After Last Week, "Svengoolie" Offers A Universal Gem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Universal must have had high expectations for 1935's "The Invisible Ray."  It had Karloff and Lugosi, Frank Lawton, who proved he needs strong direction to manage a performance, like he did when he had George Cukor in "David Copperfield, and Violet Kemble Cooper, who played Jane Murdstone in the aforementioned 'Copperfield,' looking here like a cross between Maria Ouspenskaya and Blanchee Yurka!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           The ray was indeed invisible, rendering Karloff a madman, with a climactic surprise appearance by his mother (Cooper), who in an act of Oedipal strength, worthy of Norman Bates and his mother, drives her son to a suicidal death.  What a lot of nonsense.  Some fine set design and art direction from all sides; too bad it did not have a director like James Whale to pull it all together.

                                              Well, this week's offering, 1932's "The Old Dark House" offers a sterling cast, and artsy designs, but Eva Moore as Rebecca steals the show.  Looking like Marjorie Main on drugs, with a dash of Marie Dressler thrown in, she may not be a beauty, like Gloria Stuart, but she gets the best lines, and even puts the lesbian make on Gloria.  All the campiness wanted in last week's film is here, so tune in, tonight at 8PM.  If you have seen it already, it is worth a second look.  For those who have not seen it, it is a real treat.  And James Whale directs all this with his sure hand.

                                                   One of the best of the haunted house movies!

                                                  Ah, nothing like Universal at its prime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!