by Joel Bocko
“Fixing a Hole” is a new series on Wonders in the Dark whose sole purpose is to review films that have not yet been covered on that site. The theme for October is “Universal Horror.” Some spoilers are discussed below.
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The Old Dark House (1932/United States/directed by James Whale)
stars Boris Karloff, Ernest Thesiger, Charles Laughton, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stuart, Lillian Bond, Raymond Massey, Brember Wills, Elspeth Dudgeon
written by R.C. Sherriff and Benn Levy from J.B. Priestley’s novel • photographed by Arthur Edeson • designed by Charles D. Hall • music by David Broekman • edited by Andrew Cohen
The Story: On a dark and stormy night, a married couple and their bemused third-wheel friend are forced to stay the night at a gloomy old home, inhabited by the very strange Femms, a family full of neuroses and dark secrets.
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See a movie called The Old Dark House and you think you know what to expect. Well, unless you’re psychic, half-mad yourself (you’d have to be to come up with this scenario), or have already seen it, you’d be dead wrong. Sure, there’s an old house on a hill. Okay, a bickering young couple and their friend wind up having to spend the night there. Yeah, the residents of the house are a bunch of freaks, weirdos, and psychopaths. But the devil’s in the details and if the outline sounds familiar, the details are anything but. Every line of dialogue, every gesture, every plot development is unexpected and off-the-wall.
Who could predict the lesbian onslaught of sister Rebecca Femm (Eva Moore), pausing every now and then in her overbearing religiosity to a cop a feel from the heroine? Who would expect the appearance of 102-year-old Sir Roderick Femm, bedridden, cackling, and despite the misleading cast listing (actor’s name supposedly “John Dudgeon”) quite clearly an old lady with a scraggly beard glued to her wrinkly chin? And best of all, who should foresee the climactic revelation of Saul Femm (Brember Wills), outcast brother locked in his room for twenty years, set free to plead sanity – almost convincing us (we’ve certainly seen how nuts his siblings are) before the hero turns his back and Saul’s meek expression dissolves into a mask of fantastically cunning dementia?
Certainly not J.B. Priestley, who wrote the tongue-in-cheek novel upon which The Old Dark House is based, in whose pages Saul appears as an fairly conventional madman (one review describes the book’s character as redundant, overlapping significantly with Morgan, the near-catatonic mute alcoholic butler played by Boris Karloff). Indeed, when one gets used to the wackiness of the characters, the movie’s attempts at Lost Generation philosophizing – cribbed from the book, which was apparently as much Hemingway as Poe – remain the The Old Dark House’s most bizarre attributes. One senses that Whale felt similarly and the actors’ delivery often undercuts the superficially somber tone of the dialogue; a supposedly riveting war story is cut to four purposefully glib words (“Then the war ended”), a ludicrous “cotton frock killed her” backstory is greeted with open smirks, and the absurdly accelerated meet-cute-to-marriage-proposal-in-five-minutes seems a parody of countless Hollywood romances.
While a horror film and, to a certain extent (clearly intentional) a comedy, The Old Dark House is perhaps most at home in a kind of cross-genre category: the “in-joke” film, in which all the actors and filmmakers seem to be having a grand old time, while just barely managing to fulfill genre conventions and tell an involving story. Charade and Beat the Devil are films of a similar bent, to varying degrees; these are close cousins to the “hang-out” films Quentin Tarantino once celebrated (like Rio Bravo) and which Pauline Kael analyzed in her essay on the merits of trash. But whereas “hang-out” movies fit the loose jokiness within the narrative framework like a hand in glove, the “in-jokes” escalate our amusement by twisting and turning between purposes, one moment letting us think they are outright parodies, the next actually managing to make us fidget in suspense or recoil from creepiness.
