The Old Dark House

"Beware the night!"

1932 1h 10m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 313

DramaHorrorThriller

Synopsis

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In a remote region of Wales, five travelers beset by a relentless storm find shelter in an old mansion.

“Beware the night!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Boris Karloff
Morgan
Melvyn Douglas
Penderel
Charles Laughton
Sir William Porterhouse
Lilian Bond
Gladys
Ernest Thesiger
Horace Femm
Eva Moore
Rebecca Femm
Raymond Massey
Philip Waverton
Gloria Stuart
Margaret Waverton

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Whale
Writers: Benn W. Levy
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

94 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Whale, shot by Arthur Edeson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Broekman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Clarence Kolster shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Boris Karloff and Melvyn Douglas and Charles Laughton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Whale directs. Arthur Edeson behind the camera. David Broekman scores. Clarence Kolster cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
394 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by James Whale, shot by Arthur Edeson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by David Broekman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Clarence Kolster shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Boris Karloff and Melvyn Douglas and Charles Laughton carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Beware the night!".
10IMDB entry: tt0023293 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 13 themes, including "wales", "based on novel or book", "family secrets", "social satire".
12Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur Edeson
Original score: David Broekman
Editing: Clarence Kolster
Production design: Charles D. Hall
Runtime: 70 min · 1h 10m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $250,000
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Old Dark House (1932)

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James Whale

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-04-24
★ 8/10
Beware The Night. As a violent storm rages, five travellers in a remote part of Wales take refuge at a creepy looking mansion that's home to the "odd" Femm family... Weird, exciting and positively funny haunted house film with a top cast that's directed by one of Horror's greatest directors, James Whale. Based loosely around J.B. Priestley's novel "Benighted", the piece is further boosted by excellent camera work from Arthur Edeson and a screenplay that positively zips with memorable moments. Upon release in America the film was poorly received, yet unsurprisingly given it's British dryness, it was well liked in Britain. Even spawning an imitation in the form of The Ghoul, with both Boris Karloff and the irrepressible Ernest Thesiger again starring. The Old Dark House got a reissue in the late 30s after the Horror genre had been reinvigorated by the likes of King Kong, but sadly it fell off the radar once the rights had reverted to Priestley. The film then appeared to be lost for many many years until Curtis Harrington (director of such TV Horror fare like Killer Bees) found a print in the archives in 1968, and thankfully got the funding to have the film restored and preserved. Thus now, and as far from perfect as the print is, the piece can be enjoyed by anyone with a bent for such a unique blend of Horror & Comedy. You have to be prepared for its kooky nature to truly enjoy the experience, but all being well The Old Dark House will continue to garner new fans with each passing year. The supreme director and marvellous cast deserve that at least. 8/10
CinemaSerf2022-06-13
★ 7/10
James Whale really did put together an excellent cast for this comic horror film. On a foul night; five stranded travellers seek shelter in a creepy old Welsh manor house - occupied by the even creepier "Femm" family and their almost anthropoid servant "Morgan" (Boris Karloff). As the evening progresses, lots of drink is taken and we meet the servant's pyromaniac brother and mayhem ensues. There are super performances from Melvyn Douglas, Ernest Thesiger and Raymond Massey with Eva Moore as the horrid "Rebecca" and a fantastically over-the-top Charles Laughton as "Sir William Porterhouse". The sets are a bit on the basic side and the lighting could have done with some more wattage, but it is all eerily directed with a plenty of wit and charm - well worth a watch.