The Ghoul (1933) User Reviews

Better than all that

[rbyers · 7/10 · 22 September 2003]

Most of the other commenters seem to have seen a truncated, blurry version of this movie. The new DVD certainly kept me entertained! It's true that the movie is very dark, but the shadowy photography is beautiful and Germanic -- prime '30s look, fog, candlelight, and all. I just checked, and I see that cinematographer Gunther Krampf also shot NOSFERATU, THE STUDENT OF PRAGUE, and PANDORA'S BOX. Pretty good resume!

Hoaky old dark house cliches and humor, for sure, but funny if you know the genre. The woman who wants to be the "sheikh's" love slave is a real hoot. Karloff, Thesiger, Hardwick, and Richardson are all very good, as are the romantic couple who spar and then decide they like each other (surprise!). Karloff's self-mutilation scene is brilliantly disturbing. And wait a second, is that a patch of bamboo he stumbles into just in front of the Yorkshire moors? This is all great fun, perhaps best if you check any high expectations at the door.

Old dark house mystery gets the royal British treatment...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 18 September 2008]

The surprising thing about THE GHOUL is that it features an impressive background score for a film made in '33, when most soundtracks were almost completely devoid of music. This is something the other comments here failed to mention.

The other plus factor is the brilliant B&W photography done in Gothic style to suit the story elements here. An Egyptologist returns from the grave to take revenge on a servant who has stolen a sacred jewel. BORIS KARLOFF is the doctor with his own rules about how to offer sacrifices to Anubis in order to have eternal life.

The pace is slow and there's too much silly banter that features KATHLEEN HARRISON in a role designed to give the audience comedy relief. RALPH RICHARDSON is excellent as a cleric who seems to be a helpful visitor and ERNEST THESIGER is fine as the nervous servant.

The Gothic ambiance is strong with handsome interiors of a house in shadows and the flavor of an "old dark house mystery" is well sustained. Plotwise, there are loopholes and the story only really picks up once Karloff has returned from the grave.

For fans of this genre, this is an interesting film and Karloff's performance is first rate.

Amazing sets and photography, atmosphere to burn

[GroovyDoom · 6/10 · 4 July 2006]

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.

What was lost has been found... a rarity from the 30's

[leggatt · 24 May 2001]

If you can locate a copy of this exceptional talkie you are indeed fortunate. It took me years to find, yet it was well worth the wait.

The history of this Karloff gem is fascinating. 'The Ghoul' had completely disappeared, not even the trailer survived. Yet in the 1980's (if I remember correctly), a lone nitrate print turned up in Prague, (with Hungarian subtitles) in *appalling* condition. Apparently, the nitrate film had shrunk to a mere third of it's original width, was exceptionally brittle and in a number of pieces yet was effectively restored... albeit not to the quality of it's release. Therefore, I was prepared to overlook the graininess, variable contrast and sound-track distortions.

'The Ghoul' belongs to Karloff. Had the film not vanished it would have become a hardy perennial of late night television horror alongside the Lemalle classics. As for the cast, sets and script (in that order), the film is superior to other horror classics of the period.

The story-line is vaguely reminiscent... an eccentric, terminally ill man (of Egyptian ancestry) decrees that a rare artefact must be entombed with him otherwise trouble will befall. As to be anticipated, the scarab jewel is removed from the hand of his corpse by a tomb robber not long after internment providing the impetus to wreak revenge in the signature fashion.

The quality of the film may distract some viewers, but the atmosphere retains most of it's inaugural impact. Definitely an eight and a half!

Slow to get started, but solid Karloff horror film

[a_chinn · 6/10 · 27 December 2017]

Boris Karloff was already a horror mainstay at this point in his career, having played Frankenstein's monster, The Mummy, and Fu Manchu, and now playing the titular Ghoul. This film has a deceased Karloff coming back to life after an Egyptian jewel he was buried with is stolen. The film really does, pun intended, come to life after Karloff's resurrection, but the build up to that point for the film's short 79-minute runtime is a bit of a slog. Overall, this British horror film isn't exactly a Universal Pictures Horror classic, but it is solid entertainment. FUN FACT! "The Ghoul" is one of many films to have fallen into the public domain, so it is freely available for download on the internet.

