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The Strange Door More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 18 reviews in total |
8 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Good Old Boris and Charles, 28 September 2006
Author:
marquisdeposa from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Good Old Boris! He always said "I'll never retire...I want to go out
with greasepaint on my face and my boots on" In 1952 he was 65 years
old. Charles Laughton was 53 at the time, but looked considerably
older. Together their performances in this film make it worth the
watch.
Laughton chews the scenery a bit in places but his over the top acting
make it that much more fun.
Based on a Robert Louis Stevenson short story this 80+ minute film has
much going for it: fist fights, carriage chases, deception and
trickery, murders, and a love story thrown in for good measure.
And Good Old Boris, although shot and stabbed, manages to help save the
day just in the nick of time.
Boris was a trouper. Watching him crawl across the damp cobblestones I
was reminded that in his remaining 17 years he continued to work in
films, never complaining, and often performing in grueling weather
conditions where he always seemed to end up caught in the rain, lying
in a puddle, or dunked in a vat of water.
Watch this film for the fun of it. The plot holds together just fine
and it is an enjoyable glimpse of two veteran actors who make the most
of their roles.
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Fans of Charles Laughton are in for a treat!, 9 October 2006
Author:
weho90069 from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
While the movie publicity foregrounds Boris Karloff as the "sell" for this picture, it's actually Charles Laughton's vehicle more than Boris's (Boris is relegated to a supporting role as a wily henchman ready to slit throats for his master who is imprisoned by Laughton's diabolical Sire de Maletroit). But there's plenty to chew on even for Boris purists, as he has some choice moments here and there and eventually saves the day (oops! should I not have told you?). The film is full of splendid atmosphere, but may seem like fluff to contemporary audiences who can't fathom the "issue" importance of pretty Sally Forest being married off to a rogue against her wishes (you see, in those days people were wed for life). And still, the film is really about mood over material and -- in my humble opinion -- it succeeds beautifully as a lesser-known thriller of court intrigue and swashbuckling derring-do. Laughton is superlative as a sleazy nobleman whose personal hatred of his imprisoned brother drives him to make every attempt to dash the happiness of the niece in his charge. Supporting players are fine also, with the always lurid Michael Pate on hand as well as William Cottrell as Laugton's sadistic servants. Nothing supernatural here, necessarily, as one might hope from a movie combining the talents of Laughton and Karloff, but the Robert Louis Stevenson based-story doesn't disappoint from a romantic or melodramatic standpoint. Even Richard Stapley's somewhat fey hero (who doesn't seem remotely like the rogue Laughton believes him to be) can't sink this one. Whoever said it was dull obviously doesn't have much to work with in terms of an imagination. Pop some popcorn, curl up on the sofa late at night, and enjoy this period-piece. How often do we get to see Laughton cackling away in a dungeon (where he goes "to relax" as he puts it)...or Karloff as the hero...?
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Underraterd, 7 March 2008
Author:
bagtown2002 from Galveston Bay Area, Texas
Aside from Karloff being one of my favorite actors with his numerous character portrayals. Charles Laughton can compliment any script he was an outstanding talent. His character in The Strange Door highlights his ability for sophisticated characterization of a truly ruthless and vindictive man, it is outstanding and I am astonished by this films low marks. It gets an 8 from me and I even toyed with rating it higher. And of course there is Karloff I can't say enough about his talents. The Gothic atmosphere all the secret passageways make for a great castle adventure. I purchased this film in a Boris Karloff collection which includes The Tower of London and 4 or 5 other great Karloff films but once again Laughton is by far the great talent in this Gothic horror flick from the early 50s.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
A Strange Door isn't a Bore, 27 February 2008
Author:
Mart Sander from www.martsander.com
A very neat Hammeresque thriller with some good plot twist and moody
atmosphere.
A young rascal is escaping the mob after accidentally killing a man and
finds himself at the door of a sinister castle. The door opens and
closes after him. But very soon it seems that he has been expected at
the castle and for no other reason than to marry the lady of the house.
So was his getting there a coincident in the first place?
It's always nice to see two over-the-top actors fighting like
professional beauties for the best of the picture. In this case,
Laughton gallops away with his colours flying (in black and white). He
really acts for every dollar. Perhaps Karloff would have been a better
choice for this part, but Laughton's tour de force is such an enjoyment
that I personally wouldn't have it any other way. Karloff's part isn't
so interesting a material to start with, so he is pretty much wasted as
far as his fans are concerned.
Unfortunately the romantic leads don't fare well. The heroes' part
cries out for Erroll Flynn or Stuart Granger or anyone as confident,
suave, butch and agile. Unfortunately Richard Stapley-Wyler has none of
these qualities. Albeit undeniably handsome, his performance is timid
and effeminate. It's difficult to believe that in real life Wyler used
to be a road racer. He walks like a ballerina in the mud and speaks in
a flat, nasal voice which he obviously tries to make sound as low as
possible. His total reluctance to act is sympathetically shared by
another pretty but lifeless figurine, Sally Forrest. Personally I just
think she keeps herself down as the leading man doesn't light her fire.
