The Film (5/5)

During an extreme rain storm, The Wavertons (Raymond Massey and Gloria Stuart) and their friend Roger (Melvyn Douglas) get cut off from the main road, and try to take shelter in a spooky house. They soon discover it’s the home to the eccentric Flemm Family lead by Horace (Ernest Thesiger), with their alcoholic butler Morgan (Boris Karloff). And nothing is quite as it seems in the old dark house.

THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932) was the second horror film directed by James Whale for Universal. After directing the iconic FRANKENSTIEN (1931), Whale became known as one of the most stylish talents in Hollywood. While he directed many films, he is best known for his horror films, With the other better-known ones being BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and THE INIVISIBLE MAN. The one that was mostly left out was THE OLD DARK HOUSE.

Based on the 1927 novel, Benighted by J. B. Priestley, OLD works as both a straight forward horror tale, and as a subversive comedy. In tone the film makes light of other spooky horror classics such as CAT AND THE CANTRY. It also started many clichés of the genre that we see today from Scooby Doo to THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.  With Whale at the helm he takes every chance to poke fun at the situation and uses the genre to sneak in more messages.

On a visual level, it’s one of Universal’s most underrated early horror films. Every scene is dripping with atmosphere and dread. From the thunder, candlelight, lighting, and the nonstop rain fall.  The shots of the hallways being glazed over in rain and sudden light is one of the stand outs. It’s almost hard to describe, but truly the movie works better if you go in completely surprised. There’s many great thrills to be had.

Audio/Video (5/5)

OLD DARK HOUSE comes with an LPCM 2.0 English Mono track. There’s some minor Hiss from the age of the film, but overall the sound mix is above average. The score and mood effects have aged well, and the dialogue is easy to understand. English subtitles are included.

Now where this release truly stands out is in the video department. Coming from a new 4k Restoration, OLD looks stunning in this 1080p HD transfer. The greys and whites are well balanced. The black levels are sharp, and the focus is tight. Finally, you can see a wider depth of field and there’s barely any print damage, which is impressive from a film made in the early 1930’s.

Extras (4/5)

We get two different audio commentaries. First up is a track with actress Gloria Stuart. She is soft spoken and a pleasure to listen to. The second track is with James Curtis, who is almost James Whale biographer. His track is a little drier and slow, with wide gaps of silence. But he brings a lot of info and trivia to the track. So, it’s a toss-up.  Next up is a new interview with Boris Karloff’s daughter, Sara. She covers a wide range of her father’s career and even brings up her insight into some of the movies. The next interview is with director Curtis Harrington and his involvement with saving OLD DARK HOUSE from being lost. Also included is the new re-release trailer. In the package itself is includes a booklet with production stills and another interview with Harrington, this time given by David Del Valle.

Overall (5/5)

THE OLD DARK HOUSE is one of the most impressive early horror films, with its influence connecting in strange ways to the rest of the genre since. With this release from Cohen, the film finally shines in all its spooky glory. If you’re a horror fan this Blu-ray is a no brainer. Highly recommended.