Last time, we talked baseball movies and 1980’s teen films. This time, I’d like to talk about one of the oldest film genres ( or sub-genres) at least since the sound era: Old Dark House movies. One of my favorite types of movie. I love movies and have a particular affection for the 1930’s through 1945. Anything really, from the Universal Horror films to screwball comedies to the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films to the Thin Man films. The Old Dark House genre was a staple of that era and between traditional old dark house films and variations on the theme, there’s almost too many to count.
What are the elements of an Old Dark House film? Thanks for asking. My belief is that the ingredients are quite simple:
1) People get stuck at a house;
2) That house is isolated;
3) Craziness ensues;
4) A tongue-in-check style;
5) A never-ending loop of thunder and lightning sound effects.
The classic set-up is a group of travelers must take shelter at an out-of-the-way mansion owned by some creepy old guy who has an oddball family and oddball servants. The usual culprit is the weather: The road is out, the bridge knocked down and, as Boris Karloff said to Bela Lugosi in The Black Cat, “Even the phone is dead.”
Or, perhaps, the reading of a will, which assembles an assortment of unlikeable family members to hear the will of their equally unlikeable relative.
An ODH film does not involve the supernatural. Even when such is hinted at, the culprit ends up being a mortal, not unlike Scooby Doo (classic Doo, at least).
These films were immensely popular with audiences of the day. The Poverty Row studios cranked them out like candy because they were easy and cheap to produce. All you needed were a few sets, storm sound effects and a cast. The plots were so formulaic that they almost wrote themselves. What elevated a good Old Dark House film from run-of-the-mill dreck was the acting, witty dialogue and a likeable protagonist(s) (often a young couple).
The genre is not high art. It doesn’t tackle timeless questions and themes. It does not win awards. It is, however, highly entertaining and fun. Also, safe to watch with the kids.
The genre has been quite influential. Movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre owes a lot to the genre as does the aforementioned Scooby Doo. Perhaps the genre even influenced one of Agatha Christie’s best known works, 1939’s And Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians). Rene Claire’s 1945 movie may be the quintessential ODH film for many people.
Despite many of the films having low production value, or B-list actors and predictable plots, the best of them have a certain indefinable charm that makes them easily watchable. We in the northeast are due for a storm this weekend, Saturday into Sunday (thank god it’s a long weekend), and I can think of nothing better than to hunker down, throw a log in the fireplace, turn off the lights and enjoy a few of these flicks from over half a century ago. If you like this sort of thing, admittedly it can be an acquired taste, give them a try. You’ll have a good time.
The Old Dark House (1932):
Probably good to begin with the film that gave the genre its name. The Old Dark House was a 1932 Universal production directed by Englishman James Whale (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Show Boat). Not the first old dark house film but the first by a major studio in the
sound era.
You have your classic set-up here: It is a dark and stormy night (as Mr. Bulwer-Lytton would say) and three people traveling through the Welsh countryside stop to take shelter at the Femm residence...wait for it...an old, dark, isolated house. The Femm family, in dire need of therapy, take them in. Rebecca Femm describes her family as “sinful and godless.” Indeed. Later, others also arrive for shelter.
There is a drunk, lecherous butler, a pyromaniac and an aged family patriarch locked away somewhere in the house. Storm effects rage for the entire film until sunrise.
Director James Whale was an excellent director. Compare his Frankenstein to Browning’s Dracula (both 1931) and you’ll note that Whale understood that the sound era and new technology meant that film could be far less static than it had been before many other directors learned the lesson. Although not impressive to the modern viewer, there are tracking shots in Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein that were almost revolutionary. Whale also, when given a free hand, inserted dark comedy into his films. The Old Dark House is no exception. It should be watched as a dark comedy rather than a horror movie. As one critic observed, Whale seems to create a genre and spoof the genre all in the same movie.
The cast is impressive. Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stewart (old Rose from Titanic), Charles Laughton, Raymond Massey and Ernest Thesiger. Run time is a whopping 1:11.
The Old Dark House was considered a lost film. It was rediscovered in the Universal vault in the 1960’s and a new negative was developed from a poor print. Unlike the other Universal classics, it was not seen on television until 1996. The film did poorly in the United States but was a huge success in Britain.
