Part period melodrama, part Gothic horror, and altogether one of the great sleepers of the 1930's, "The Black Room" tells the story of the prophecy of how a great family will end its days as it started, with one brother killing the other. Boris Karloff plays a double role here, twins doomed to destruction, but not as the family journal has described the dynasty to be predicted to end. There's a lot of irony here, and in just over an hour, the writers put together a clever and tricky plot which will keep you riveted to your screen.
O.K., so Karloff looks much older than the characters are supposed to be, but if you can overlook that, you will be o.k. in watching the evil Karloff planning to wed sweet and innocent Marian Marsh while his jealous mistress Katherine de Mille screeches threats that you know will make her a victim of his wrath. Karloff, in fact, plays a Tod Slaughter type role here, the typical power-hungry baron who utilizes his position to bed the innocent maidens and evilly dispatch of them so they can't tell. Then, there's the good Karloff, a cripple who was sent away because the family prophecy stated that he would end up killing the older brother. They sort of reminded me of "All My Children's" Stuart and Adam, twin brothers who were complete opposites and tied together through many tragic circumstances.
A lavish production makes this "B" film look gorgeous, and Karloff eats up the scenery, whether taking care of De Mille, his own twin, his father-in-law to be (Thurston Hall) and the man whom Marsh really is in love with. The film moves at a fast and furious pace, and the end literally will have you going to the dogs as it is a clever canine who gets to steal Karloff's thunder at the end and bring the film to a speedy conclusion. This is by far the best of Karloff's Columbia films (four of them released on one DVD set) and is one which deserves to find cult status.
O.K., so Karloff looks much older than the characters are supposed to be, but if you can overlook that, you will be o.k. in watching the evil Karloff planning to wed sweet and innocent Marian Marsh while his jealous mistress Katherine de Mille screeches threats that you know will make her a victim of his wrath. Karloff, in fact, plays a Tod Slaughter type role here, the typical power-hungry baron who utilizes his position to bed the innocent maidens and evilly dispatch of them so they can't tell. Then, there's the good Karloff, a cripple who was sent away because the family prophecy stated that he would end up killing the older brother. They sort of reminded me of "All My Children's" Stuart and Adam, twin brothers who were complete opposites and tied together through many tragic circumstances.
A lavish production makes this "B" film look gorgeous, and Karloff eats up the scenery, whether taking care of De Mille, his own twin, his father-in-law to be (Thurston Hall) and the man whom Marsh really is in love with. The film moves at a fast and furious pace, and the end literally will have you going to the dogs as it is a clever canine who gets to steal Karloff's thunder at the end and bring the film to a speedy conclusion. This is by far the best of Karloff's Columbia films (four of them released on one DVD set) and is one which deserves to find cult status.