Pretty good old horror film

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 9 October 2007]

Boris Karloff plays a crazy old guy who worships the Egyptian god, Anubis. On his death bed, he swears that if anyone should steal a sacred jewel from his Anubis statue he will return from the dead to exact revenge. Not surprisingly, several very greedy people come along and try stealing the jewel--only to incur the wrath of the zombie Karloff. Despite the whole Egyptian aspect of the film, though, he was not a mummy nor was this just a rehash of THE MUMMY (also from 1933). Overall, it's a rather standard but well-produced zombie murdering the idiots film--not great, but certainly worth seeing.

By the way, in a funny inside joke, there is a parody of the "desert savage" style of film. THE SHEIK, THE SON OF THE SKEIK and THE BARBARIAN were among several films like this and in THE GHOUL, there is a supposed sheik and a lady who is infatuated with this clichéd image of a macho and sexist Middle Eastern lover.

Unfortunately not the lost classic we had heard it was

[preppy-3 · 5/10 · 27 April 2007]

Professor Morlant (Boris Karloff) is near death. He orders his servant Laing (Ernest Thesiger) to bury him with the Eternal Light--a jewel that will bring him immortality. However, after his funeral, the jewel is stolen and there are seven minor characters who just end up in his house that night. Then Karloff comes to life (somehow) and sets off to find who stole his jewel.

This was considered a lost film for many years until a full print was discovered in Britain a few years ago. It was made available on DVD by MGM and the transfer is a beauty--crisp clear picture and good sound. Too bad the picture isn't that good.

There are far too many needless characters cluttering up the movie and not one is given a full characterization. Also their acting is atrocious--Ralph Morland (Anthony Bushell) screams every line; Ms. Kaney (Kathleen Harrison) is shrill and whiny and they throw in a pastor (Ralph Richardson in his first role) for no good reason! The script is full of terrible lines and horribly bad "comedy".

DEFINITE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!! Also the plot ceases to make sense a few times: how does Karloff come to life again? It's hastily said that he wasn't really dead--just in a trance but that doesn't wash. How is he able to walk around? He was bedridden before death. Why is his face so disfigured? Why can't he speak? Where does this superhuman strength come from (he's able to bend steel bars)? And how about Richardson at the end. Why was he in the crypt? How did he get inside a statue? As you can see, there are far too many unexplained aspects of the story. SPOILERS END!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still it DOES have a few virtues.

It is atmospheric and the sets themselves are beautiful. Also Karloff's resurrection is a highlight and he's downright frightening going after people--an excellent makeup job was done on him. Also Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Richardson and Thesiger give good performances. Karloff though is brilliant--he can't speak after he's resurrected and his pantomiming skills (undoubtedly learned from his Frankenstein role) are incredible. But he only comes alive during the closing 30 minutes. Before that there's a good 50 minutes of bad dialogue, plotting and acting to contend with. Still, for a horror fan, it's worth catching once just for the closing 30 minutes. But I can honestly only give this a 5.

Not One Of Karloff's Highlights, But Certainly Worth Watching

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 6/10 · 17 August 2007]

T. Hayes Hunter's "The Ghoul" of 1933 is certainly not one of the best movies starring the incomparable Boris Karloff, as Karloff sadly doesn't have the screen time one could have hoped for, but it has its qualities and is doubtlessly worth watching, also for the reason that "The Ghoul" was thought of as a lost film for a long time.

Professor Morlant (Boris Karloff), a dying Egyptologist who believes in ancient Egyptian Gods, gives the instructions for his burial to his butler (Ernest Thesinger). Hoping to gain eternal life as a follower of an Egyptian deity, Morlant wants to be buried in a tomb by his mansion, with a statue of his God and a valuable jewel in his hand...