The key component in maintaining this are-they-or-aren’t-they tone is the cast. The performances are almost all interesting; even some of the straight leads (often deadweight anchors to an offbeat film’s adventurousness) have charm. In addition to Karloff, who plays it straight and is actually kind of frightening, the real treats are: Wills in his cameo as Saul, all wounded pride and complete conviction (almost selling us on the idea that flames are really knives, and cold at that); Moore as Rebecca, in a performance so good it makes you wonder if, rather than find an especially talented actress, Whale et al. just cast a lascivious religious nut as herself; and finally, the man whom I saved for last, the scene-stealer, the triumphant king (or queen, rather) of punctuation and emphasis: Ernest Thesiger as Horace Femm, the first, best, and Femm-est Femm we meet.
Horace is a prissy, glum, cuttingly witty old atheist, whose eyes, nose, and corners of the mouth communicate more than most actors’ whole bodies. Thesiger always manages to take the most innocuous lines and make them spin so subtly, you’ll find yourself in stitches without quite knowing why (most famously his wicked interpretation of “Have a potato.”) One of my favorite moments arrives when Charles Laughton, a natural scene-stealer meeting his match, crows, “There’s no accountin’ fer taste!” and Thesiger glares down his ski-slope nose at the broad slice of ham for exactly the right beat before issuing a snidely glum “No.” I don’t know if The Old Dark House is in good taste, but I’ll have another helping, please.
This is another of those films that feel so loved by many many people, but I only think that they’re alright, well made, well acted, but they lack a special something. Is a competent film, and a very good one as well, but I find myself not liking (for example), the mute performance of Karloff, and even if the character itself is mute, you can’t misuse Karloff in that way. We know he’s genius in the silent Frankenstein role, but here I’d say I’d liked to see him talk some more in this one.
Still, a **** film.
Jaime, I remember hearing (or else imagining, which is just as good) that Whale resented the attention Karloff got for Frankenstein, and made sure he wouldn’t say a word in this film (and would take a backseat to other characters). Not to spread hearsay, but there you have it. (It may have been in the movie Gods & Monsters come to think of it.)
Yeah, I have to agree with JAIME on this one. I love the atmosphere and the performances but I just can’t get around to adoring this one like I adore stuff like FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA. I don’t kow, but it just seems to me the there is too much introspection and not enough action…
Funny, seems there’s a split in Universal-land, those who prefer the more straightforward horrors and those who like the campier ones. (Put me with the latter!) I really need to watch Frankenstein again though; I watched Dracula the other night and it made me realize I hadn’t seen the other ’31 icon in a couple years. Which isn’t very long (heck, there are favorites I haven’t seen for 10 years!) but since I’m watching/re-watching all the others right now, and just had your piece getting the wheels cranking again, it might be time again.
There is definitely a perverse kinship between this film and THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, both of which have both James Whale and Ernest Thesiger on board. And it’s as decadent and as satiric a horror film as has ever been made, but with the characters suffering from a delectable blend of various neuroses and psychoses. It significant of course that the ‘horrors’ in the film are not of the supernatural variety and arise from the madnesses inherent in the Femm household. The film is not as remotely stagy as it may well have been, considering the year it was made, and much must be said for Arthur Edeson’s superb cinematography, particularly the lighting of the stark indoor sets and the opening look at the foreboding structure. Whale uses close-ups, and is a master of composition and editing, never so much in evidence as in this film. His timing too is pitch-perfect. Although the dialogue is campy and often hilarious, what makes it come off is this grand ensemble of distinguished thespians. Laughton’s accent is a hoot, but seems genuine, and he even is moving when he speaks about his deceased wife. Thesiger and Eva Moore are utterly magnificent, and I agree with you that unforgettable “Have a potato” sequence.
Two episodes of Boris Karloff’s THRILLER, “Parasite Mansion” and “Masquerade” are obvious homages to “The Old Dark House” in camera style, bizarre characters and dialogue.
You have done a masterful job in conveying all the character and dialogue appeal of this incomparable hybrid that stands with the best of the Universal horror classics. Your boundless enthusiasm and terrific recall hearkens for a re-viewing as Halloween looms! This is truly word economy at its absolute finest, and infectious enthusiasm for an often undervalued early classic.
Thanks Sam, that’s another thing I might like about The Black Cat & this, that the horror is more “human.” Which is ironic considering how much I love movie monsters, yet as I noted in another thread monster movies suffer whenever the monsters aren’t onscreen (which is frequent) whereas movies with human villains tend to have them around for longer stretches, and thus have less longeurs. I think that’s what it is anyway.
