The Ghoul (1933)

In an eerie, fog-shrouded London, an ancient curse has been unleashed and a reign of terror is about to begin! Horror movie legend Boris Karloff is unforgettable in this "blood-curdling" (Motion Picture Herald) thriller that brings to life the classic tale of the mummy!On his deathbed, famed Egyptologist Professor Morlant (Karloff) instructs his assistant to bury him with an ancient jewel he believes will grant him eternal life. But soon after he's entombed, the sacred treasure is ripped from his hand by a mysterious grave robber. Now, filled with fury, Morlant rises from his crypt as a grotesquely decaying mummy determined to avenge the theft and destroy everything in his path!

Delightful, Old Fashioned Gothic Horror

"The Ghoul" is delightful, old-fashioned gothic horror. Film legend Boris Karloff stars as Professor Morlant, the eccentric, oddball millionaire who wishes to live forever by means of an Egyptian jewel that is required to be entombed with him. Unfortunately, on the night of his death, a group of associates and distant relatives descend on his London chateau for their inheritance. Someone steals the jewel and Morlant rises from his grave in order to get it back so that he may live forever. Great performances are given by all, especially Kathleen Harrison as the comical, gregarious Kaney. In fact, the film is laced with quite a bit of humor. There are some moments of tension as the jewel passes from one thief's hand to another while Morlant attempts to retrieve it.

"The Ghoul" is fun to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Once considered a "lost" film, it will be cherished by all who love gothic horror and/or are fans of Boris Karloff. Released in 1933, it was filmed in black and white and has an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, which is nearly full frame; modern viewers may not appreciate it. A higher body count would have helped tremendously; alas, the censors would probably not have allowed it even though the original "King Kong" was released in the same year.
June 30, 2008

KARLOFF!!!

Pretty dull, until the last 20 minutes or so. Karloff is obsessed with egyptian mythology. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of his now-vacant mansion, he's only MOSTLY dead.

Worth a rental if you're a Karloff fan. Otherwise, skip it. April 21, 2008

The Ghoul

MGM bare bones dvd. Really good early 1930's horror has Boris Karloff rising from the grave for revenge. Can you beat that? The transfer is excellent for a film of this age. Still good without extras. February 24, 2007

Minor horror effort

"The Ghoul," a British production that Boris Karloff starred in shortly after achieving stardom with "Frankenstein," opens impressively with some excellent, literate dialogue and the promise of first class chills to come, then rapidly descends into a fairly campy retread of "The Mummy."

The impressive cast almost redeems this minor horror effort, with Ernest Thesiger - yes, Horace Femm of "The Old Dark House" and Dr. Pretorious of "Bride of Frankenstein" - stealing the show as Karloff's prissy, Bible quoting man-servent.

"The Ghoul" is worth a look for fans of both Karloff and '30's horror films, but its relative obscurity is deserved.

Brian W. Fairbanks January 31, 2007

A Lost Treasure

The Ghoul quite has the sense of a lost treasure, it is brilliantly filmed with dark, moody sets and strong, sparse, directional focused lighting, giving an all over creepy feel to a movie where the title role of 'the ghoul' is only actually seen in about three scenes and is never a real threat to anybody. It boasts stellar performances from Boris Karloff and his fellow cast members, particually Kathleen Harrison as Kaney, a simple, quirky, overly cheerful girl besotted with a phony Sheik who seems destined never to amount to anything other than the leading lady Dorothy Hyson's supporting role, but out of sheer chance ultimatly saves the day.
The sound is dreadful and it is quite difficult to hear the words beyond the muffled spits and scratches of the deteriated film, but don't let this put you off. Generally if you love films of this period as I do you are used to, even enjoy their historic aging. Considering this film was lost until the late 1960s when it was discovered in someones basement, you really have to expect a certain amount of spits and scratches and honestly this very poor quality adds much of the atmosphere and sense that the viewer is watching something unseen for generations. May 13, 2006

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