Line #26 Film/TheOldDarkHouse1932


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/OldDarkHouse1_6240.jpg]]
2
3	''The Old Dark House'' is a Franchise/UniversalHorror movie from the year 1932. It is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based]] on the 1927 novel ''Benighted'' by Creator/JBPriestley. It was directed by Creator/JamesWhale and features Creator/BorisKarloff among its cast. Both men previously contributed to the 1931 ''[[Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}} Frankenstein]]''.
4
5	In the countryside of UsefulNotes/{{Wales}}, several people are caught up in [[HostileWeather a raging storm]] and seek shelter inside an eerie mansion they come by. There they meet the [[DysfunctionalFamily dysfunctional]] Femm family and their brutish servant, Morgan. As the night continues, the troubled past of the Femm family starts to threaten our heroes, mainly in the form of the locked-up and dangerously crazy Saul.
6
7	Creator/CharlesLaughton appears in one of his first big film roles as Sir William Porterhouse. Creator/MelvynDouglas is Roger, the DeadpanSnarker in this ensemble. Creator/GloriaStuart stars as Margaret, 65 years before she appeared in ''Film/{{Titanic\|1997}}'', while Creator/RaymondMassey has an early role as her husband Philip.
8
9	In 1963, Creator/WilliamCastle directed a comedic version of Priestley's story, ''Film/{{The Old Dark House\|1963}}''.
10	----
11	!!It was a dark and stormy night, and the following tropes made themselves apparent:
12
13	* AttemptedRape: Morgan was in the process of dragging Margaret off for this before being thwarted by her husband.
14	* AxeBeforeEntering: Morgan manages to get out of the kitchen (where he was locked in by the male cast) by breaking through its door.
15	* BigFun: Subverted. When Sir William Porterhouse enters the Femm household with a lady friend of his, he is quick to laugh and make jokes. But as the night goes on, it becomes evident that he is regretful invidual [[TheLostLenore who really misses his late wife]].
16	* ChairmanOfTheBrawl: Saul attacks Roger with a chair, which is in pieces after two hits. With him out cold, he then tries to burn down the house.
17	* CompensatedDating: Gladys tells Roger that while Sir William pays her to hang out with him, Sir William "doesn't expect anything. You know what I mean by 'anything', don't you?"
18	* CrosscastRole: The actor that plays the elderly father, Sir Roderick Femm, is credited as a man named John Dudgeon but is actually played by Elspeth Dudgeon, a woman.
19	* CrustyCaretaker: Morgan, the alcoholic butler.
20	* DiedInYourArmsTonight: Morgan cradles the dying Saul in his arms.
21	* DramaticDrop: Horace drops the vase he is holding when he hears that the storm has [[ClosedCircle cut off the roads]].
22	* EverybodyLives: Debatable in Saul's case, but still highly rare for a horror film.
23	* FailsafeFailure: Morgan was brought into the servitude to stop Saul if he ever would escape. Morgan befriended him instead and is more likely to let Saul out than anything else.
24	* {{Fanservice}}: Margaret changes outfits, giving the audience a good look at her in a slip.
25	* FourthDateMarriage: Roger and Gladys agree to marry after knowing each other for a single night.
26	* ImprovisedWeapon: When his fists prove inadequate to stop Morgan, Phillip throws a lamp at him, which sends him tumbling down the stairs.
27	* InVinoVeritas: When drunk, Morgan becomes violent and dangerous to others.
28	* LaughingMad: Before Saul appears on camera, only his laughter tells about his presence.
29	* LookBehindYou: Roger attempts to trick Saul by pointing at nothing and telling him that Morgan has come to get him. Saul quickly retorts by throwing his knife at him.
30	* MadwomanInTheAttic: Saul is kept locked up in the attic due to his PyroManiac and anti-social behavior.
31	* OldDarkHouse: The TropeNamer, although the trope is older, dating back to Creator/LonChaney's ''Film/TheMonster1925'' and the stage productions of ''Theatre/TheCatAndTheCanary''.
32	* PietaPlagiarism: Morgan carries off Saul in his arms when he finds him slumped on the floor.
33	* PsychoticSmirk: A closeup on Morgan's face shows him smirking before he starts chasing Margaret around.
34	* {{Pyromaniac}}: Saul discusses his love of open flame and tries to burn the house down.
35	* RedRightHand: Morgan is a brute, and the scar on his nose can attest to that.
36	* SarcasmMode:
37	-->'''Rebecca:''' No beds, they can't have beds.
38	-->'''Horace:''' As my sister hints, I'm afraid, no beds.
39	* SexyBacklessOutfit: Margaret puts one on; it proves less than practical when fleeing from psychotic rapey butlers.
40	* StaggeredZoom: Onto Morgan's face as he's menacing Margaret.
41	* TheUnintelligible: Morgan is a dimwitted mute, who can communicate only through mumbling, growling and hand gestures.
42	* WoundedGazelleGambit: Once he gets out of his room, Saul pretends to be a victim of family plotting, and insists to Roger that he isn't mad. But once he takes hold of a knife, he starts to have problems keeping up with that story.

Context Film / TheOldDarkHouse1932