Good point about the close-ups. When I do the crew listings every week I have one wild card; for the past two weeks it was the makeup artist. This week it was the editor, because he and Whale craft much of the film’s punch and vigor in choosing who to focus on, and when to focus on them. Thesiger in particular benefits from judicious cutting, allowing him his priceless reactions.
I only have vague memories of this film. I saw it during a television airing of the Universal horror classics. I remember Karloff as menacing. Who can forget Thesiger and Laughton though? I appreciate the splendid resurrection.
Karloff is, almost to the point of feeling like he’s in from another movie. I mean he’s funny, but more in a laugh-at (& the laughter catches in your throat when he turns and glares at you) than a laugh-with. Though he showed in The Black Cat & others that he had a sense of humor, here he’s just the scariest aspect onscreen. It reinforced for me though what a good actor he is, and the film even opens with a disclaimer: “Karloff, the mad butler in this production, is the same Karloff who created the part of the mechanical monster in ‘Frankenstein’.We explain this to settle all disputes in advance, even though such disputes are a tribute to his great versatility.”
I also like Melvyn Douglas’ response when Karloff groans and mumbles to them through the half-open door: “Even Welsh ought not sound like that.”
I can’t possibly express how much I love Ernest Thesiger in both The Old Dark House and Bride Of Frankenstein. The man is a thespian of the highest order. Great piece here Joel about my absolute favorite Universal horror film. The staircase scene with Saul showing his true insidious nature is a wonder to behold. So many great individual moments that add up to a satisfying whole. Your last two selections for this series can’t be any better a far as I’m concerned (though I would love an examination of Dreyer’s Vampyr).
“Even Welsh ought not sound like that”
Yes, as with The Black Cat last week I feel our discussions of these movies in the Big Apple a few weeks ago definitely put me on the right foot to engage with them here. Your praise of Thesiger, in particular, really helped me to focus on him on the second viewing (I loved him the first round, but this time I really realized how truly he is the best thing in an already very good movie).
God, I need to watch Bride of Frankenstein again (I remember it as being my favorite, though it’s been a few years). I bought it on VHS about ten months ago, and still haven’t watched it – it was drowned in the deluge of movies I bought this year (I typically have a very small collection and avoid buying but damn did I give into the urge this summer). Now that I’m putting on a lot of Universal horrors maybe I’ll have my excuse. Although I think there are some musicals that might need to take first priority… (less than 24 hours to go!)
“I love the atmosphere and the performances but I just can’t get around to adoring this one like I adore stuff like FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA. I don’t know, but it just seems to me the there is too much introspection and not enough action…”
Wow!… Dennis after reading your comment I thought immediately, Of a post that I posted last year Of the 1932 film “The Old Dark House” …focusing on this film screen-captures…[after Sam Juliano sent me a copy Of this film and not so much on the characters in the film.]over there of my horror/book blog.
However, this year I have re-posted the review Of this film on a Ning that I’m a member Of, with a few more embellishment and focusing more-so, on the film characters…such as:A video clip Of Mrs.Femm and actress Gloria Stuart, links to the entire film and I also added this horror blog-spot review Of The Old Dark House and these two comments one by the author Of the review Robert Ring (Who goes on to point out too much psychology…[Your own word introspection…which translate into “self-observation and reporting of conscious inner thoughts, desires and sensations.”] and metaphors going on and not enough horror in the film “The Old Dark House…”)
…”According to the writer Robert Ring over there at Classic Horror Blog-spot…The Old Dark House is not very scary. In fact, most of its horror elements are internal, relying on a response from the characters rather than the audience.
