The
Old Dark House
Directed by James Whale
72 Minutes
Adapted from J. B Priestley’s novel Benighted (1927), James’s Whales The Old Dark House (1932), later remade
in 1963 by William Castle (which is not meant to be the best) is an
atmospheric, social horror. Straightforward in narrative, it is camp and funny
in dialogue. In the obvious sense the secluded house and harrowing wind comes
across like a cheesy horror flick. This doesn’t help that from 1968 the only
version available is a poor film negative. (Universal Pictures lost the film’s
rights). Adjacent to this, is its dark tones. Exploration of class and social
degenerates is very The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre (Tobe Hooper 1974), but in
the same sense, the monster here, is handled with delicacy and believability.
The
Old Dark House opens in the worst possible weather
conditions. Driving, Philip Waverton (Raymond Massey), his wife Margaret
(Gloria Stuart) and friend Roger Penderel (Melvyn Douglas) is stuck in the rainstorm.
A landslide occurs and a lit house appears. Hoping to board for the night, the
threesome leave the car and arrive at the doorstep. A mute butler (Boris
Karloff), pompous man (Ernest Thesiger) and a deaf unsociable woman (Eva Moore)
allow them to enter. This is not a cozy house though; it is regulated with rules
and ideologies. The setup becomes awkward and uncomfortable as the guests
struggle to understand the family’s behaviour. Then another knock occurs and a
new couple Sir William Porterhouse
(Charles Laughton) and Gladys DuCane (Lillian Bond) arrive. They too are
invited in.
The
Old Dark House is a tale of order and anarchy as
the five guests learn the secrets of the household and its hidden agenda.
On the surface The Old Dark House is a horror film through its atmosphere and
gothic characters. Proving he is no stranger to this, Whale who had previously
made Frankenstein (1931) uses Boris
Karloff again and reoccurring themes of destruction. With this in-depth
commentary, it could easy be classed as a documentary. Whale challenges both
sides of the spectrum but seems to soften the inner persona of the monster. In
this case, the family may look odd and have conflicting views to the others guests,
but it is these guests that harm and disrupt the household. In a similar but not so nuanced look, Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen)
and his family of cannibals are perceived as strange. They live in a ritualistic
house, removed from society. Besides the fact, the victims are a group of annoying,
middle-class teens, we still root for them to escape. The monsters however, are presented as deranged and harmful, a collective that society needs to escape from. They are never
challenged or seen as maybe the victims themselves.
The
Old Dark House resists clichés and laziness. I know this film is before the more obvious horror tropes you can witness now, but it is interesting to see a narrative that doesn't have any. For example the group stays together something that has become formulaic in the genre. Hearing, “You’ll have to come with me” rather than, 'I’ll be right back' is quite logical and goes against the one-by-one-the group- is-slayed. Since you don’t get this here, on cue timing or events leading to
suit an outcome isn't the point. The narrative is deadpan and heavy
explored giving you well-articulated characters and a narrative worth
thinking about.
The
Old Dark House is an honest and confronting look at
some of the monsters and clashes we have through our relationship with class. It may lack in quality, but charm certainly makes up
for it
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