The Old Dark House – Eureka Video (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1932
Director: James Whale
Writers: Benn W. Levy, R. C. Sherriff
Cast: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stuart, Charles Laughton, Lilian Bond, Ernest Thesiger, Eva Moore, Raymond Massey, Brember Wills, Elspeth Dudgeon

Release Date: July 28th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 72 Minutes 22 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: PG (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

“Caught in a storm whilst journeying through a remote part of Wales, a group of travelers take refuge in a sinister mansion inhabited by the bizarre Femm family and their mute butler, Morgan (played by the iconic Boris Karloff, star of Frankenstein and The Mummy). Trying to make the best of a bad situation, the group settles in for the night—but the Femm family have a few skeletons in their closet, and one of them is on the loose…” - Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation from a 4K digital restoration, presented in a new and exclusive Dolby Vision HDR (HDR 10 compatible) grade."

The Old Dark House comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 60.2 GB

Feature: 51.3 GB

This is another exemplary encode from Fidelity in Motion. The source looks excellent, free of intrusive source damage or debris. Image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. This audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (13 images), a trailer for the 2018 UK theatrical release (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Curtis Harrington titled Curtis Harrington Saves The Old Dark House (7 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a conversation with Sara Karloff titled Daughter of Frankenstein (14 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay by critic and filmmaker David Cairns titled Meet the Femms (37 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic and author Kim Newman and Stephen Jones, an audio commentary with actress Gloria Stuart, an audio commentary with James Whale biographer James Curtis, reversible cover art, an O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 28-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Very Long Night: A History of The Old Dark House written by Craig Ian Mann, an archival essay titled Shadow Play: Whale, Priestley and The Old Dark House written by Phillip Kemp, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

A group of travelers caught in a storm seek refuge in an isolated mansion inhabited by a sinister family who have a few skeletons in their closet.

James Whale is most remembered for the four horror films that he directed, despite being a versatile filmmaker. His first two horror films, Frankenstein and its sequel, Bride of Frankenstein, are widely regarded as his masterpieces. This brings us to his other two horror films, The Old Dark House and The Invisible Man. The latter film is widely considered one of the best examples of a horror film from Hollywood’s Golden Age, while The Old Dark House has been a film that has for far too long languished in obscurity.

Content-wise, The Old Dark House has all the elements that have since become synonymous with James Whale's other three horror films. The premise is well executed, and the narrative is perfectly paced, with key moments given ample time to resonate. The characters are well-defined, and the cast are excellent in their respective roles. The standout performance is Boris Karloff (Black Sabbath) in the role of Morgan, an alcoholic butler who works for the family who lives in “The Old Dark House.” Another performance of note is Brember Wills in the role of Saul Femm, the black sheep member of the family who is kept in a locked room for everyone’s safety.

When compared to James Whale's other horror films, the tone of The Old Dark House is closest to Bride of Frankenstein. This is especially evident in the way The Old Dark House successfully mixes humor and horror, notably Boris Karloff’s portrayal of Morgan, the alcoholic butler. Another area where The Old Dark House excels is its atmospheric visuals. Standout moments include the opening setup as the first group of travelers arrives at “The Old Dark House,” a scene where mirrors distort characters faces, and the finale, which provides a very satisfying conclusion to the events that have just unfolded. Ultimately, The Old Dark House is a first-rate horror film that fans of 1930s horror cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

The Old Dark House gets an exceptional release from Eureka Video; this film has never looked or sounded better on home media, and it comes with a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer