The Old Dark House backdrop
The Old Dark House poster

THE OLD DARK HOUSE

1932 US HMDB
ottobre 20, 1932

In una remota regione del Galles, cinque viaggiatori assaliti da una tempesta implacabile trovano rifugio in un'antica dimora.

Cast

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Produzione: Carl Laemmle Jr. (Producer)
Sceneggiatura: Benn W. Levy (Screenplay)
Musica: David Broekman (Original Music Composer)
Fotografia: Arthur Edeson (Director of Photography)

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Marco Castellini
Un gruppo di persone, a causa di un violento nubifragio, è costretto a rifugiarsi in una casa isolata e dall’aspetto tetro; anche gli inquilini dell’abitazione sono piuttosto strani: c’è un mastodontico e semi-deforme maggiordomo e due anziani, fratello e sorella, che sembrano aver perso il senno della ragione. Ma molti e ben più orribili sono i segreti che nasconde quella casa… Una delle prime pellicole dedicate alle “case maledette” ed anche uno dei primi horror della storia del cinema. Magistralmente diretto da James Whale ed interpretato dall’icona degli horror anni trenta Boris Karloff (che compare nelle vesti del maggiordomo) “The old dark house” è sicuramente uno dei migliori prodotti della filmografia dell’orrore di quegli anni. L’uso di luci tenui (candele o piccoli lumi) e giochi di ombre riescono a infondere suspense al film, se a ciò aggiungete una serie di personaggi misteriosi e lugubri (il terribile maggiordomo Karloff, la vecchia strega, il pazzo rinchiuso all’ultimo piano) capirete perché questo film riesce ad incutere paura ancora oggi. Da riscoprire, anche se piuttosto difficile da reperire.
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RECENSIONI DALLA COMMUNITY (2)

John Chard

John Chard

8 /10

Beware The Night.

As a violent storm rages, five travellers in a remote part of Wales take refuge at a creepy looking mansion that's home to the "odd" Femm family...

Weird, exciting and positively funny haunted house film with a top cast that's directed by one of Horror's greatest directors, James Whale. Based loosely around J.B. Priestley's novel "Benighted", the piece is further boosted by excellent camera work from Arthur Edeson and a screenplay that positively zips with memorable moments. Upon release in America the film was poorly received, yet unsurprisingly given it's British dryness, it was well liked in Britain. Even spawning an imitation in the form of The Ghoul, with both Boris Karloff and the irrepressible Ernest Thesiger again starring.

The Old Dark House got a reissue in the late 30s after the Horror genre had been reinvigorated by the likes of King Kong, but sadly it fell off the radar once the rights had reverted to Priestley. The film then appeared to be lost for many many years until Curtis Harrington (director of such TV Horror fare like Killer Bees) found a print in the archives in 1968, and thankfully got the funding to have the film restored and preserved. Thus now, and as far from perfect as the print is, the piece can be enjoyed by anyone with a bent for such a unique blend of Horror & Comedy.

You have to be prepared for its kooky nature to truly enjoy the experience, but all being well The Old Dark House will continue to garner new fans with each passing year. The supreme director and marvellous cast deserve that at least. 8/10

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

7 /10

James Whale really did put together an excellent cast for this comic horror film. On a foul night; five stranded travellers seek shelter in a creepy old Welsh manor house - occupied by the even creepier "Femm" family and their almost anthropoid servant "Morgan" (Boris Karloff). As the evening progresses, lots of drink is taken and we meet the servant's pyromaniac brother and mayhem ensues. There are super performances from Melvyn Douglas, Ernest Thesiger and Raymond Massey with Eva Moore as the horrid "Rebecca" and a fantastically over-the-top Charles Laughton as "Sir William Porterhouse". The sets are a bit on the basic side and the lighting could have done with some more wattage, but it is all eerily directed with a plenty of wit and charm - well worth a watch.

Recensioni fornite da TMDB