Movie Review: Old Dark House, The (1932)

Over the years, a certain phenomenon has come about. This is when movies that fared poorly in their initial release comes to have a fanatical following on TV as well on DVD/VHS. These movies have become known as "cult movies." Most of these movies have quite a bit of good stuff and are appreciably different from the usual Hollywood fare, so you can at least understand why they have gained their fanatical fandom. However, there are some cult movies that seem like nothing more than drivel so much so that you cannot help but wonder just what the fuss is all about. One such movie is the 1932 alleged horror flick The Old Dark House.

Back during the 1920's & 1930's, one popular form of horror was what might be called the Dark House flick. These were movies in which the action was confined to an old dark house. During the Silent Film Era, this subgenre included The Bat, The Cat and the Canary, The Gorilla and The Last Warning. After the advent of the Sound Era, these silent horror films were remade with the 1939 remake of The Gorilla being the last of the run of this subgenre. This was a sad development given the overall quality of the movies in the subgenre.

One of the most overrated entries in this subgenre was the 1932 flick The The Old Dark House. It features a standard plot of travelers getting lost in a dark stormy night and stopping in at an old dark house and getting lodging there. Eventually, they discover that their hosts are creepy, weird and eccentric.

Just how creepy, weird and eccentric are these folks? One of them is a guy whose favorite line at dinner time is "have a potato." Ooh, scary. The Old Dark House has a rudimentary plot at best and suffers from a poorly selected ensemble cast. It lacks the substance to make it a good film.

Despite the existence of a cult surrounding this movie, The The Old Dark House is difficult to find at video stores and is at a price much higher than for other horror flicks from the same era. This is a sign that the typical movie fan is quite a bit smarter than the cultists of The Old Dark House.

There are several good elements in The Old Dark House. These include the dark and creepy atmosphere and the music. The acting and direction are also quite good. However, the story is poorly thought out and lacks any real substance. Not much in this movie makes any sense. This movie shows promise at the outset, but ultimately fails to payoff at the end. As such, The Old Dark House is a flick that you may find satisfactory as a rental to view at midnight, but its doubtful if you will wind up wanting to either buy it or watch it a second time around.