The Old Dark House
1932 · Movie · 70 min · ★ 6.7 · 91% critics
Caught in a fierce storm in rural Wales, a small group of travelers takes refuge in a looming old mansion. Inside, their uneasy hosts and the house’s tense, unpredictable atmosphere turn a simple search for shelter into a night of dark humor, strange behavior, and mounting dread.
Based on Benighted
Where to watch
Streaming on Fandor and Cohen Media Channel.
1 hour to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1932
- Release date
- 1932-10-20
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 70 min
- Critic score
- 91/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.7/10 (303 votes)
- Budget
- $250,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a classic black-and-white comedy-horror with a creepy mansion, sharp banter, and more eccentric people than supernatural scares, in the vein of Frankenstein or The Invisible Man; Not for you if you want straight, serious horror.
Pros: eerie stormy atmosphere; witty dark humor; memorable odd characters | Cons: comedy undercuts scares; uneven acting style; simple thin plot
Themes
- wales
- based on novel or book
- family secrets
- social satire
- black and white
- old dark house
- madness
- pre-code
- isolated house
- stormy night
- creepy house
- mute servant
- +1 more
Cast & crew
Boris Karloff
as Morgan
Melvyn Douglas
as Penderel
Charles Laughton
as Sir William Porterhouse
Lilian Bond
as Gladys
Ernest Thesiger
as Horace Femm
Eva Moore
as Rebecca Femm
Raymond Massey
as Philip Waverton
Gloria Stuart
as Margaret Waverton
Elspeth Dudgeon
as Sir Roderick Femm
Brember Wills
as Saul Femm
Directed by James Whale