Double Door (1934)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writers:

Jack Cunningham (writer)
Gladys Lehman (writer)

Release Date:

4 May 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

In a spooky New York City mansion, a wealthy but mean old woman threatens to return her sister to the...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

Evelyn Venable	...	Anne Darrow
Mary Morris	...	Victoria Van Brett
Anne Revere	...	Caroline Van Brett
Kent Taylor	...	Rip Van Brett
Guy Standing	...	Mortimer Neff
Colin Tapley	...	Dr. John Lucas
Virginia Howell	...	Avery
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Mr. Chase
Frank Dawson	...	Telson
Helen Shipman	...	Louise
Leonard Carey	...	William
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Burr Caruth	...	Rev. Dr. Loring
Ralph Remley	...	Lambert

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

They had me at the opening credits...

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

After the Paramount logo, we see the title appear in ordinary white text on glass, followed by credits for cast and crew. Through the glass, behind the text, we see a heavy set of doors. Then an enormous face appears between the credits and the doors, drifting forward. It is the stern face of a bitter old woman; a crazy and arrogant witch of a face. Then suddenly the image presses against the text and the glass shatters!!! That's right, the old woman has a look so hard, a face so tough, that it shatters glass!!! With acting and dialogue that film festivals live for, this near-campy drama of psychological manipulation and domination pushes the limits of pre-code thrillers.

Inspired by the eccentric, reclusive Wendel family of New York's Fifth Avenue, Elizabeth MacFadden's stage melodrama, Double Door, was adapted for the screen in 1934. Set in 1910 Manhattan, the film stars Mary Morris and Anne Revere, repeating their stage roles as the domineering, calculating Victoria Van Brett and her weakling sister Caroline.

SPOILERS: The title refers to the door guarding the Van Brett's secret vault, wherein are stored the family jewels. Years earlier, Victoria, the only member of the family who knows the vault's combination, locked Caroline in the dark, airless chamber, literally frightening her into madness. At present, the misleadingly sweet and sour-natured Victoria has embarked upon a campaign to destroy Ann Darrow (Evelyn Venable), the new bride of her half-brother Rip Van Brett (Kent Taylor). I initially planned to just check out a few minutes of this film to see if it was any good, but could not stop watching it until the end, which will leave you breathless...