This movie's biggest flaw is the lack of screen time for Karloff, out of the movie's 80 minutes, Karloff appears for 25 minutes at the most. In other respects, the movie has many qualities, it is very well photographed, the score is great and fits in perfectly, and all that, as well as lots of shadows, make the movie highly atmospheric and obscure, as the film maintains a certain darkness throughout its entire 80 minutes. Karloff is great as always, and, in spite of the fact that he should have had more screen time, this brilliant actor is so eerie and remarkable that he carries the movie. Seeing Ernest Thesinger (Dr. Pretorius in "Bride Of Frankenstein") deliver a great performance as the butler is another great quality of "The Ghoul". The performances are generally good, Cedrick Hardwicke is great as the lawyer Broughton, and Kathleen Harrison and Harold Huth are great fun to watch in the film's more humorous parts. Unfortunately, the movie, which starts out greatly, gets quite boring in the middle, and nothing really happens for quite some time. Apart from the unnecessary boredom in the middle of the movie, and the fact that Karloff's role could have been a lot bigger, the movie is certainly worth watching. When it comes to Egyptian themed movies with Karloff, however, I'll recommend "The Mummy" of 1932, a true masterpiece, ten times over "The Ghoul".

All things considered, "The Ghoul" is certainly no highlight in the great Boris Karloff's career, but warmly recommended to my fellow fans of classic Horror cinema. 6/10

The opportunity to be a classic terror film was thrown away

[jameselliot-1 · 5/10 · 1 December 2019]

The sets, cinematography and overall atmosphere is excellent. The music is effective in some spots only. Karloff, mostly speechless, plays the title character superbly and in well-designed horrific makeup. He looks like he's rotting and loosing control of his limbs from the start--but from what? He is not a ghoul in the classic sense (too gruesome for 1933) and while the story would seem to depict him as the walking dead, he may not be. Thesiger, Richardson and Sir Cedric are fine. Dorothy Hyson is a gorgeous, leggy damsel in distress. The film only wakes up during Karloff's intensely creepy scenes that just total less than 20 minutes. This is an example of a once lost film with a reputation that was overblown by the tantalizing stills in the monster magazines. The elements for greatness were there except for the lack of a good script and the bad histrionics of several supporting players. The ending is especially weak.

The Ghoul

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 20 May 2007]

Pagan Professor Morlant(Boris Karloff, absent for far too long) wishes for a rare jewel, sold to him by Arab "shiek" Aga Ben Dragore(Harold Huth)who stole it from an Egyptian crypt, to be buried in his tomb when he passes. Morlant is dying and has his aide, Laing(Ernest Thesiger, up to his usual scene-stealing ways)bandage the jewel in his hand. Unfortunately for Morlant, Laing steals the jewel in a moment of weakness and before long others seek after it such as Dragore, sneaky no-good accountant Broughton(Cedric Hardwicke), and even "padre" Nigel Hartley(Ralph Richardson). Betty Harlon(Dorothy Hyston)and Ralph Morlant(Anthony Bushell)are cousins from bickering families related to Professor Morlant who stood to benefit from anything left by him after his death. What no one counted on was Professor Morlant's "rising from the grave" in search of the stolen jewel..he plans to bow at the altar of his pagan statue hoping for eternal life with the jewel clasped in his hand.

While being deliciously atmospheric with foggy nights and creepy Morlant estate as the setting, this film lumbers along at too slow a pace. Kathleen Harrison is the comic relief as Kaney, Betty's friend who tags along, falling for Dragore and getting into possible peril when the jewel winds up in her hands out of all people. The leads, Hyson and Bushell aren't charismatic or charming enough, but pros Karloff(..the precious few minutes we have him), Hardwicke, Thesiger, & especially Richardson give this some merit. Not really that bad, but could've been so much better.

(added 10/22/11):I have to say that this film has grown on me over time as I thoroughly enjoy the dark, moody photography (the film seems to occur almost entirely at night, giving the picture a proper foreboding as anyone might be hiding somewhere in the darkness prepared to steal the desired jewel)and supporting cast. Like chatty Richardson, who is highly opinionated for someone who shouldn't even be on the premises to begin with, and grumpy, rude Hardwicke who resembled a gargoyle to me. Yes, the plot is slow, but I think it gives the film an appropriate time to set up the variety of characters out to line their pockets if the jewel is attained. And Karloff is at his creepy best, his eyes full of menace, angered at the thievery of his precious jewel. One more thing I thought was fun is the "rivalry" between pagan and Christian ideals as Karloff's egyptologist firmly believes in the power of his god, while Richardson challenges such "immorality". Speaking of Richardson, he definitely in my mind steals the film as a shady priest who, from practically the moment he appears, seems untrustworthy.