William Castle did an almost unwatchable remake in 1963.
One Body Too Many (1944):
A Paramount B unit film that has no right to be as good as it is. In 1944, Paramount’s B unit was run by William Pine and William Thomas. The two were known as ‘The Dollar Bills’ because their economically produced B films always turned a profit.
Here, we have an insurance salesman who is trying to sell a life insurance policy to a millionaire.
When he arrives at the estate, the millionaire is dead and his heirs have gathered. The terms of the will are eccentric and pit the heirs against one another. The salesman is mistaken for a detective and stays because he develops a crush on one of the heirs. This one is billed, and rightly so, as a comedy/mystery.
The film stars Jack Haley, Jean Parker and Bela Lugosi, turning in a wonderfully comedic performance as the butler.
One Body Too Many is now in the public domain and can seen on YouTube. Run time is 1:15.
A charming little film.
The Black Cat (1941):
Essentially the same film as One Body Too Many. This time, two antique dealers head to the mansion of a dying matriarch, in the hopes of wrangling some deals out of the heirs. The heirs have also gathered to await the death of said matriarch. Except, she won’t die. So, as you would expect, her demise is hastened by one of the heirs. The antique dealers, with some help, sleuth around to find the culprit. I believe another romance develops as well.
To be honest, I haven’t seen The Black Cat or One Body Too Many for about two years. The plots and scenes may have merged in my memory but its all there, murder, secret passages, red herrings, all delivered in tongue-in-cheek manner.
The Black Cat, a Universal production, is a notch above One Body Too Many in terms of production value. It is another fun, charming picture. It starred Basil Rathbone, Broderick Crawford, Anne Gwynne (actor Chris Pine’s mother) and, of course, Bela Lugosi. Running time is 1:10.
This, of course, is a second Black Cat movie for Lugosi. The first, was Universal’s 1934, Black Cat, starring Lugosi and Karloff. The ‘41 Black Cat is not a remake and the ‘34 film is not a light, fun little piece.
Hold That Ghost (1941):
I sometimes like to divide people into two mutually exclusive groups based on preferences. For instance, Star Wars or Star Trek or Munsters or Addams Family. Obviously, one can like both. However, I hold to the silly belief that if you have the right pairings in enough areas you could figure out a persons personality based on their entertainment selections. For instance, Abbott & Costello or Three Stooges? If you lean towards A&C, like me, you’ll like this entry.
A NYC mobster inserts an idiosyncratic clause in his will: his heirs will be anyone who is present when he dies. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are two gas station attendants that, through their typical misadventures, are present when the mobster dies. The mobster was also known to have stashed a large amount of cash somewhere, that remains unaccounted for. Bud and Lou inherit an old, upstate, tavern. They take a bus to see the place, accompanied by the mobster’s associate and some strangers on other business.
It becomes a dark and stormy night as per usual. They stop at the inn, people get off to stretch their legs, and the bus driver abandons them. The group hunkers down for the night and mysterious happening occur. Scooby Doo probably recycled this bare-bones plot fifty times.
This is another Universal offering from 1941. The film was very successful at release and is considered one of the duo’s best outings. Also starring a bunch of Universal platers like Richard Carlson (Creature from the Black Lagoon), Joan Davis and Evelyn Ankers (The Wolfman). The Andrew Sisters have a cameo and Shemp Howard also appears.
There are many other films in this genre, most from the 1932-1945 era. Most are Poverty Row productions. Many are now in the public domain and can be found on YouTube. A search for ‘old dark house movies’ should hit on ten or fifteen of them. The transfer quality is always an issue
One honorable mention, and a good example of what poverty row was doing with this genre, is 1934’s The Ghost Walks, from Invincible Pictures. It’s a mystery farce taking place on ...a dark and rainy night. It is a notch below the films mentioned above but, if you like this kind of thing, you’ll like the movie. Filming began in early November, 1934 and the film was released on December 1, 1934.
Paramount’s 1939 The Cat and the Canary, starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard, is another classic of the genre.
If you have a favorite, let me know.