the hilarious The Old Dark House that fell in between in 1932, also fell between the cracks for many years. Today it is regarded as a classic in the comedy horror sub-genre; it is even a favorite on TCM during the Halloween season, but still I feel the need to sing it's praises none-the-less. While it is certainly not terrifying in any way, it does have several genuinely spooky moments. It is also not purely a spoof, like say, several comedic haunted house films from comic actors and groups (think Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, the Three Stooges); yet, it is also not just a spooky old house film filled with misunderstood supernatural occurrences. It successfully bridges both of those genres and ties them together nicely. It is also filled with Whale jokes from start to finish (such as when the butler, played by Boris Karloff, answers the door mumbling and Melvyn Douglas' Penderel quips "well even Welsh ought not to sound like that!"). An old horror, an very early talkie and loads of fun. There are a number of dodgy copies out there to stream, but Kino has released a remastered version that is a pleasure to watch and listen to, though the sound will always remain a bit on the rough side (which actually kind of adds to the creepiness of the film experience). Highly recommended, especially if you are looking for Spooktober fare that is not deeply disturbing or flat out terrifying.