While driving in a stormy night on a lonely road in the countryside, Philip Waverton (Raymond Massey), his wife Margaret (Gloria Stuart), and Roger Penderel (Melvyn Douglas) seek shelter at a creepy old house. Horace (Ernest Thesiger) and his sister Rebecca Femm (Eva Moore) are reluctant but receive the travelers and warn that the butler Morgan (Boris Karloff) is a dangerous man when he drinks. When they have dinner, a man called Sir William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton) arrives in the house with his girlfriend Gladys DuCane (Lilian Bond) seeking shelter. Out of the blue, the light goes out and they split to get candles and lamps, while Roger and Gladys go to the car to get a bottle of whiskey. While they drink and talk together, the drunken Morgan attacks Margaret and Philip along a most unusual and bizarre night.
The Pre-Code "The Old Dark House" is a comedy horror film ahead of time in the style of "Haunted Honeymoon", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" or "Young Frankenstein". There are funny (and also silly) moments and Roger falling in love and proposing the gold-digger Gladys is too naive. But the scenes in the car with the heavy storm are impressive. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Casa Sinistra" ("The Sinister House")
The Pre-Code "The Old Dark House" is a comedy horror film ahead of time in the style of "Haunted Honeymoon", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" or "Young Frankenstein". There are funny (and also silly) moments and Roger falling in love and proposing the gold-digger Gladys is too naive. But the scenes in the car with the heavy storm are impressive. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Casa Sinistra" ("The Sinister House")