Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Not bad little Old Dark House quickie from Universal with a great cast and a "guess you had to be there" plot. A trio of horndogs (Paul Lukas, Onslow Stevens, William Janney) want to marry pretty Gloria Stuart, despite her warbly singing voice. So they decide to have a contest to see who gets her hand. All three men will spend one night in the "blue room," a supposedly haunted room of a spooky old mansion where three murders were committed twenty years earlier. Then the fun starts. In addition to the top talent already mentioned, this one also features Paul Barrat, Lionel Atwill, and Edward Arnold. Pretty good lineup. It's definitely worth a look for classic film fans. Probably won't blow you away or anything but I doubt you'll feel your hour and change was wasted.

Any Universal film that starts off with the music of "Swan Lake" over the credits gets attention in my book, whether it be horror or romantic melodrama. And for this basically forgotten old dark house thriller to start off that way (and last only 65 minutes!), you know you're hooked! This is a gathering at a scene of a long ago murder, inside the blue room, which is utilized for three men who desire the hand in marriage of the heroine (Gloria Stuart). Of course, like "And Then There Were None", the number decreases, comedy and thrills increase, and the revelation is not what you expect. This has a great cast, especially Elizabeth Patterson as the deaf, yet still wise-cracking cook, who doesn't want any murders happening on her shift since that could ruin everybody's appetite.

Gloria Stuart was plunged into controversy before she had even appeared in a film. She became the subject of a bidding war between Paramount and Universal. Later on she regretted the fact she did not sign with Paramount but at the time she seemed happy to go to Universal as they were offering more money. Initially Universal had big plans for Gloria and had glowing praise for the actress they thought would star in their high class productions. But Universal's hopes drifted off course and while she was given roles in prestigious productions they were usually only set decoration. OK, Universal wasn't Paramount, but it did have James Whale to give a touch of class and make classics of a lot of its horror productions. Though not as successful as "The Old Dark House", "The Secret of the Blue Room" did have some effective moments and a "I never would have guessed it" ending. The eerie music as it introduced the stars (who wouldn't be scared by the look of terror on Robert Barratt's face) boded well for a gripping movie and I was not disappointed.As the clock strikes twelve Robert Von Helldorf (Lionel Atwill) toasts his daughter Irene's (Stuart) birthday with a creepy phrase "No one will love you like I" - knowing Atwill you know he will definitely not allow anyone else to love her like him!!! The first red herring!! Irene's three suitors sit around the table until Tommy (William Janney) begs Robert to tell them about the blue room which has been locked for twenty years but he is very reluctant. It had been the scene of three uncanny deaths and now only Paul (Barratt), the ominous butler, has the key. To prove their bravery the foolhardy trio vow to spend a night each in the blue room, Tommy going first and of course in the morning he is nowhere to be found. Irene is menaced by a strange man and Frank (Onslow Stevens) vows to wait for him - in the blue room, where else!!! And then there was one - Captain Walter Brink (Paul Lucas) quickly calls the Police Commissioner (Edward Arnold, sounding and acting more like a policeman than he did in "Remember Last Night"). All the usual suspects are paraded for his inspection, including a vindictive maid (Muriel Kirkland), a surly mechanic (Russell Hopton) who definitely looks and acts as though he has something to hide - I actually thought he was an undercover policeman, I must have a vivid imagination as the reality was much more down to earth!!! As well as a startling confession by Robert!! There were also secret passages, a chase along a dark, damp stairway and a car that went missing at inappropriate times!!!

A castle with a closed off room is the setting for this murder mystery that features a group of men who dare one another to sleep in the castle's "haunted" room to prove their manhood to the movie's eligible bachelorette, Irene.There isn't much going on with that plot, so the film gives us a subplot involving the servants and their affairs. Meanwhile, the men staying in the "Blue Room" either disappear or are murdered one by one, while Irene watches on in helpless horror.Interestingly, this is a Universal Pictures release, and while it's got no monsters in it, it is obviously intended as a riff on "The Old Dark House" (Irene is actually played by Gloria Stuart, a holdout from the cast of "The Old Dark House"). The Gothic elements of the setting are played to the hilt, with stormy weather, dark hallways, secret passages, and hidden agendas going on all around. The sets are spooky without being covered in cobwebs, although a scene later in the movie involves a chase through a hidden hallway that finally gives us some webs. These cliché aesthetics are offset by the extremely dated attitudes and humor in the film, intentional and otherwise. You start to wonder what these characters do in their lives. It's easy to understand why Irene and her father are idle, because they are rich, but what are the other three men doing there, and why does Irene's father host them? Why does it seem they've been living there for months on end with no real purpose? In this way, the movie entertains as a period fantasy, giving us characters who have no responsibility other than to dress in formal wear for dinner and tell ghost stories in the sitting room late at night.Overall the movie is very slight, and there's not much to revisit once the film's rather obvious secret is out and you find out whodunit. But those with an affection for the old dark house trappings will definitely want to pay a visit.