Its success as a film lies not in evoking feelings of fear or repulsion but in examining psychological make-up through a metaphor. It may in fact be best classified as a drama, since it relies mostly on characters’ interactions with one another. More than anything, this film is well-written. One could almost teach it in an English class. If only teachers were so cool…”
…Which is alright with me because I’m more Of a fan Of horror films that gear toward “The psychological” instead Of, out right horror anyway…i.e. “The Wolf-man,” “Frankenstein,” “The Invisible Man,” “Dracula,” (starring B.Lugosi) “The Raven” starring B.Lugosi and B.Karloff etc,etc,etc…) and a commenter name Dana who submitted the comment below about the 1932 film The Old Dark House…Dana said,
“To me, the most interesting thing about watching The Old Dark House was realizing I was watching the progenitor of all the “motorists get stuck and make the mistake of going to the nearby house” movies made since. I sat there thinking “This was the forerunner of Rocky Horror Picture Show *and* Texas Chainsaw Massacre…”
[Hmmm…Unfortunately, I never thought Of this film as the progenitor Of all “motorists get stuck and make the mistake Of going to the nearby house” before…Now, that I think about it I guess that it’s…as I shrug my shoulders.]
By the way, I have watched this film once…I guess that it’s time for me to re-visit this film again.
Cont…
Who could predict the lesbian onslaught of sister Rebecca Femm (Eva Moore), pausing every now and then in her overbearing religiosity to a cop a feel from the heroine?
Hello! Joel Bocko…
As I raise my hand slowly…No! as I put my hand back down to my side…Because I would have never thought [or predicted] that in a trillion years. [Just like when Sam Juliano and Dennis tease the characters portrayed by B.Lugosi and B. Karloff respectively, in the 1939 film “Son of Frankenstein”…I don’t get it… 😕 ]…Call me naive I guess or hit me over the head with a leg Of lamb.
Maybe then I would get it, but after viewing the film “The Old Dark House” and reading writer Robert Ring’s review Of the 1932 film “The Old Dark House” I’m Of the mind-set that she [Mrs. Femm] was an over-zealous religious nut!
(who may have spoken some truth about what may happen to people if they placed an emphasize on things she deemed as unimportant in their lives. Instead Of, what she deemed as important…praying and not sinning.)
I also think that she was angry…
…with her family…Especially, her father and brothers who would tell her to go pray, but they never told her free-spirited sister Rachael to go and pray.
[Or she had pinned-up anger she wanted to get off her chest…Hence, the reason she started to attack actress G.Stuart’s character who probably, reminded her Of her sister Rachael.
[An addendum: After she finish talking about Rachael she said, “You are wicked too!” to G.Stuart’s character…Now, the question to answer is What did she mean by using the word too? ]
Do you think that the late Mrs. [Rebecca] De Winter would have killed herself? [a minute pause] No!
[A scene from Hitchcock’s Rebecca]
Do you think that she [Mrs.Femm] is a lesbian? [a minute pause] No! lol
With that being said, I’m also well aware Of the fact, that you are two [Robert Ring and yourself] very different writers looking at the film from two very different perspective.]
To watch “The Old Dark House” in its entirety just follow the links…
The Old Dark House…Part 1.
The Old Dark House…Part 2.
The Old Dark House…Part 3.
The Old Dark House…Part 4.
and
The Old Dark House…Part 5.
Joel Bocko has written for Wonders in the Dark since 2009 and manages its archive and the images on the sidebar (His work can also be found on The Dancing Image, where he is currently halfway through a video series called “32 Days of Movies.”
By the way, this feature isn’t readily available on all blogger’s blogs yet, but blogger have added six new templates that focus on images…I was thinking that you may be interesting in those templates since you have an image gallery.
deedee 🙂
I somewhat agree with you Dee Dee. I never really saw Rebecca Femm as engaging in any lesbian behavior. Her grabbing of Gloria Stuart always seemed to be primarily about emphasizing her theological positions and disdain for what she is superficially not (beautiful and young). I could see why Joel might come to his conclusion (and with Whale its a rather safe assumption to be honest) but I have never viewed her character in this way personally. As for Son Of Frankenstein, I undoubtedly agree with Sam and Dennis about the monster and Ygor. I feel like that connection is rather explicit and quite amusing in its handling.