May Eternal Light Shine Upon Him.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 29 May 2015]

This old horror/thriller has garnered some enthusiastic reviews. I suppose might won't be so enthusiastic. It struck me as about average. The story about an Ancient Egyptian jewel that can bring life back to the dead isn't particularly interesting, though it's complicated. None of the performances stand out.

The dialog has a few pretty good zingers though, and the atmosphere -- old dark house, candle light, stone tomb in the back yard -- is convincing and deliciously photographed.

Too bad it's not better than it is. I mean, Ralph Richardson, Boris Karloff, Cedrick Hardwicke. A shame their roles are made of cardboard. The blond is cute. Nobody is a ghoul.

Thoroughly Modern Mummy!

[benoit-3 · 10/10 · 8 September 2005]

I just watched this jaw-droppingly pristine copy of "The Ghoul" available on MGM DVD, which is a transfer of a recently discovered practically unused and complete print of the film found at the British Film Institute. The image is unbelievably clear and the sound has been processed (by the engineers at Sonic Solutions) so that it is quite comparable to recordings made at least 30 years later and possibly even better since it is engineered to fill up both channels of a stereo set-up (with no background hiss or grating of any kind). The original music by Louis Levy (aided by Leighton Lucas) is innovative and prescient for the time.

The photography and art direction - by two German expressionists of renown, including The Archers' legendary Alfred Junge - are stupendous, especially the London fog scenes and the great details of the interior scenes. I was also pleasantly surprised by the mobility of the camera at all times and the realistic aspect of the action scenes. The atmosphere is suspenseful and chillingly mysterious and all the actors are extremely good (and famous!), including the two "young adorables" acting as principals, shapely Dorothy Hyson and stalwart Anthony Bushell.

The dialog is at least twice as witty as that found in the Universal horror flicks of the same era and the story actually makes sense, although, unfortunately, it is of the "Scooby-Doo" school of old dark house mysteries where everything is neatly tied up with a rational explanation at the end, leaving absolutely no room for belief in the supernatural. But this doesn't distract from the extreme intelligence of the whole, the great fun of watching all those clever actors turning in memorable performances and the extra bonus of watching a relative unknown one (Kathleen Harrison in an amorous Carol Burnett-type of persona) stealing the show from everyone else at the end.

This film has a little bit of everything for everybody but it should be prized at least for having been saved from total disappearance and as a precious time-travel piece that actually shows the viewer what a brand-new horror film looked like on its first day of projection back in 1933. I enjoyed Ralph Richardson (as a country pastor) in every frame he's in and I am still in awe of Cedric Hardwicke's interpretation of an enigmatic solicitor which so closely resembles an impersonation of "Mr. Rat" from "The Wind in the Willows". Karloff is underemployed but effective as usual as Professor Morlant (which sounds like "slow death" - mort lente - in French) but Ernest Thesiger is priceless as a slow-witted butler with a club-foot and a Scottish brogue.

This film has very high entertainment and repeat value for the discriminating viewer and the DVD is being sold for practically no money. After surviving 70 years on the shelf, "The Ghoul" has become a must-have instant classic.

Almost a comedy

[hollywoodshack · 6/10 · 21 March 2022]

The last half could almost be considered a comedy after the Ghoul dies and they're all fighting over who will keep the diamond and which one of them has it. It starts us out thinking Karloff's undead character will kill them all off to get his diamond back and it never happens. He seems to have strangled a woman in an elaborate scene and then she gets up and walks away, says, "No, I wasn't hurt. He only frightened me." Had a lot of possibilities in the serious realm, but maybe the budget was too small to have them filmed.

Goulash.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 5/10 · 1 October 2015]

Taking a look at the website of DVD company Network,I spotted a Boris Karloff title featuring a commentary from Stephen Jones & Kin Newman,which led to me getting ready to uncover the ghoul.

View on the film:

For the first ever (sound) British Horror film, (labelled "Horrific" when it first came out)director T. Hayes Hunter & cinematographer Günther Krampf soak the title in a haunting Gothic Horror atmosphere,with Hunter and Krampf using low lights to give the creeks bursting from Morlant's country house a real crunch.

