The Old Dark House (1963 film)
Encyclopedia
The Old Dark House is a comedy
-horror film
directed by William Castle
. It is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name
directed by James Whale
. The film was based on the novel by J. B. Priestley
originally published under the name Benighted, and the new screenplay was written by Robert Dillon
. It premiered on 30 October 1963 in the USA and on 16 September 1966 in the UK.
Each of the relatives is required to return to the dilapidated mansion before midnight each evening or forfeit his share of the family fortune. During the night, one of the Femm family dies every hour. First Agatha Femm, Casper's mother, is discovered with her knitting needles stuck in her throat. Casper's twin brother, Jasper, is the next victim, followed by Roderick, the head of the family.
Tom stumbles upon the fact that the killer is a woman, and he accuses Morgana, but Cecily confesses, explaining that she wanted the entire family estate. Cecily runs from the house, and Tom discovers that she has placed time bombs in all of the clocks in the house. Racing against time, he frantically defuses each of the bombs. With moments to spare, he hurls the last bomb out of the window, and it explodes at Cecily's feet.
for the first time by Sony Pictures.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
-horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by William Castle
William Castle
William Castle was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Castle was known for directing films with many gimmicks which were ambitiously promoted, despite being reasonably low budget B-movies....
. It is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name
The Old Dark House
The Old Dark House is an American comedy horror film directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff, produced just one year after their success with Frankenstein, also released by Universal Studios.-Background:...
directed by James Whale
James Whale
James Whale was an English film director, theatre director and actor. He is best remembered for his work in the horror film genre, having directed such classics as Frankenstein , The Old Dark House , The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein...
. The film was based on the novel by J. B. Priestley
J. B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley, OM , known as J. B. Priestley, was an English novelist, playwright and broadcaster. He published 26 novels, notably The Good Companions , as well as numerous dramas such as An Inspector Calls...
originally published under the name Benighted, and the new screenplay was written by Robert Dillon
Robert Dillon
Robert Dillon is a screenwriter and film producer. In 1976 he was nominated by the Writers Guild of America for Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen for French Connection II. In 2001 he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay for Waking the Dead...
. It premiered on 30 October 1963 in the USA and on 16 September 1966 in the UK.
Cast
- Tom PostonTom PostonThomas Gordon "Tom" Poston was an American television and film actor. He starred on television in a career that began in 1950...
as Tom Penderel - Robert MorleyRobert MorleyRobert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE was an English actor who, often in supporting roles, was usually cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment...
as Roderick Femm - Janette ScottJanette ScottThora Janette Scott is an English actress. She was born in Morecambe, England. She is the daughter of actors Jimmy Scott and Thora Hird. She started her acting career as a child actress, known as Janette Scott, and became a popular leading lady...
as Cecily Femm - Joyce GrenfellJoyce GrenfellJoyce Irene Grenfell, OBE was an English actress, comedienne, diseuse and singer-songwriter.-Early life:...
as Agatha Femm - Mervyn JohnsMervyn JohnsMervyn Johns was a Welsh film and television character actor. He was a mainstay of Ealing Studios.Among his dozens of film roles were Walter Craig in Dead of Night , the Church Warden in Went the Day Well? and Bob Cratchit in Scrooge...
as Petiphar Femm - Fenella FieldingFenella FieldingFenella Fielding — "England's first lady of the double entendre" — is an English actress, popular in the 1950s and 1960s. She is known for her seductive image and distinctively husky voice.-Family:...
as Morgana Femm - Peter BullPeter BullPeter Cecil Bull, DSC was a British character actor.- Biography :He was the fourth and youngest son of Hammersmith MP Sir William James Bull, 1st Bt..Bull was educated at Winchester College...
as Caspar/Jasper Femm - Danny GreenDanny Green (actor)Danny Green was an English character actor, best known for his role as the slow-witted ex-boxer "One-Round" Lawson in The Ladykillers.He worked in film, television and on the stage.-Filmography:...
as Morgan Femm - John HarveyJohn Harvey-People:*John Harvey , English stage and film actor*John Harvey , American actor*John Harvey , Retired National Football League running back...
as Club Receptionist - Amy DalbyAmy DalbyAmy Mary Dalby was a British actress.-Selected filmography:* On the Night of the Fire * Quiet Wedding * The Night Has Eyes * The Gentle Sex...
as Gambler (uncredited)
Plot synopsis
Tom Penderel, an American car salesman in London, delivers a car to an old mansion in Dartmoor and discovers that his eccentric client, Casper Femm, is dead. The car crashes in a raging storm, and Tom is invited to stay at the house by members of Casper's family, including his nieces, the demure young Cecily and the seductive Morgana, and his Uncle Potiphar, who has been building an ark in anticipation of another great flood.Each of the relatives is required to return to the dilapidated mansion before midnight each evening or forfeit his share of the family fortune. During the night, one of the Femm family dies every hour. First Agatha Femm, Casper's mother, is discovered with her knitting needles stuck in her throat. Casper's twin brother, Jasper, is the next victim, followed by Roderick, the head of the family.
Tom stumbles upon the fact that the killer is a woman, and he accuses Morgana, but Cecily confesses, explaining that she wanted the entire family estate. Cecily runs from the house, and Tom discovers that she has placed time bombs in all of the clocks in the house. Racing against time, he frantically defuses each of the bombs. With moments to spare, he hurls the last bomb out of the window, and it explodes at Cecily's feet.
DVD release
On October 20, 2009, The Old Dark House was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
for the first time by Sony Pictures.