The Black Room (1935)

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Henry Myers (screenplay)
Arthur Strawn (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 July 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror

Tagline:

Embraced by the Devil! Monster . . . his kiss the password to oblivion!

Plot:

Ignoring an ancient prophecy, evil brother Gregor seeks to maintain his feudal power on his his Tyrolean estate by murdering and impersonating his benevolent younger twin.

Plot Keywords:

Prophecy | Castle | Twins | Impersonation | Servant

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Baron Gregor de Berghman / Anton de Berghman
Marian Marsh	...	Thea Hassel
Robert Allen	...	Lt. Albert Lussan
Thurston Hall	...	Col. Paul Hassel
Katherine DeMille	...	Mashka
John Buckler	...	Beran - the gypsy
Henry Kolker	...	Baron de Berghman
Colin Tapley	...	Paul Hassel as a young lieutenant
Torben Meyer	...	Peter, the majordomo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Enrique Acosta	...	Judge (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

The Black Room Mystery (UK)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Present extant version, as presented on Turner Classic Movies, bears title and end credits redesigned for the 1955 wide screen re-release.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the climax, the hero's large, short-haired dog dashes down to the village. It is obviously male. After alerting the villagers and foiling the villain, "he" runs back up to the castle, only "he" is obviously female on the trip back.

Quotes:

Mashka: Don't you want to kiss me?
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: [Cutting a juicy pear with his knife and eating it as he talks] A pear is the best fruit!
Mashka: Every time you see her, you want to be rid of me.
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: [Seemingly ignoring her] Lots of juice in a pear!
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: Well, you'll find out I'll not be got rid of so easily! Do you hear what I say?
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: Adam should've chosen a pear.
Mashka: You've got it all planned, haven't you? You're gonna marry her. You're gonna make her your wife, your baroness!
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: I like the feel of a pear! And when you're through with it...
[He carelessly tosses it across the room]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Spooks Run Wild (1941)

"The Black Room": Creepy Karloff - Marvelous Marsh!

This well-known 1935 Boris Karloff thriller, "The Black Room", is simply one of Boris Karloff's greatest films of the 1930's. The chance to see Karloff in a dual role in this movie is a treat in itself. He plays twins: one good and the other evil. Needless to say, Karloff is effectively creepy as the latter. Lovely Marian Marsh, who was menaced by John Barrymore in "Svengali" (1931), is a picture pretty heroine. She adds a marvelous touch of glamor and sincerity to her role. It's so nice to see that this film has finally been put onto DVD. The print used in the transfer is indeed as pristine a print as possible. Well-worth adding to your DVD collection!