Mjeteconer Just perfect...

MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

mark.waltz 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.

Neil Doyle THE BLACK ROOM is a Gothic tale of horror that should appeal to any fan of Boris Karloff, since he plays twin brothers with the proper amount of relish and some subtle nuances.It seems he and his twin brother are doomed to kill each other in the black room of a castle, in accordance with a legend that has been built up over the years. The prophecy is indeed fulfilled since one of the brothers is a cruel tyrant who only invites his brother to the castle in order to dispose of him. A subplot involving a lovely woman (Marian Marsh) and her suitor (Robert Allen) keeps the plot moving forward quickly for the film's 75 minute running time.The sets and costumes are of Grade A quality, as good as any of the Universal sets that were a part of their horror series, and the B&W photography is excellent. Karloff gives one of his best performances in a dual role, helped enormously by the very effective special effects to create the dual image.

LCShackley If you're going to have a plot involving an evil twin, who could do it better than Boris?The evil Baron Gregor, who has a habit of luring women from the local village and then "disposing" of them, has a public relations problem. Everyone hates him, and he seems to spend most of his day fending off assassins. So why not invite his nice twin, Anton, to come for a visit, let the villagers meet the "good guy," and then take his place? Clever old Gregor, and of course he wants the hand (and other bits) of the lovely Thea as part of the deal.There are plenty of horror-movie clichés, such as Balkan military uniforms, sealed rooms, terrified peasants, scary hounds, and of course the storming of the castle. But there are some really wonderful touches here and there: like the shot when Thea's father sees Gregor/Anton in the mirror, or the look on Thea's face when they announce her lover's sentence.And at the center is the great Boris, doing wonderful characterizations as the two brothers. Along with "The Body Snatcher," I would rate this film at the top of Karloff's performances.

Bill357 When I was a boy people didn't own many videotapes. All the big Hollywood blockbusters were about twenty bucks each (eighties money) and every kid I knew had a collection of bargain tapes recorded in SP mode. One of my absolute favorites was the Goodtimes Home Video release of The Black Room.In my humble opinion this is the best horror film of the thirties, even better than the much touted Universal horrors. The first time I watched it, I was almost instantly mesmerized by the look and feel of this movie and by the incredible dual performance by Boris Karloff. The script is simple, to the point, and brilliant with a great ironic twist ending.The idea of a serial murderer trysting with young unmarried women and filling a pit with their corpses seems very daring for it's time. This is one of the few purely psychological horror films of the era but with a foreboding Gothic atmosphere and plenty of superstition that gives it the feel of the supernatural.Interesting note: The scene where Gregor (masquerading as Anton) is confronted by Anton's dog and treated cruelly by it's seemingly beloved master is repeated decades later in Karloff's Black Sabbath where he returns home having been turned into a vampire.