Daily Movie Rec 10/25/23
The Old Dark House (1932)
"Madness came."
Directed by: James Whale
Cinematography by: Arthur Edeson
Country: United States
Plot:
Flooding caused by severe thunderstorms causes two groups of travelers to take shelter in a secluded old mansion home to bizarre and darkly cryptic inhabitants for a night where circumstances grow increasingly more dangerous. Based on the 1927 novel Benighted by J.B. Priestley.
Reasons to watch:
James Whale's three-year run between 1931 and 1933 where he dropped Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, and The Invisible Man might be one of the most influential runs in genre history. Between those three and The Bride of Frankenstein in 1935, Whale deserves to be included in the top 10 - at the very least - of any list of the most influential horror directors, and that's not to mention his impact on sci-fi either. As for the movie itself, the style and content of The Old Dark House were potent enough to launch an entire subgenre named after it (no Scooby-Doo without this movie). This horror classic is goofy, charming, and bizarrely entertaining for most of its runtime before swirling into a genuinely freaky ending. Saul is onscreen for all of seven minutes, but his maniacally capricious appearance isn't one you'll soon forget.
Where to watch:
The Criterion Channel/Tubi/Mubi
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