The Old Dark House ( Jeff Garlin Surprise film)

Directed by ….James Whale

Writing Credits “.J.B. Priestley … (from the novel by) (as J.B. Priestly)
Benn W. Levy … (screen play)

Runtime….  72 min   Black and White
Aspect Ratio 1.37 : 1
Film Length (9 reels) Negative Format 35mm

cast:

Boris Karloff … Morgan
Melvyn Douglas … Penderel
Charles Laughton … Sir William Porterhouse
Lilian Bond … Gladys (as Lillian Bond)

Ernest Thesiger …Horace Femm
Eva Moore …Rebecca Femm
Raymond Massey …Philip Waverton
Gloria Stuart …Margaret Waverton
Elspeth Dudgeon …Sir Roderick Femm (as John Dudgeon)
Brember Wills …Saul Femm

Minutes into the film, I found myself obsessing over one question- how many times must Richard O’Brian have watched this film before whiting The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The premiss is stock 30’s horror, a car, lost on a dark road, in a storm, gets stuck in the mud and forces the young people inside to take refuge in an old mansion. As you would expect their knock on the door is answered by a strange man that leaves no doubt that evil awaits.

The film is camp at its best, though I’m quite sure my assessment is a product of the multitude of later movies I’ve seen that have borrowed (Stole) from it over the past 80 years.

Again it was presented by a comical, yet respectful introduction by Jeff Garlin.