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The Old Dark House (1932)
The Old Dark House (1932) poster

The Old Dark House (1932)

Drama, Horror, Thriller • 1h 10m

Director: James Whale

Cast: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Lilian Bond, Ernest Thesiger, Eva Moore, Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, Elspeth Dudgeon, Brember Wills

Best English-friendly, video & audio release

Video notes:

Here are some screenshots that include the Cohen Blu-ray and the poor Germany 4K with terrible fake HDR. David’s DV grade is way more subtle and doesn’t blow out the highlights

Updated 3 months ago


UHD tiers

Solid
MoC

About the film

In a remote region of Wales, five travelers beset by a relentless storm find shelter in an old mansion.

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Featured in Pre-Code Films

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Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: William Dieterle

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Directors: Ernest B. Schoedsack & Merian C. Cooper

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: Marion Gering

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal Blu-ray

Director: Leo McCarey

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal DVD

Upcoming Release:

Universal Blu-ray Nov 10th

Directors: Irving Pichel & Ernest B. Schoedsack

Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK MoC Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

MoC Blu-ray offers both restored and an unrestored tracks

Director: Edgar Selwyn

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration

Director: John Ford

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Sources: ibb.co (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Warner Archive Blu-ray is 4K restoration from nitrate projection elements

Germany Filmjuwelen Blu-ray is AI upscaled https://ibb.co/album/mCJ7RQ

Director: Howard Hawks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Indicator Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset Blu-ray

More from James Whale

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Director: James Whale

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Universal Complete Legacy Collection 4K Blu-ray set on September 26 2026

Best Audio:

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Director: James Whale

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Universal Complete Legacy Collection 4K Blu-ray set on September 26 2026

Best Audio:

1993 CIC Video LaserDisc

Director: James Whale

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Video Notes:

No comparison available with Elephant Films Blu-ray

Director: James Whale

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray 4K scan

Director: James Whale

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Indicator Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Indicator Blu-ray marginally better than Kino Lorber Blu-ray, see DVDBeaver caps. Both use new Universal restoration.

Additional Info:

Indicator, Imprint and Kino Lorber BDs each have exclusive extras. Indicator commentary is superb. Imprint adds SD copy of the remake.

Director: James Whale

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

More from Masters of Cinema

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Director: Elaine May

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray > MoC > Olive Films. From nicolas:

The master is good but it’s not that big an upgrade from the Olive Films disc and Vinegar Syndrome’ encode has some blocky highlights. A shame that they didn’t hire David Mackenzie here.

Audio Notes:

Cinématographe has unnecessary noise gating not present on the previous releases.

Director: F. W. Murnau

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

MoC OOP Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Flicker Alley 4K confirmed for 2027 https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24404584&postcount=1

Directors: Charles Reisner & Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly & Video:

MoC/Cohen Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

MoC 4K Blu-ray late 2027

Video Notes:

MoC/Cohen Blu-ray > Kino Lorber

Director: Buster Keaton

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber new Seven Chances / Sherlock Jr. Blu-ray?

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

MoC 4K Blu-ray late 2027

Video Notes:

Lobster Films (Kino Lorber?) > Cohen/Eureka https://slow.pics/c/3KWXoMyR The new Kino Lorber's Seven Chances / Sherlock Jr. might be using the same restoration as Lobster Films

Director: Hal Ashby

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

See caps https://slow.pics/c/lVdZaG0W

Best Audio:

Criterion/MoC Blu-ray

Director: Paul Leni

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical/Original A negative: MoC Blu-ray

European C/D negative but better picture quality: Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

From DVDBeaver: The MoC Blu-ray is scanned from the American A negative, as opposed to the European C or D negatives used by Photoplay and others (Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray), so it is identical with the film US audiences saw in 1927

See caps for comparison

In addition, the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has sepia tinting throughout while the MoC Blu-ray has yellow for normal scenes, blue for night scenes, and some even green tintings.

Director: Louis Feuillade

Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK MoC Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

UK MoC Blu-ray is slightly sharper than French Gaumont Blu-ray see caps

Director: John Frankenheimer

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

UK MoC Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

UK MoC Blu-ray uses the same restoration as Criterion but has more natural contrast and more organic grains see caps

Audio Notes:

MoC Blu-ray has the exactly same audio as Criterion Blu-ray

Director: Josef von Sternberg

Director: Fritz Lang

Best English-Friendly:

Eureka MoC Blu-ray

Best Video:

1984 Giorgio Moroder restoration: MoC Blu-ray or Kino Lorber Blu-ray

2001 Murnau restoration: MoC 2-disc DVD set

2010 Murnau complete restoration: MoC Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2001 Murnau restoration: MoC 2-disc DVD set > Kino Lorber 1-disc Restored Authorized Edition DVD

2010 Murnau complete restoration: MoC Blu-ray > Kino Lorber Blu-ray

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Researched and maintained by

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· last reviewed 3 months ago

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