Secret of the Blue Room (1933)

People are voting emotionally.

Best movie ever!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

During the 1930s, there were a ton of 'dark house mysteries'...films where a murder takes place at some creepy house or mansion. The cops end up investigating and eventually it's all sorted out by the end...and there are usually a few more bodies by the time it's all sorted. Because of this, there is definitely a sameness to this movie as these others...though fortunately there are enough differences to make it interesting.The film begins with Irene's 21st birthday. Apparently she (Gloria Stuart) is quite the catch, as three men are there vying for her affection at this little party. To prove his rugged manliness, the youngest of her suitors promises to spend the night in the Blue Room. Why is this so scary? Twenty years ago, three people died there...and it's been bolted shut ever since. The two other suitors join him and by morning, one of them is dead. Soon the inspector (Edward Arnold) arrives and tries to figure out what happened.It's interesting that the same exact musical intro occurs in this film as "Dracula"....made by the studio two years earlier. "Swan Lake" was reused and most folks might not recognize it...and the IMDb trivia draws attention to this.So is it any good? Well, it does help that the film has some excellent actors in it, such as Lionel Atwill and Paul Lukas. He and the rest of the cast do a competent job with the story

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!!!

SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM is competently made, with atmosphere to spare, but doesn't particularly stand out from this type of film and this, I guess, is one of the reasons why it isn't well known today. It boasts a fine cast, certainly, but they're not really inspired by the material: Atwill is merely a red herring and isn't even the lead character despite his top billing; Gloria Stuart's role is nothing compared to the one she played in THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932), though she does get to sing in this one!; Paul Lukas is an interesting hero: dapper, mature and sporting a heavy Hungarian accent a' la Bela Lugosi!; Edward Arnold's belated entrance, in my opinion, brings the film to life after a rather slow first half. As for the mystery, well, after the tale told by Atwill about what occurred in the Blue Room all those years ago, one expects an explanation by the film's end but this aspect is never properly resolved (nor is the business about the stranger who breaks into the mansion): instead, we get a 'twist' ending which had actually occurred to me as I lay watching the film but had subsequently dismissed as being too obvious! All in all, apart from some stilted dialogue (courtesy of William Hurlbut, who lated wrote BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN [1935]!), SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM is a very entertaining little film which could have been more interestingly developed - but the main thing here is watching these wonderful actors and the Universal house-style in action.

Because it was released by the premier horror studio Universal, focuses on an old castle with a spooky room, and features horror star Lionel Atwill, SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM has been marketed as a horror film throughout the year. It's actually a whodunit with horror elements that influence but never dominate the film. But it would be close-minded to reject this film just because it's not a full-fledged chiller. SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM is an enjoyable film that projects an air of menacing mystery and efficiently moves the plot with a palpable suspense until the movie's resolution.SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM benefits from attractive sets (leftover from THE OLD DARK HOUSE and FRANKENSTEIN) that convey an ornate yet forbidding castle milieu. Director Kurt Neumann, while no stylist in the James Whale vein, effectively utilizes the setting's atmospheric potential. He provides a suitably eerie aura with taste and restraint, avoiding obvious stunts like self-playing pianos. Such gimmicks would damage the film's mood and credibility.On the whole, performances are good. The actors and actresses provide believable characterizations that help propel the plot. Particularly impressive are Lionel Atwill as the castle owner troubled by his estate's secrets and Edward Arnold as a detective who handles the castle's mysteries in a domineering, no-nonsense manner. Elizabeth Patterson is mildly annoying as a terrified maid, but fortunately her performance doesn't affect BLUE ROOM's atmosphere.Curiously, a few of the plot's riddles remain unexplained at the film's end. It would have been logical for Universal to provide a sequel with the same fine cast in order to resolve everything. Instead, the studio chose to remake the film twice with different performers. But BLUE ROOM's minor plot holes shouldn't detract one from enjoying this well-made mystery.