From J.B. Priestley's book about a small group of people on a mountain drive who become stranded by a storm and take refuge in an eerie mansion inhabited by a very peculiar family. Predictably creaky thriller from 1932, although not quite as dated as one might suspect; the cast (including Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton, Gloria Stuart, Raymond Massey, and Melvyn Douglas--all looking so young!) certainly makes it interesting, and there are several welcomed bits of tongue-in-cheek humor. Maybe worthwhile if you come across a print that isn't ravaged by time. Directed by the now-legendary James Whale, a drawing card all on its own. Later remade in 1963. ** from ****
Review of The Old Dark House
