Instant Favorite.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Bearing little resemblance to James Whale's 1932 film of the same name and provenance, schlock-meister William Castle's "The Old Dark House" is a light-weight horror-comedy that is neither particularly scary nor particularly funny. Tom Poston is an American car salesman stranded in the ancestral home of the dysfunctional Femm family. As various claimants to the estate's wealth mysteriously die, usually by means related to victim's personal obsession, Poston's character realises that he too is on the hit list. Poston is fine (delivering many of his lines as if he was doing a Jimmy Stewart impression) as the frightened 'fish out of water' and the rest of the cast features a number of recognisable British character actors (e.g. Robert Morley, Peter Bull) but no one is given much to work with, as the story is basically a series of silly situations strung together. Unfortunately, director Castle elected to play the comedy broad, with ridiculous scenes involving an Ark or an attack by an obviously stuffed hyena, as well as a number of slapstick chase sequences, all of which diminished the potentially amusing dark-comedy. Kids, nostalgic boomers who saw the film when they were kids, and fans of Castle may find the movie worth-watching but most people will likely not see it as worth the viewing time.

THE OLD DARK HOUSE has many reasons it should be a success. It's an all-colour remake of a 1930s classic that spawned an entire genre of subsequent 'old dark house' style movies, made with strong production values by the reliable chaps at Hammer Films. Imported American director William Castle came off the back of a string of enjoyable hits including HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL and THE TINGLER. You'd think that nothing could go wrong, but you'd be sorely mistaken about that.The truth is that THE OLD DARK HOUSE goes out for the out-and-out spoof approach to poor effect. American funnyman lead Tom Poston simply isn't very endearing or funny, just goofy. The supporting cast of eccentrics is very good, with Fenella Fielding in dry-run mode for CARRY ON SCREAMING, Robert Morley as funny as ever, and Mervyn Johns stealing all his scenes as the old-timer eccentric. The first half an hour of the film sets up the plot and mystery and is quite workable, but it goes downhill from there. The various murder scenes are dragged out and the story elements get sillier and sillier as they go on, with the whole 'Noah's ark' sub-plot being the real nadir. In the end, THE OLD DARK HOUSE is neither scary nor funny, just silly, and a far cry from something much more cheaply-made but far funnier, like WHAT A CARVE UP!

This version of the story is altered from the original somewhat but that's not the worst of it. The worst part of it is the fact it's an obvious comedy (that isn't very funny). The original not only had a much better story it also hid the comedy, making it a subtle comedy.Basically, the original 1932 film hid behind the mask of a really good horror movie with some comical splashed into it - making the film a really good horror movie overall. This "remake" wants you to know that's it's a comedy upfront.This film I would say is worth a one time watch if you like a blatantly obvious comedy-horror and scary old houses. The 1932 film is highly recommend viewing, this 1963 "remake" I could never recommend.4/10

In a London casino, American car salesman Tom Poston (as Thomas "Tom" Penderel) accepts an invitation to visit an eccentric English friend's dilapidated old mansion. He arrives at "Femm Hall" during a rainstorm, hoping to meet some of his friend's female cousins. "I like girls," Mr. Poston says. Poston arrives to discover his host in a coffin. Equally eccentric Robert Morley (as Roderick Femm) invites Poston to stay, exclaiming, "It's not every day that we have an American for dinner..."Poston is nearly seduced by both attractive blonde Janette Scott (as Cecily) and perpetually aroused Fenella Fielding (as Morgana). There is some hint Poston might re-populate the Earth, after copulating with one of these women - but nothing comes of it. Due to the extended rain, Bible-believing Mervyn Johns (as Potiphar) is collecting animals for his ark. He hopes to include Poston as a human specimen. But murder takes priority in this story, as family members begin to meet their maker...The storyline deviates wildly from the original J.B. Priestley novel (and similarly titled 1932 film). Though produced and directed by William Castle, for the horrific "Hammer" studios of Great Britain, this is a broad comedy. As such, it gets a little more tiresome every quarter hour. The low point may be Poston being joined in his bed by "Penelope the hyena" - a special effect which evokes the wrong kind of laughter. "The Old Dark House" picks up after petering out, with a lively ending.***** The Old Dark House (10/30/63) William Castle ~ Tom Poston, Robert Morley, Fenella Fielding, Janette Scott