If only these two would have blended into the acting ensemble, this
film would be so much more fun.
Nevertheless, nicely shot with good settings and soundtrack, it's a
treat to everyone who enjoys Corman's Poe adaptations or Hammer's dark
old house films. Not quite cigar, but gives a good puff of smoke.
8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
A Victorian Gothic set in Louis XV's France, 2 March 2005
Author:
bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
When Charles Laughton is given good direction and a decent script he'll
give you an Oscar caliber performance and has on many occasions, one of
them officially. But when he's not, hmmmm............. Well what's a
body to do, but make the best of it, have a little fun.
With that gleam in his eye and the shtick with the food, plagiarized
from his own performance of Henry VIII, Laughton goes to town in an
orgy of overacting as Andre de Maletroit, malevolent lord of the manor
in 18th Century France. For reasons I'll not explain Laughton has some
nefarious reasons for wanting his niece to marry the worst kind of
aristocratic rake.
The niece and the rake are played respectively by Sally Forrest and
Richard Stapley none too convincingly I might add. Boris Karloff is an
old family servant who Laughton delights in mistreating. He also is
defeated by the script and direction so he also resorts to shtick.
Boris Karloff's career is illustrative of the path that Charles
Laughton's could have taken. Trapped by his performance as the
Frankenstein monster, Karloff stayed in the horror genre for most of
his career. It was Laughton's good fortune and acting instincts that
kept him from the same fate.
The film is based on a Robert Louis Stevenson story and certainly
Stevenson has had great cinema made from his stories like Treasure
Island and Kidnapped. Too bad this one can't rate up there.
The Strange Door is the kind of material that in the late 50s, Hammer
films would have done so well. Too bad they didn't get a crack at it
here.
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
THE STRANGE DOOR (Joseph Pevney, 1951) **1/2, 29 October 2006
Author:
MARIO GAUCI (marrod@melita.com) from Naxxar, Malta
A minor but irresistible Gothic melodrama with a rampant star
performance by Charles Laughton (though he gets little to do in the
second half - in fact, the film sags a bit during its latter stages).
Boris Karloff's role is a good one, though clearly supporting Laughton
rather than co-starring; actually, too much time is devoted to the
rather insipid romantic leads (Richard Stapley and Sally Forrest) -
though the supporting cast (including character actors such as Paul
Cavanaugh, Michael Pate and Alan Napier) is adequate enough.
The plot itself is quite intriguing - leading up to a satisfying climax
that's strikingly similar to the one in another Karloff film, THE RAVEN
(1935). Of course, THE STRANGE DOOR reunites Karloff with Laughton
almost 20 years after THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932) - as in that film, they
engage in a fisticuff at the end - and also returns the actor to Robert
Louis Stevenson territory (albeit in a non-villainous role) after his
unforgettable turn in THE BODY SNATCHER (1945). Despite the obvious
low-budget (a fact that is betrayed, more than anything else, by having
its entire score comprised of themes from previous studio efforts -
including the nth revamp of the instantly recognizable cue from THE
WOLF MAN [1941]!), the film is crisply shot in black-and-white and, in
spite of the rather pedestrian direction, it makes the most of its
limited sets.
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Behind which strange door is Boris hiding?, 18 October 2006
Author:
Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
It's rather ironic that "The Strange Door" was included in the fabulous Boris Karloff collection (horror fans, buy this!!), since his role in the story – albeit important – is rather limited in screen time. If some distributor ever comes up with the luminous idea of releasing a Charles Laughton box set, then this film most definitely should be a part of that, as it is mainly he who steals the show! Karloff is professional and reliable as always, but it's Laughton who dominates every sequence he's in; hands down. "The Strange Door" is adapted from a story by Robert Louis Stevenson (the creator of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde") and it's a truly engaging and atmospheric tale set during the Victorian era in France. Laughton portrays Sire Alain de Maledroit, a malicious nobleman who hates every still living member of his family and wants to destroy them slow & painfully. Therefore he personally selects a reputed troublemaker to marry his niece Blanche and counts on the possibility that he'll emotionally wreck her! And even though Blanche believes that her father is long dead, Sire de Maledroit keeps him locked up in the dungeons beneath the castle. Boris Karloff plays Voltan, the only servant that remained loyal to count Edmond. The story isn't always very plausible and contains quite a few immense holes. I'm sure there are easier ways for Sire de Maledroit to torture his relatives than to rely on the bad attitude of an outsider? Or how is it possible that, for twenty whole years, Blanche doesn't even suspect that her father is kept prisoner in the castle while everybody else knows? Yet, despite these and several other improbabilities, "the Strange Door" is an entertaining Gothic horror film with superb decors, a fair amount of tension and poetic dialogs. The last sequences are particularly exciting, as the castle turns out to be a labyrinth filled with eerie death traps and dark corridors. It's nice to see Karloff star in a heroic role for a change. Recommended!