Along with the creeping Gothic chills,Hunter also reveals a keen eye for stylish set pieces,as Morlant's mansion is revealed to contain a straight from Egypt tomb,and a fiery pit,which leads to Hunter delivering an explosive final.

Whilst Hunter sets the mood for his adaptation of Leonard Hines and Frank King's play,the screenplay by Rupert Downing/Roland Pertwee & John Hastings Turner struggles to give Hunters spooky backdrop a suitable foundation.

Sending Henry Morlant to the tomb in the first 15 minutes,the writers take a hazy mystery route which tries to build up suspense for Henry's return,but fails thanks to the writers not giving any of the other characters distinctive features,and also holding back Henry's jewel from being the driving force behind the Horror mystery, until the last minute.

With Karloff's prescience being locked in the tomb for most of the title,the rest of the cast sadly make his absence from the screen be one that is strongly felt,with Anthony Bushell giving an incredibly stilted,dry performance as Ralph Morlant.Returning to the UK,Boris Karloff gives a great performance as Prof. Henry Morlant,with Karloff revealing Morlant to be in a decaying near-zombie state,as Morlant comes out of the tomb.

Excellent, underrated.

[patriciahammond · 21 November 2004]

I disagree wholeheartedly with those who have given this film a bad review. The acting is superb, particularly Ralph Richardson as the 'Vicar', and the character actors, and of course Boris himself. Beautifully shot with wonderful props and set (I'd love to know which house they used!) it could put many a famous cinematic Haunted House to shame! The plot is reasonably clever and well-paced --nobody wants anything too complex in this atmospheric genre-- and the romantic subplot is suitably unsentimental and unobtrusive. Especially wonderful is the moment when the second woman, who had been swooning ridiculously in front of the man who calls himself a Sheik and generally acting silly, turns suddenly brave and holds the baddies at bay with the words (remember this is 1933!) "I don't THINK so!"

Money talks! Make that 7.5!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 24 September 2017]

A Gaumont British picture, not copyrighted in the U.S.A. Original U.S. release through Gaumont-British: December 1933. New York opening at the Rialto: 26 January 1934. London trade showing: 24 July 1933. U.K. release: 26 August 1933. 7,217 feet. 80 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: A valuable jewel, "The Eternal Light," is stolen from a famous Egyptian tomb and comes into the possession of Professor Morlant (Boris Karloff). Believing in the powers of the ancient Egyptian gods, Morlant is confident it will give him immortality. On his deathbed, the professor instructs his servant, Laing (Ernest Thesiger), to bind the jewel in his hand after his death. Before expiring, he warns Laing if his jewel is stolen, he will rise from the dead to seek revenge.

NOTES: Made at the Gaumont British Studios in Shepherd's Bush, this was Karloff's first film in his native England. It is also allegedly "the first real attempt at a British horror film." It was re-made in 1961 as a Carry On type comedy called either "What a Carve Up!" or "No Place Like Homicide".

COMMENT: For the first half-hour or so, this develops as a really outstandingly spooky horror piece, with fantastic sets, appropriately hideous make-up, fascinatingly bizarre characters, stylish direction, dramatically atmospheric photography and a powerfully chilling music score. Once stiffly staid hero Bushell and comic relief scaredy-cat Harrison come on, however, tension lapses somewhat; — but only to be marvelously revived when Karloff re- appears in his new and even more sinister guise.

Karloff, Thesiger and Sir Cedric Hardwicke run rings around the rest of the players, though Ralph Richardson makes a good try and Miss Hyson is an appealing heroine.

Junge's sets are marvels of atmospheric horror which often dwarf the characters. This is as it should be. The sets and the make-up in horror films often contribute more atmosphere than the usually one- dimensional characters and melodramatic plots — which are all really variations on that single theme which brings diverse and weird characters into conflict with the real or imagined supernatural in an appropriately spooky setting.

To list all the films and plays which use this device would exhaust our pages so I'll just cite one: "The Cat and the Canary". Notice the similarities: wills, heirs, fabulous fortunes, spooky old mansions, the undead, imperiled heroines, ancient servants, lawyers, comics, characters who turn out to be something other than they appear.

