SPOILERS A lack of a compelling story and a resolution that relies on too many coincidences are the only things that keep "The Ghoul" from being an unsung classic. I've read that for years it was relatively obscure, and that might have added to its mystique in the past. Now that it's been rediscovered and released on a pristine-looking DVD (courtesy of MGM), one can finally see it uncut and as it was intended.
Karloff is excellent as Professor Morlant, who is quite a fan of Egyptian culture. He keeps a statue of Anubis in his house, and spends his entire fortune on a jewel that, legend has it, will enable him to return from the dead. Unfortunately, his untrustworthy servant Laing (played by the same actor who played Dr. Pretorius in "Bride of Frankenstein") gets greedy at the end. Instead of burying Morlant with the jewel bandaged to his hand, he hides the jewel in a tin of coffee. A group of disparate individuals gather at Morlant's estate after his burial, and soon everyone is looking for the jewel. Meanwhile, Morlant rises from the tomb and seeks out those who would stand in the way of eternal life.
The thing that will forever remain with me about this film is the brilliant way the story was set up. The sets are breathtakingly morbid, a first-rate haunted house production if ever there was one. Even the scenes that are supposed to be taking place outdoors take place at night and in dense fog, as if the sun never shines on these characters. Karloff looks bizarre right from the beginning, as Morlant lies on his deathbed and tries to ensure that his instructions for his burial are carried out to the letter. The makeup on him is very creepy, and even his fingers look inhuman.
The trouble comes with the creaky middle section, in which the characters are rounded up and summoned to Morlant's dusty mansion. The motivations of everybody involved are fanciful, and on hand are two actresses who will give you a headache before the film is over. Dorothy Hyson delivers her lines at a monotonously high volume, as if she's deliberately speaking in falsetto. Kathleen Harrison seems to have been directed to act like a shrieking annoyance. Anthony Bushell is too much of a milquetoast to be an effective hero.
The goods come from Karloff, and his first appearance back from the dead is quite chilling. The camera gives him some great closeups in the ghoul makeup, and the director makes classic use of shadows and lighting. There's a great scene where Karloff sneaks up on Harrison and looms over her while she is unaware of him standing right behind her; one especially creepy shot shows him approaching her from behind while we watch through a window.
The resolution is silly, if not downright ludicrous. I won't reveal it here, but I will mention that someone comes along and gives an explanation that Morlant was buried alive and is not really a ghoul after all. This seems to contradict a few other details in the story, especially the scene where Morlant looms outside of a barred window, then pries the bars apart with his bare hands to gain entrance to the mansion.
Highly recommended for fans of black & white horror films. While the shortcomings of "The Ghoul" are glaringly apparent, they are also easily overlooked when you take into consideration the fine visual craft of the film. Excellent for some lights-out Halloween fun.
Karloff is excellent as Professor Morlant, who is quite a fan of Egyptian culture. He keeps a statue of Anubis in his house, and spends his entire fortune on a jewel that, legend has it, will enable him to return from the dead. Unfortunately, his untrustworthy servant Laing (played by the same actor who played Dr. Pretorius in "Bride of Frankenstein") gets greedy at the end. Instead of burying Morlant with the jewel bandaged to his hand, he hides the jewel in a tin of coffee. A group of disparate individuals gather at Morlant's estate after his burial, and soon everyone is looking for the jewel. Meanwhile, Morlant rises from the tomb and seeks out those who would stand in the way of eternal life.
The thing that will forever remain with me about this film is the brilliant way the story was set up. The sets are breathtakingly morbid, a first-rate haunted house production if ever there was one. Even the scenes that are supposed to be taking place outdoors take place at night and in dense fog, as if the sun never shines on these characters. Karloff looks bizarre right from the beginning, as Morlant lies on his deathbed and tries to ensure that his instructions for his burial are carried out to the letter. The makeup on him is very creepy, and even his fingers look inhuman.
The trouble comes with the creaky middle section, in which the characters are rounded up and summoned to Morlant's dusty mansion. The motivations of everybody involved are fanciful, and on hand are two actresses who will give you a headache before the film is over. Dorothy Hyson delivers her lines at a monotonously high volume, as if she's deliberately speaking in falsetto. Kathleen Harrison seems to have been directed to act like a shrieking annoyance. Anthony Bushell is too much of a milquetoast to be an effective hero.
The goods come from Karloff, and his first appearance back from the dead is quite chilling. The camera gives him some great closeups in the ghoul makeup, and the director makes classic use of shadows and lighting. There's a great scene where Karloff sneaks up on Harrison and looms over her while she is unaware of him standing right behind her; one especially creepy shot shows him approaching her from behind while we watch through a window.
The resolution is silly, if not downright ludicrous. I won't reveal it here, but I will mention that someone comes along and gives an explanation that Morlant was buried alive and is not really a ghoul after all. This seems to contradict a few other details in the story, especially the scene where Morlant looms outside of a barred window, then pries the bars apart with his bare hands to gain entrance to the mansion.
Highly recommended for fans of black & white horror films. While the shortcomings of "The Ghoul" are glaringly apparent, they are also easily overlooked when you take into consideration the fine visual craft of the film. Excellent for some lights-out Halloween fun.