Harockerce What a beautiful movie!

Majorthebys Charming and brutal

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

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.

AaronCapenBanner Roy William Neill directed Boris Karloff in two roles: Anton, cultured, sophisticated and benevolent; then his twin brother Gregor, a Baron who is crude and crafty, but evil, and hated by his people for his tyranny. He entices Anton back home with promises of appeasement to his people(who threaten to revolt) by stepping aside and letting Anton assume power. He does this, but cruelly and cleverly murders his brother, then resumes the throne by impersonating him! This works for a short time, but he is found out, leading to the fulfillment of the old prophecy about the brothers and the fabled black room... Karloff is excellent in two distinct performances, and film interesting and atmospheric.

Michael O'Keefe A gripping tale featuring a brilliant performance by Boris Karloff in a duel role as twin brothers Anton and Gregor de Berghman. Gregor is a brutal baron living in the shadow of an aged prophesy that the handicapped younger brother Anton will eventually murder him in their castle's "Black Room". When the kinder twin returns after a long absence, Gregor is jealous of the high regard Anton is given. The older twin is suspected of evil doing concerning the disappearance of young women of the village. Gregor decides to relinquish his power to Anton; only to murder him in the concealed "Black Room" and take his identity. It appears the prophesy is broken. When the villagers later get wind of the impersonation, there will be an unruly uprising and the discovery of the de Berghman castle's hidden "Black Room" and the prophesy will come to a true and chilling demise. Karloff is more than outstanding. Also starring are: Marian Marsh, Thurston Hall, Katherine DeMille, and Robert Allen.

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.