It's hard to go wrong with this sort of picture, but by the same token it's difficult to do really well unless you've got the sort of money and highly professional expertise that went into this "Ghoul".

Available on a superb DVD from Hollywood Movie Classics.

An English horror film combining a heavy hand with light banter

[netwallah · 6/10 · 3 July 2006]

A strangely amusing movie, one that mixes Egyptian lore with the flavour of lightly comic English mysteries. Professor Morlant (Boris Karloff) is dying, but he has purchased a jewel that has the power to compel Anubis to admit the bearer to immortality. His dubious Scots servant Laing (Ernest Thesiger) is tempted and steals it from the sarcophagus laid in the burial chamber just down the hill from the spooky mansion. But he soon decides he doesn't want it and tries to give it to one of the two heirs, Ralph (Anthony Bushell) and Betty (Dorothy Hyson). Meanwhile the absurdly shifty solicitor Broughton (Cedric Hardwicke) is searching for the stone, as is the Egyptian Aga Ben Dragore (Harold Huth). Betty's friend irrepressible friend Kaney (Kathleen Harrison) latches on to the Egyptian, who tells her he is a sheik, and she prattles film or romance novel nonsense and he plays along—it's really rather funny. Morlant rises from his tomb and staggers about the place looking for his missing jewel, killing Dragore's hidden assistant, and half-throttling Laing and then Betty, in whose suitcase Laing has hidden it. With the jewel clutched in his hand, Morlant staggers back to the tomb, cuts an ankh symbol on his bare, bony chest, and waits for Anubis to close his hand around the jewel, the sign that the gift is accepted. After what seems a long wait, the hand closes and Morlant, jubilant, falls dead. But we see it's a human hand reaching through a hole cut through the arm of the Anubis statue—and the crook turns out to be the man everybody thought was a priest (Ralph Richardson). He and Ralph struggle, and Dragore steals the jewel. He runs into Kaney, but instead of greeting her fondly, as she had hoped, he slaps her and runs off, but not before she grabs at him, tearing his jacket pocket, and the jewel falls out, and now she has it. She holds Dragore and Broughton at bay by holding the jewel over a deep well, until the police unexpectedly arrive. Betty, Ralph, and the so-called priest are trapped in the tomb, but they escape, or at least the two heirs, cousins, and now lovers escape. Karloff's part is actually rather small, but as always he is utterly monstrous, with creepily bubbled skin and one huge eyebrow and malevolent eyes—but he has a strangely beautiful voice, which makes me wonder whether he ever got a chance to be something other than a monster? The romantic leads, Hyson and Bushell, are awful. She is rather insipid, and he shouts. Hardwicke hunches and grimaces too much, and his make-up seems thick, as if he were trying to put on years. Harrison, however, is sparky and funny and quite the best thing this movie has to offer. Thesiger, too, is very good, and does his dour Scots character perfectly. And what's all this about the mystic power of Egypt? All these smart professors keep trying to appropriate it, but it never works out for them, does it?

Too much chatting...too few Boris!

[Coventry · 4/10 · 5 August 2005]

This film is a curiosity in the classic horror field and it easily gained a cult-status for some very simple reasons. First of all, because "The Ghoul" was the very first British horror film with sound, and that's quite spectacular since Britain would later become one of most eminent horror-producing countries (with Hammer, Tigon, etc…). Secondly – and more importantly – "The Ghoul" was considered a lost film for many decades, so when a reasonably undamaged copy was discovered, naturally many Boris Karloff fans wanted to see it right away. So, purely talking trivia, this film is well worth a purchase. On the other hand, however, it's a very uneven and lacking thriller that doesn't deliver many chills. Especially compared to other classic Karloff-titles of that period (like "Frankenstein", "The Mummy" or "The Old Dark House"), "The Ghoul" is slow-paced and unmemorable. The film stars Boris Karloff (with an impressive pair of eyebrows) as a dying professor who believes an Egyptian jewel will grant him immortality. He wishes to be buried with it, but when his servant steals it from his tomb, the professor resurrects as a zombie on a quest for revenge. Half way through the screenplay, the story all of a sudden turns into a comedy with a whole bunch of bizarre characters that're all chasing a treasure they don't know. Some of the dialogues are very well written but the film lacks action and atmosphere. Simply put, "The Ghoul" is really tedious whenever Boris Karloff is not on screen. And, unfortunately, that's for about 75% of the entire length.