I won’t hit you over the head with a leg of lamb Dee Dee, that would probably hurt! But I will say that the old bird does seem to use every opportunity to lay her palms on Gloria’s breasts. The second time she does so, there isn’t even any preface just a hmmm, waking past and oops! but without even the oops. You may be right, and she may be just crazy and not anything else, but either way it always makes me think of those 90s ads (the ones with the businesswoman putting her hands on her hips and saying “that’s sexual harrassment, and I don’t have to take it!”).
Interesting news about the templates. I’m cautiously satisfied with what I’m using now but I will check those out as I always like to make the visuals appealing. Thanks for the tip.
Hello! Maurizio Roca
“I could see why Joel might come to his conclusion (and with Whale its a rather safe assumption to be honest) “
I must admit that when it comes to films I just watch the films…I really don’t focus on the people behind the camera(s) (Directors, Producers, musical directors etc,etc,etc)…Therefore, I’m at a total disadvantage when you say this:“and with Whale its a rather safe assumption to be honest…”
Therefore, I have to take your word for it…until I find out more about Whale…People may not be aware Of this, but I’m not “chasing” the films or the stars that appear in the films, but what I’m “chasing” is the memorabilia connected to the films. ( I truly hate to say this, but I could careless about the films or the stars, but the memorabilia is where my eyes are constantly, focused on…“always.”
[Oh! yes, even director Alfred Hitchcock…I’m “chasing” his memorabilia too!]
As for Son Of Frankenstein, I undoubtedly agree with Sam and Dennis about the monster and Ygor. I feel like that connection is rather explicit and quite amusing in its handling.
You know…you, Sam Juliano, and Dennis maybe right about their characters…I guess that it’s just me…Because I would never thought that about both characters (The monster and Ygor…even when they both were looking out Of a window at the same time in one picture still that I captured…lol) in let say…a trillion years! lol
deedee 🙂
Hi! Joel Bocko…
I know Of which scene you speak…I still think that she was trying to reprimand G.Stuart’s character Mrs. Waverton?(Sp) and not as you say “Cop-a-feel”…lol
Now, to digress…
Oops! it is 07 templates not 06 templates like I mentioned in my previous comment.
[I don’t use blogger templates just their platform….[Well, I do use their classic not current designer templates over there at Noirish-City]
By the way, you don’t have to change your pictures in your gallery they will automatic appear in order…Believe me I’m not suggesting that you switch over and use their new templates, but most importantly, I don’t “trust” blogger.
Because their upgrading translate to asking for…“money” or payment to continue to benefit from their extras…This is just my opinion about blogger intentions, but Of course!
deedee 🙂
Hmmm, the link didn’t work (“insufficient privileges”). I like the idea of converting my picture gallery to a different template – since it’s actually a different blogsite (technically) from Dancing Image I could do so without affecting the rest of my stuff. I will check out the options, though (like you) I definitely don’t intend to pay any money for it!
Hi! Joel Bocko…
Here goes a link that give you an idea Of what to expect…when it comes to blogger dynamic templates.
Webpronews
Now when it comes to Mrs. Waverton… I think it was Boris’ mute butler who was trying to cop-a-feel! lol! What a lecherous butler!
deedee 🙂
I will check it out, because I like this idea at least for my gallery (not for my blog) I think it would maybe even get people to revisit, since there’d be more impetus to explore. Hopefully these templates are free though.
And yes, Boris is definitely trying to cop something. Maybe he’s only trying to communicate his desire for another drink though, and the poor dumb fool is just misunderstood?
Hello! Joel…
Oh! no, I was thinking more Of your picture gallery blog than your blog “The Dancing Image,” but if you do decide to utilize Blogger’s product I would proceed “cautiously.”…
Because you don’t want to be surprised if they pull (what I call a Ning)
Ning allowed their users to build up a following and Whammo! they “slapped” their customers with a “sticker” price that caused several Ning(s) users to fold up their tents and go home…And yes, Boris is definitely trying to cop something. Maybe he’s only trying to communicate his desire for another drink though, and the poor dumb fool is just misunderstood?
(Laughter!)
[Note: Joel, right now, the templates are free for bloggers to use, but I’m not sure for how long.]
deedee 🙂