The Old Dark House (1932 film)
The Old Dark House | |
---|---|
Directed by | James Whale |
Written by |
|
Based on | Benighted 1928 novel by J. B. Priestley |
Produced by | Carl Laemmle Jr. |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Arthur Edeson |
Edited by | Clarence Kolster |
Music by | David Broekman |
Production company | Universal Pictures |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 72 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $250,000 (est) |
The Old Dark House is a 1932 American
The adaptation rights to Priestley's novel, a
The Old Dark House failed to match the contemporary critical and commercial success of Whale's other films, and was withdrawn from circulation after Universal lost the rights to Priestley's novel, which was
Plot
Philip Waverton, his wife Margaret and their friend Roger Penderel are lost while driving at night in a heavy storm. They come upon an old house in the Welsh countryside where they receive shelter from Horace Femm and his sister Rebecca. Horace fears that the storm will trap the guests inside. He also warns them that their mute butler Morgan is a dangerous, heavy drinker. As Rebecca escorts Margaret to a bedroom to change clothes, she tells her about the Femm family, which Rebecca says was sinful and godless. She accuses Margaret of being sinful as well. Rebecca reveals that her 102-year-old father, Sir Roderick Femm, still lives in the house.
During dinner, the group are joined by Sir William Porterhouse and a
Roger and Gladys begin flirting while they drink and smoke. Gladys says her relationship with William is
By morning, the storm has subsided. Saul's attempt at burning the house has caused little damage. Philip and Margaret leave to get an ambulance, while Gladys and William stay behind to tend to Roger's injuries. Upon awakening, Roger asks Gladys to marry him, and she happily kisses him in response.
Cast
- Boris Karloff as Morgan
- Melvyn Douglas as Roger Penderel
- Raymond Massey as Philip Waverton
- Gloria Stuart as Margaret Waverton
- Charles Laughton as Sir William Porterhouse
- Lilian Bond as Gladys DuCane/Perkins
- Ernest Thesiger as Horace Femm
- Eva Moore as Rebecca Femm
- Brember Wills as Saul Femm
- Elspeth Dudgeon as Sir Roderick Femm (credited as "John Dudgeon")
Development and production
Universal Studios producer Carl Laemmle Jr. invited screenwriter Benn Levy from England to Universal City after being impressed with Levy's screenplay for Waterloo Bridge (1931), which was also directed by James Whale. Levy was loaned to Paramount Pictures, where he worked on the screenplay for Devil and the Deep. When Levy finished work on the film, he returned to Universal to start work on The Old Dark House.[5] The film is based on the novel Benighted (1927) by J. B. Priestley, about post-World War I disillusionment.[6] It was published in the United States under the same title as the film.[7] Adapted for the screen by R. C. Sherriff and Benn Levy, the motion picture follows the original plot of the book, while adding levels of comedy to the story.[6]
Original release and reception
The Old Dark House was previewed in early July 1932.
The New York Times praised the film, stating, "there is a wealth of talent in this production...like Frankenstein, [it] had the advantage of being directed by James Whale, who again proves his ability."[8][9] The film did good business at the box-office in the first week of release, but later suffered through negative word of mouth.[5] It was booked for three weeks at the Rialto Theatre in New York City, but the audience turn-out dropped to less than half in its second week and the film was pulled after ten days. The film performed better in the United Kingdom, where it broke house records at the Capitol Theatre in London.[5][10] It was re-issued into theaters in 1939.[5]
Rediscovery and reputation
In 1957,
Modern reception has been more generally favorable than reviews in 1932, with the film-ranking website
In the early 2010s,
The film also served as an inspiration for The Rocky Horror Picture Show[17][18] and Thundercrack!.[19]
See also
References
- ^ Nourmand & Marsh 2004, p. 105.
- Rovi Corporation. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
- ^ Hallenbeck 2009, p. 21
- ^ a b Shadow Play – Whale, Priestley and The Old Dark House (Booklet). James Whale. London: Eureka Entertainment. 2018 [1932]. EKA70292.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Kino Video. 1999 [1932]. K113.)
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link - ^ a b Nollen 1991, p. 63
- ^ a b Booklet essay of the Region 2 Network DVD[citation needed]
- ^ a b Mank 2001, p. 48
- ^ Hall, Mordaunt (October 28, 1932). "Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton and Raymond Massey in a Film of Priestley's 'The Old Dark House'". New York Times.
- ^ Stephen Jacobs, Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster, Tomahawk Press, 2011, p. 117
- ^ Allmovie. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
- ^ "The Old Dark House – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
- ^ "The Old Dark House Movie Review (1932) From Channel 4". Channel 4. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
- Time Out. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
- Time Out. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- Time Out. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- ^ J. Hoberman (October 5, 2017). "'The Old Dark House' Is Creepy. Its Occupants? Downright Kooky". The New York Times.
- ^ deNobel, Jacob (October 20, 2016). "The films that inspired 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'". Carroll County Times.
- ^ Nahmod, David-Elijah (December 8, 2015). "Bay of the Living Dead: Thundercrack Returns!". SF Weekly.
Works cited
- Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (2009). Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914–2008. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-1112-2.
- Mank, Gregory William (2001). Hollywood Cauldron. McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-3332-9.
- Nollen, Scott Allen (1991). Boris Karloff. McFarland. ISBN 0-89950-580-5.
- Nourmand, Tony; Marsh, Graham, eds. (2004). Horror Poster Art. London: Aurum Press Limited. ISBN 1-84513-010-3.