Purely Joyful Movie!

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Most people haven't heard of this film. The fact that The Old Dark House didn't feature an iconic Universal Monster nor, for that matter, any supernatural elements at all, has unfairly kept it from being as widely celebrated as it should. But, directed with a gleefully wicked eye by James Whale, this film is a true dark classic.The cast alone makes this movie worth watching. Seeing a strong screen presence such as Raymond Massey repeatedly upstaged is a delight. Charles Laughton bellows and blusters throughout as a likable lout before delivering the film's most poignant and sensitive scene. Eva Moore, as the unpleasant Rebecca Femm is positively detestable. The Mistress of the titular house, Miss Femm, is a parsimonious, judgmental old shrew who may or may not have murdered her own sister. Throw in the always hilarious Ernest Thesiger, a perfectly menacing Boris Karloff and a dashing young Melvyn Douglas and the results are delightful. The story itself is delicious with bawdy hints of murder, lust, incest, and madness. By the end of the film, many of the secrets of the twisted Femm family remain occulted and the surviving cast seems happy to leave things that way. On top of this, a lighthearted love story runs blithely alongside the atmospheric elements of horror and integrates itself flawlessly. Steeped with his trademark humor, blasphemy and irreverence, this is a true James Whale classic. I recommend it for all aficionados of classic horror. I intend to purchase it immediately so I can watch it again and again.

"The Old Dark House" is one of those films that remains a classic with each viewing.The cast,direction, script and photography are exceptional.There are many amusing moments along the way and in typical James Whale fashion.With actors like Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton, Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, Ernest Thesiger and others, you couldn't ask for a more heavyweight cast. Boris Karloff said he was a bit disappointed that his role as the mute Butler, Morgan, didn't stretch him as an actor. I can understand why but it wouldn't be a "Universal" film without him.Strictly speaking, this isn't a Haunted House movie but I understand James Whale was influenced by silent films like "The Cat and the Canary" and "The Last Warning" (which is lost).Gloria Stuart stated years later how James Whale was the consummate professional who oversaw every aspect of the production. It certainly shows in the final results.

When describing films that are overly saturated with elements of a certain theme, the phase "X for X's sake" is often used. 'Gore for gore's sake' or 'Violence for violence's sake', you get the idea. I am tempted to use the phase "Creepy for Creepy's sake" when describing the film, although I don't mean it in a negative way. The Old Dark House doesn't grab you by the head and smash your face down inside a pie of creepiness. Rather the creepiness is all around you from beginning to end, though it may not always be subtle.It is a simple story – a violent storm forces two sets of travelers to seek shelter at and old, dark house. The inhabitants of the house are quite strange, as would be expected. There are several subplots that arise, and some of these are awkward. But never mind, the purpose of the film is not to tell a thought-provoking story with a compelling plot. Instead, it is to revel in the art of the uncanny. It succeeds in its goal with dark and chilling atmospheres, crafty camera-work, and its effective use of shadows. Some of the characters are humorously unsettling, even by today's standards. I would like to go more in depth and describing some of them, but that would require me to tread too far into the forest of spoilers and I don't want to do that. Oh and there's the screeching of the wind! Gotta love that! Read more of my review at my blog, which is found in my profile

Two groups of travellers driving through a storm in remote countryside are forced to seek shelter in an old house, where they find some strange hospitality - until a dark secret is revealed.Feel good chiller with plenty of charm and idiosyncrasy. The location is a rambling mansion with plenty of dark nooks and crannies, and a flight of primitive steps at the front door that the actors had some difficulty negotiating. As usual, characters split up and wander off in defiance of common sense, and their piercing screams fail to reach the ears of their fellow travellers, in defiance of the laws of physics.The performances are uneven, but the stand outs are the three ladies who present very different characters – oh, and there's a fourth lady, unaccountably in drag. The director was having fun. Of the men, one character is poorly written, so there's not much the actor could do – but otherwise the performances are entertaining, although the cackling laughter can't make up for the underwhelming nature of the reveal. A daft story, not to be taken seriously, and the plot jumps about as we move from one part of the house to the other, ending in a sappy climax.Overall, not really a horror – more an entertaining oddity.