Old Films

There is one thing I can say that's good about black and white films of the thirtees: I can understand every word said. That doesn't go for many modern films - anything with Sean Penn in are almost unwatchable because of his mumbling. To a certain extent I have to blame my own ears since, ageing, I am suffering with being "hard of earing" and have hearing aids which I use in the cinema and sometimes for programmes on TV, though, with a newly purchased "Box", sub-titles are now available.
Mostly it's women I find difficult hearing: the actresses on CSI are the worst; sub-titles are absolutely necessary for them.
Earlier in the week I went to see a very old film at Chapter Arts Centre: "The Old Dark House", a sort of horror film typical of the early 30's but with dashes of humour here and there throughout. While I found the film an experience worth having, a sort of novelty experience, I can't say I there was anything that jolted me in a scary way; indeed, it was at times quite laughable. Not that the laughs were at the film's style but they were, rather, part of the script. I read that this film is a cult classic which means it has never been popular with the mass of cinema-goers but with those who take "film" seriously - people who go to film societies for instance.
So while I enjoyed the film and laughed here and there I can't say that I thought it much good. It sort of clattered along in the way those films of that period did: not much subtlety there, straight-forward story telling, lots of little "frights".
I learn that it was based on a novel by J.B.Preistley. I never would have guessed. Though perhaps it was one of his stories that had to with time returning - but there was nothing of that stuff in this interpretation.
It was directed by James Whale who has, I believe, a greater reputation than he deserves. His "Frankenstein" made him popular and it is worth seeing but still over-rated I believe. He seemed to attract quaklity actors: in this film were Melvyn Douglas, Raymond Massey, Boris Karloff and a very young and rotund Charles Laughton playing a "self-made-man from 'op North".
Halliwell says of it: "A stylist's and connoisseur's treat" and gives it 4 stars.
One big thing going for it as far as I was concerned was taht I heard every word. Why is that? Made in 1932 and the sound track is perfect. "Mystic River" made in 2003 and I need sub-titles - especially for Sean Penn.