JohnHowardReid I had originally intended to add Night of Terror (1933) to my listing of films to avoid, as I incorrectly assumed that sloppy writing was to blame when it was revealed at the conclusion that character X played the maniac. I knew this was untrue as in at least one important scene the X character and the slasher had appeared on the screen at the same time. Stupid me! I did realize that two different actors played the slasher, but I thought this was due simply to sloppy budgeting. True, his appearance differed, but this was no doubt an economy measure. WRONG, it was actually a vital part of the plot which it seems many other reviewers - in addition to my stupid self - totally missed! So rate this as a rather a good try in the Old Dark House category. The script has a measure of wit, as well as the customary thrills and chills. Producer Bryan Foy's budget was really expansive, the cast line-up led by Bela Lugosi, Sally Blane and Wallace Ford, top of the range. (Formerly available on a very good VintageFilmBuff DVD).

mark.waltz On the heels of "The Old Dark House" comes one of its dozens of imitators, a decent B feature starring Bela Lugosi on loan to Columbia from Universal. It starts off by showing "the menace", a grinning killer straight out of silent films, then shows two young people meeting their fate thanks to the obvious mad man. It's off to the Rhinehart house where scientist Tully Marshall is being stalked by the menace and eventually struck down. More members of the family follow, leaving reporter heroine Sally Gray in jeopardy with boyfriend Wallace Ford and two darkly clad servants (Lugosi and Mary Frey) to look after her. Other greedy relatives arrive, adding suspects and victims up, but it's done at a very slow pace, often as creaky as old attic steps.A bit of comedy with Ford and stereotypical black chauffeur Oscar Smith who gets some funny, if cowardly revealing lines. As for Lugosi, he seems to be serving the same purpose he did in "The Gorilla", "Night Monster" and "One Body too Many", basically added for name value but no plot importance. At least here, he's given the same look he had in "Chandu the Magician" which gives hope to the fact that he'll contribute something to the story. But it's still fun to try to figure out, with plenty of twists and turns and plenty of moody atmosphere. Decent sets, shadowy photography and the homage to Lon Chaney make this a notch above the many others that came before and after. A seance by the Gale Sondergaard like Frey is the spooky highlight of the film.

marquisdeposa (THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE DVD Invisible Menace/Night of Terror)This DVD presents Karloff and Lugosi, each in a film that is not part of their usual fare seen in other collections.THE INVISIBLE MENACE is a Warner Brother's quickie (clocking in at under 60 minutes) that shows that Boris Karloff could do far more than play monsters. Most reviews of this film right it off as a poor example of his talents. I disagree. In it's 54 minute running time it manages to combine murder, red herrings, and an extremely quick paced mystery. The comedic antics of Marie Wilson and Eddie Craven may be a bit trying at times for those looking for pure mystery, but they are far less intrusive than many other mystery films where comedy is injected at random. At least their situation is part of the plot. As to Boris's role being beneath him, I tend to look at as an extension of his abilities to create a character. His gray hair, glasses and quiet manner (except when he is gesturing wildly pleading for justice) are a precursor to his role as Professor Linden in The Linden Tree, which he would play on the New York stage in the late 1940's. Overall it is an enjoyable little film.The second feature, with the generic title NIGHT OF TERROR, comes as a welcome surprise. I had only seen it listed on Bela Lugosi film bibliographies. It is a variation on the old dark house thriller, with moving panels, tunnels, a gathering of heirs for the reading of the will, etc. This film has the advantage of Lugosi's performance. Reading other reviews of the film led me to believe that he was "wasted" in the part of Degar. Once again I tend to disagree. Bela is in almost every scene of the picture. His mysterious delivery of his dialogue is perfectly in line with the film's eerie atmosphere. As for him being "wasted" he turns out to be the most intelligent person of the lot-including the police and a wise cracking newspaper reporter. Being a B picture, and over the years being subject to scrutiny, the plot discrepancies are pretty evident, but overall it is an entertaining film. As to the peculiar ending, it is no more quirky that Edward Van Sloan's prologue to FRANKENSTEIN or his epilogue to Dracula (cut from most prints of the film)

Norm-30 As usual, i must disagree with the other reviewer. All that cliche-ic stuff (secret panels, the "maniac", seances, etc) is what makes this film a GREAT "Old House" film! Granted, Lugosi is wasted in this role, but the entire film builds up a creepy, sinister "atmosphere".Both Maltin and the other reviewer dismiss the end of the film, where the maniac speaks to the audience but, I first saw this when I was about 6 years old, and it scared the bejesus out of me for several nights! Don't analyzse this film....just WATCH it....and ENJOY! Norm