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Beloved favorite seen on Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER in 1974, 31 May 2011
Author:
kevin olzak (kevinolzak@yahoo.com) from Youngstown, Ohio
1951's "The Strange Door" is something of a throwback to the Gothic horrors of previous decades, except that it comes from Universal, which rarely did such pictures (1939's "Tower of London" and 1940's "The House of the Seven Gables" instantly come to mind). Reuniting Charles Laughton and Boris Karloff 19 years after 1932's "The Old Dark House" (James Whale English Gothic), Laughton especially has a field day, alternately menacing and comical, and always fun to watch. Karloff is sadly reduced to a tongue-in-cheek servant role, quietly speaking his lines while rolling his eyes with great frequency. The château was used as a torture chamber during the Middle Ages, featuring a dungeon full of armor and weapons, plus a cell where the walls come together (Lugosi made use of one in 1935's "The Raven"). Richard Stapley (later Wyler) makes little impression as the hero, but Sally Forrest captures the eye as the endangered beauty (even lovelier in "Son of Sinbad" with Vincent Price, where she dances in a skimpy harem outfit). Laughton's sadistic nobleman is ably supported by a terrific supporting cast of rogues ("villainy binds men together!"), with William Cottrell, whom I've never seen in anything else, Morgan Farley, and Hollywood newcomer Michael Pate, who earns a piece of mutton for his handling of a bribe (he later starred as the vampire gunslinger in Universal's 1959 "Curse of the Undead"). Paul Cavanagh and Alan Napier have smaller roles, but are welcome faces nonetheless. This eternally underrated little 'B' features music cues from "The Wolf Man," "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man," and "House of Frankenstein," and was followed a year later by a similar Gothic, "The Black Castle," also featuring Karloff and Pate. "The Strange Door" aired 3 times on Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER, on November 23 1974 (paired with 1960's "Doctor Blood's Coffin"), March 13 1976 (paired with 1957's "She Devil"), and December 17 1983, one of the very last broadcasts (now available from Chilly Billy himself).
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
There's something afoot in the Maletroit home., 3 March 2010
Author:
JohnRouseMerriottChard from United Kingdom
The Strange Door (1951) is released by Universal Pictures, it's
directed by Joseph Pevney and stars Charles Laughton, Boris Karloff,
and Sally Forrest. Based on the short story, The Sire de Maletroit's
Door by Robert Louis Stevenson, it comes with much horror credentials.
However, and in spite of it constantly being tagged a horror film, The
Strange Door is more a Gothic thriller tinged with madness and all
round nastiness.
The story is a solid one as Laughton's Sire Alain de Maletroit plots
revenge against his younger brother, Edmund {Paul Cavanagh}, revenge
that comes in the form of imprisonment down in the family dungeon for
20 years. Not content with that, Maletroit, after telling her that her
father is dead, makes Edmund's daughter, Blanche's {Forrest}, life a
misery. Culminating in a forced marriage to scallywag Denis de Beaulieu
{Richard Stapley/Whyler)} who has been duped and trapped in the
Maletroit castle. But Maletroit hadn't planned for Blanche & Denis to
hit it off, and also lurking in the shadows is servant Voltan {Karloff}
who is loyal to the imprisoned Edmund.
This is very much an acting piece, both Laughton & Karloff could
overact with the best of them, but the results were never less than
entertaining. Such is the case here as Pevney creates a moody Gothic
atmosphere in the shadowy Maletroit home, and then, lets his actors run
with Stevenson's genesis source. There's much dastardly talking and the
odd perky moment dotted along the way, but really it's only the lead
actors that keep the piece from stagnating. Particularly at the
midpoint when the good old romantic thread starts to be pulled.
Still it's a recommended film for sure, for its sets {Universal rarely
fails to deliver here}, mood and its two scene stealing lead actors.
Just don't go in expecting an outright horror film is all. 6.5/10
Enjoyable Gothic melodrama, 3 January 2011
Author:
Woodyanders (Woodyanders@aol.com) from The Last New Jersey Drive-In on the Left
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Cruel and cunning madman Sire Alain de Maletroit (a wonderfully robust and wicked portrayal by Charles Laughton) plots revenge against his younger brother Edmund. Alain forces brash and dashing rascal Denis de Beaulieu (a fine and likable performance by Richard Wyler) to marry his sweet niece Blanche (the fetching and appealing Sally Forrest). Alain's meek browbeaten servant Voltan (the always marvelous Boris Karloff in sturdy form) tries to help Denis and Blanche escape from Voltan's vile clutches. Skillfully directed with real style and energy by Joseph Pevney, with a constant brisk pace, a clever and compelling script by Jerry Sackheim, sharp, witty dialogue, crisp black and white cinematography Irving Glassberg, a few thrilling and well staged action scenes, a spirited score, a tight 81 minute running time, and an extremely tense and harrowing climax, this lively romp overall sizes up as an immensely entertaining picture. Moreover, it's a definite treat to see legendary cinematic giants Laughton and Karloff on screen together (Laughton's deliciously decadent presence in particular certainly keeps the movie humming throughout). There are also sound supporting contributions from William Cottrell as the cynical Corbeau, Paul Cavanaugh as the miserable, imprisoned Edmund, and Michael Pate as Alain's faithful, smoothly slimy butler Talon. A neat little film.
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