The Old Dark House

Play trailer

1:57

The Old Dark House

1932

1h 11m

Horror

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

30 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Driving through a brutal thunderstorm in Wales, three travelers take refuge in an eerie house owned by the Femm family. Reluctantly admitted by Horace Femm (Ernest Thesiger), the three sit down to a strange dinner. Horace is neurotic; mute butler Morgan (Boris Karloff) is an alcoholic; and Horace's sister, Rebecca (Eva Moore), raves about chastity. When the storm brings in an industrialist and chorus girl Gladys DuCane Perkins (Lilian Bond), Morgan's lust and Rebecca's ire are ignited.

Critics Consensus

A deft blend of well-chosen ingredients, The Old Dark House is a delightfully scary horror comedy that benefits from James Whale's suspenseful direction.

Read Critics Reviews

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

04/27/2018

5/5

Spanking digital restoration of James Whale's funniest, most subversive horror film.

Go to Full Review

David Jenkins

Little White Lies

04/27/2018

4/5

A chilling romp - expertly orchestrated scares with a humorous camp undertow.

Go to Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

04/27/2018

4/5

It is performed with tremendous gusto and theatrical dash.

Go to Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

11/23/2022

A

James Whale’s wry send-up of the popular horror plays of the time actually has moments that put today’s so-called horror films to shame.

Go to Full Review

Nadine Smith

them.

10/26/2022

The Old Dark House is much more explicit than horror films in the years to follow, dripping with provocations and innuendos, with a daring sensibility befitting a director whose own personal life flew in the face of convention.

Go to Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

10/30/2021

Whale combines marvelous stylistic flourishes and witty drawing room dialogue with campy indulgence, creating a film both macabre and sardonic.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jess

10/31/2023

Excellent film! Spooky old house on a dark and stormy night, filled with an assortment of colorful and creepy characters. Perfect blend of genuine chills and dashes of humor.

See more

Teddy B

@RT90521672 Jan 30

What a misery it would have been were this film lost forever! James Whale's homoerotic subtext, campy flair, suspenseful and masterful direction, as well as the exhilirating array of performances and, as always with Whale, the breathtakingly Gothic set-pieces, make-up and lighting make 'The Old Dark House' an underrated masterpiece sorely deserving of a place among the 'Universal Horror' classics catalog.

See more

Mike W

@MikeW269 Oct 13

Almost 100 years after it's making, this movie continues to entertain the audience.

See more

Ze K.

@Ze123 Sep 8

Very moody, good performances from the cast.

See more

Oui L

@RT59273892 Aug 25

Fantastic movie! Alot of horror and humor! Really liked it!

See more

Bruce M

@BruceMc Jul 11

Surprisingly enjoyable. Good acting, adequate script, excellent direction. Third act was very weak, however.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

James Whale

Director

Boris Karloff

Morgan

Melvyn Douglas

Penderel

Charles Laughton

Sir William Porterhouse

Gloria Stuart

Margaret Waverton

Lilian Bond

Gladys

Murders in the Rue Morgue

79%

47%

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Watchlist

The People Under the Stairs

67%

61%

The People Under the Stairs

Watchlist

Tremors

89%

76%

Tremors

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Tremors

Dracula

96%

82%

Dracula

Watchlist

The Mummy

89%

71%

The Mummy

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Joe Dante’s Five Favorite Horror Films

The Old Dark House: Re-Release Trailer 1

1:57

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Driving through a brutal thunderstorm in Wales, three travelers take refuge in an eerie house owned by the Femm family. Reluctantly admitted by Horace Femm (Ernest Thesiger), the three sit down to a strange dinner. Horace is neurotic; mute butler Morgan (Boris Karloff) is an alcoholic; and Horace's sister, Rebecca (Eva Moore), raves about chastity. When the storm brings in an industrialist and chorus girl Gladys DuCane Perkins (Lilian Bond), Morgan's lust and Rebecca's ire are ignited.

Director: James Whale
Producer: Carl Laemmle Jr.
Screenwriter: Benn W. Levy
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 1932, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 2017
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 24, 2017
Runtime: 1h 11m

Most Popular at Home Now