The Ghoul
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Movie Reviews of The Ghoul
Movie Review: Ghouls: they're magically delicious!
Summary: 3 Stars
The Ghoul (T. Hayes Hunter, 1933)
There are some old movies we watch because they are brilliant examples of the filmmaker's art, movies that broke new ground in technique or showcase brilliant performances; movies from which we derive pleasure at least in part because these movies are in some way important. And then there are old movies we watch for the sheer pleasure of seeing something so cheesy that you really can't believe, through your fog of nostalgia, that movies could be such crap back in the golden age of filmmaking. At best, there are a handful of movies that embody both of these conceits. More so, if you put forth the proposition that one of them does, you are likely to get shouted down by one of the respective peanut galleries. (If you don't believe me, try doing it with Wings, the first Best Picture Oscar winner ever, whose plot is just plain ludicrous.) One of those films is T. Hayes Hunter's hysterical The Ghoul, a movie that falls quite solidly on the cheesy side of that line... but there's a case to be made that it stands right next to The Broadway Melody or The Maltese Falcon as one of the early strongly gay-themed films.
Plot: Henry Morlant (Boris Karloff) is a dying egyptologist who insists on being buried with a jewel that he believes will bring him eternal life...so long as it's not removed from his corpse before he can complete the ritual he needs it for, for if it is, he tells us in Karloff's stentorian voice, he will come back from the grave with murder on his mind. Needless to say, he's not even cold in the ground when various jewel thieves, accomplices, and innocent bystanders congregate for a combination memorial service and race to break into the mausoleum. And of course, Morlant comes back looking for the jewel...
While this is ostensibly a horror movie or a crime film, or some combination of the two, it plays best as a comedy of manners. The plot is often carried forward during exchanges between the characters that can only be described as bitchy snipe-fests, and they're wonderful. (The comedy angle was played up a bit more in the Sidney James/Shirley Eaton adaptation What a Carve-Up! some thirty years later.) It's like what would have happened had Truman Capote and Gore Vidal run for office and gotten a series of televised debates, with a background plot of jewel thievery and zombism. How can you possibly go wrong? *** ½
Movie Review: A LOST FILM THAT NEEDS TO BE BURIED
Summary: 3 Stars
For decades the film "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933) was considered one of the great, lost Hollywood films. Those who remembered it claimed it was far superior to the 1951 remake "House of Wax" and for many years horror aficionados mourned its loss. When a clean print surfaced in the early 1970's everyone was crestfallen to discover this "lost masterpiece" was really a creaky, old thriller far inferior to it's 50's, 3D offspring. Well, here we go again. The long lost Karloff film finally comes to the faithful intact! As already noted this MGM release is DVD is a technical stunner. What a shame that the movie itself is dull as dishwater and an ideal choice for those with insomnia. Karloff actually has very little to do here and the acting of the rest of the cast is strictly of the summer stock variety. As for the script, it's a castrated rehashing of both "The Old Dark House" and "The Mummy". Yep, it LOOKS just like an entry from Universal's 1930's horror parade, but lacks any kind of punch. Don't misunderstand, as a horror buff I'm overjoyed to have "The Ghoul" in such fantastic shape - but boy, what a let down!Movie Review: Stunning Restoration of "Lost" Karloff Film
Summary: 3 Stars
A decidedly uneven mixture of "The Old Dark House" and "The Mummy," this 1933 Gaumont production was Britain's first attempt to cash in on the Hollywood horror boom. "The Ghoul" benefits from Boris Karloff's terrifying presence as a resurrected Egyptologist, the atmospheric cinematography of Günther Krampf and an effective score by Louis Levy. When Karloff is off-screen for long stretches, the film drags terribly - despite a solid cast that features Ernest Thesiger, Cedric Hardwicke and Ralph Richardson in his screen debut. However, the final 30 minutes are truly memorable as Boris emerges from his tomb to reclaim a stolen jewel that will grant eternal life. For many years, "The Ghoul" was considered a "lost" film until an incomplete and substandard Czech print emerged in the late 1960s. MGM's DVD release unveils a pristine 35mm transfer courtesy of the British Film Institute, which discovered the last surviving nitrate copy. If only the Universal horror classics looked this good!Movie Review: Minor horror effort
Summary: 3 Stars
"The Ghoul," a British production that Boris Karloff starred in shortly after achieving stardom with "Frankenstein," opens impressively with some excellent, literate dialogue and the promise of first class chills to come, then rapidly descends into a fairly campy retread of "The Mummy."
The impressive cast almost redeems this minor horror effort, with Ernest Thesiger - yes, Horace Femm of "The Old Dark House" and Dr. Pretorious of "Bride of Frankenstein" - stealing the show as Karloff's prissy, Bible quoting man-servent.
"The Ghoul" is worth a look for fans of both Karloff and '30's horror films, but its relative obscurity is deserved.
Brian W. Fairbanks
Movie Review: A golden oldie
Summary: 3 Stars
Worth a look this movie, not my favourite Boris Karloff film by any means and not my favourite 1930's horror film. Having said that it would make it into my top 15 1930's horror film list if I made one! A small role for Boris but a good performance none the less. I got it for a bargain price of £1.50 this dvd and I have to say that the transfer is wonderful for such an old movie, extras are few but the film is what counts. 3 and a half stars is my true score for this small gem. Ernest Thesiger puts in a good perfomance also, not as good as he did in The Bride Of Frankenstein though.