Watchable but no classic thanks to the extra-slow pace

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 21 July 2016]

This spooky early outing for Karloff has a number of good qualities and also lesser qualities to distinguish it from other offerings. For a start, the film retains a haunting atmosphere which peaks at the scenes where Karloff rises from his tomb. However, it is let down by a slow pace which only picks up towards the end of the film. Sadly, the film quality has deteriorated over the years, and therefore 'jumps' regularly, and also crackles a lot which ruins the appeal of it somewhat and also dates it. A lot of the scenes are in the dark which makes things difficult to see.

The plot is the classic 'group of people congregate in house and are attacked by killer' story which has been the basis of other classics like THE CAT AND THE CANARY and THE OLD DARK HOUSE. The cast is good all round. Boris Karloff was following in the horrific footsteps of his classic FRANKENSTEINand once again wore makeup for the monster role, and very effective decayed makeup it is too. Ernest Thesiger is his usual repulsive self as the selfish servant, and the two are given good support from a variety of British actors including Cedric Hardwicke. Ralph Richardson also turns up in an early role. A ghostly drumbeat helps to keep things moving along in this atmospheric tale, and the only thing which ruins it is the bad quality of the film stock. If you can get past this aspect though, then you will find yourself enjoying this classic creaky chiller.

Did they 'lose' it on purpose?

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 28 April 2022]

Boris Karloff plays Prof. Henry Morlant, who acquires 'the eternal light', a valuable jewel that has the power to open the gate to immortality, after which he promptly carks it, the stone in his hand when he is laid to rest. When Morlant's manservant Laing (Ernest Thesiger) sneaks into the tomb and steals the eternal light, the professor returns from the dead to reclaim the jewel, much to the horror of his heirs, Ralph Morlant (Anthony Bushell) and Betty Harlon (Dorothy Hyson).

This 1933 Boris Karloff horror was considered a 'lost' movie for many years. In the late '60s, someone unearthed a weathered, subtitled version missing vital scenes, but it wasn't until the early '80s that a pristine English-language print was found in a vault at Shepperton Studios, finally allowing cinephiles to fully appreciate what an incredibly dull film it really is. It makes one wonder whether certain lost films would be better off staying that way (having seen Tod Browning's Mark of the Vampire, I have my doubts about whether London After Midnight is the lost 'classic' that many believe it to be).

It's a long wait until Karloff rises from his tomb to wreak revenge, and even when he does, it's not very exciting stuff, the only scary thing about Morlant being his eyebrows, which are monstrous in size (he looks like Sam the eagle from the Muppets). The final ten minutes are the best part of the film, but getting there is a challenge: viewers who make it to the final act without falling asleep will be treated to an enjoyably daft ending that sees several villains crawling out of the woodwork, and which ends with an inferno caused by a falling lamp conveniently helping the good guys to escape.

3/10.

very nice little film

[sfdavide · 6/10 · 22 March 2005]

It takes a while to get going but it is a gem of a horror film once that happens. The first part although slow and the acting melodramatic does have a nice atmosphere. Once The Ghoul gets going you can see that Boris Karloff can do more with silence then most actors can do with dialogue. He is marvelous like in his earlier films Frakenstein and The Mummy where although he is mostly silent steals the film from the actors with lines.. He has a very expressive face. This film which I believe was lost for many years is a great find for early horror movie buffs. Watch it some night with the lights out and you will not be disappointed.

Back to the vault!

