The Old Dark House: Universal’s Queer Coded Film of Secrets, Scares, & Surprises

Universal became synonymous with horror in the 1930s, thanks to visionaries like Uncle Carl Laemmle and his son Junior. It was a time when horror legends were born, and some of the greatest movies were created … movies that shaped the genre forever. The Old Dark House being one of them.

The Old Dark House is based on the 1927 novel Benighted by J.B. Priestley, about post-World War I disillusionment. In the movie, five travelers seeking shelter from a terrible storm, find themselves in for a terrible night at … well … an old dark house. The five weary travelers find themselves face to face with the creepy Femm family, and a night of thrills and horror begins.

The Old Dark House was directed by James Whale, who also directed Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and Show Boat. It starred Boris Karloff, Ernest Thesiger, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stewart, and Eva Moore.

Many queer people worked on The Old Dark House, and the film is chock full of queer-coding - where media uses subtext to indicate a character is queer without overtly saying it. Let me know if you think I missed any queer-coding or if you think I'm totally off the mark!

The Old Dark House: https://amzn.to/44VGiK8
It's Alive - Julian David Stone: https://amzn.to/45y2if8
Universal Classic Monsters Complete 30 Film Collection: https://amzn.to/3wzBWd7
Universal Monsters Tarot Deck & Guidebook: https://amzn.to/47BJm0D
Bride of Frankenstein - Emma Westwood: https://amzn.to/3P50409

Filming Equipment
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Antonia Carlotta
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