[MikeMagi · 3/10 · 31 October 2012]

In the wake of his bravura role in "Frankenstein," Boris Karloff made some terrific grade-B horror movies, many of which made use of his superb speaking voice. "The Man They Could Not Hang," "The Walking Dead," "The Black Cat" and "The Devil Commands" for example. Sorry but "The Ghoul" isn't one of them. It's a talky, confusing yarn about a dying Egypologist and the precious jewel he believes will give him immortal life. Atmospherically, it looks as if it was filmed by the light of a 50 watt bulb. Among the actors, Ernest Thesiger as Karloff's disloyal servant has a field day but Cedric Hardwicke as the family solicitor appears to have wandered in from the remake of a Dickens classic (along with his law office set,) Anthony Bushnell as a romantic young swain can't act and Kathleen Harrison's comic conniptions at meeting a sheik are straight from a sidestreet music hall. Hopefully, Karloff had a wonderful time going home to England, suddenly a star at the age of 45 after years of struggle as a character actor. But while his deathbed scene at the start of "The Ghoul" is the high spot of the movie, he probably should have stuck to seeing the sights.

Very Strange, but Very Good

[plato-11 · 8/10 · 1 January 2000]

This movie is an entertaining tale of Prof. Morlant (Boris Karloff), an eccentric Egyptologist who is fixated on the powers of the ancient Egyptian gods. On his deathbed he tells his servant (Ernest Thesinger) to bind the sacred jewel called "The Eternal Light" to his hand. He warns that if the jewel is taken, he will return from the grave seeking revenge....

Boris Karloff's presence and a superb cast move this moody, atmospheric classic along at a great pace. This movie has some great dialogue and an interesting plot. It is very rare, but I was lucky enough to find it on video. If you are a fan of the genre, and you happen to find it, I encourage you to rent it, buy it, whatever.

Could Have Been Much Better

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 30 October 2009]

Karloff never looked worse with those sunken eyes and facial putty. It's interesting that he gets top billing, considering how ineffectual he is and how little time he spends on the screen. The film does look good with the old mansion and the dark corners, but it eventually turns into one of those farcical in the door, out the door, in a window, out a window movies, with silly characters bumping into each other, terrified. The beginning is quite good as we learn of a mysterious stone of great value. It is thought to be able to bring back the dead. Then there is all that fainting. Were all the women hypoglycemic? I counted five times. I did enjoy looking at Ernest Thesiger from Bride of Frankenstein. The rest of the cast were good actors caught in a comedic clunker. By the way, is it ever explained how Karloff died and came back with superhuman qualities? If it weren't for all the great actors, it wouldn't have been much.

Ancient Karloff thriller.

[DigitalRevenantX7 · 5/10 · 10 August 2015]

Professor Morlant, an esteemed but somewhat eccentric Egyptologist, dies after a long bout of illness. Per his instructions, a rare Ancient Egyptian jewel known as the Eternal Light is bandaged to his left hand & his body placed in a specially designed crypt that is locked from the inside. At his wake, his two heirs arrive in his mansion as well as some strangers who are after the Eternal Light. Somehow Morlant comes back to life & upset that somebody had stolen the Eternal Light from his hand. He goes on the warpath in order to find the jewel in order to rest in peace.

The Ghoul was a thriller that was made at the height of both Boris Karloff's career & the Ancient Egyptian craze that had swept the world at the time. The film had somehow become missing & was presumed to be lost for good. But in 1969, a badly shrunken 35mm print with Czechoslovakian subtitles was found in the government archives in Prague & was restored. But the quality of the film was still mediocre – the Region 4 DVD release from Beyond Entertainment was grainy & has its soundtrack badly strained. There is a somewhat cleaner version available on the Internet with its full credits restored.

While not a particularly great film – it is slow & plodding & the supernatural aspect of the story is explained away by having Karloff buried alive due to catalepsy (a form of death-like muscle stiffness) – The Ghoul is still a reasonably interesting thriller. The bulk of the plot is a whodunit that is relatively obvious to the viewer with everyone after the jewel & a walking (not-so-dead) corpse stumbling around. Karloff, who has had a good makeup job done to his face to make him look like a zombie, does a good job of playing someone who is determined to enter the afterlife so much that he has made a deal with Ancient Egyptian gods such as Anubis in order to facilitate that & whose deal rests on his getting the Eternal Light & using it as a sacrifice for his end of the deal. The rest of the cast borders from the passable to the mediocre – although Ernest Thesiger, playing Karloff's butler, does a reasonable job with his wild white hair & Scottish accent. Being a proud Australian, I was amused to hear my country's name being mentioned in such an ancient film (even if in jest).