Secret of the Blue Room

This is, what, the fourth classic Universal horror film to start with the same rendition of Swan Lake? "Secret of the Blue Room" revolves around a mansion with a cursed room, were three unsolved murders have occurred over. In order to impress the object of their desire (Third time in a row Gloria Stuart has shown up), three suitors each decide to spend a night in the seemingly haunted room. Murder follows, mysteries are investigated, and red herrings abound.

If this movie was a book, we'd call it a great airport read. It's generally unremarkable and didn't offer anything particularly new, even in 1933. The film is a straight mystery with only marginal horror elements. There's some light Gothic trappings, such as a silhouette shot of the mansion right out of "The Cat and the Canary" and a great scene of Gloria being attacked by a fedora clad villain, who we naturally only see in shadow. The climax takes place in a spider web covered secret dungeon. The cast is good, truthfully. Lionel Atwill, as the girl's father, plays up his natural creepiness. William Janney as the youngest suitor and Paul Lukas, with his strong accent, are both more interesting then your typical Hollywood romantic leads of the time. My favorite performance has to be Edward Arnold as the detective. His uncompromising interrogation techniques make the second half of the movie energetic and fun. Mary the cook provides some amusing comic relief, with her anxious insistence not to be incriminated in the case.

I was sort of surprised to find out the movie isn't based on a stage play, with its small cast and limited locations. It's not a particularly memorable film but it is a decent way to spend an hour, a good example of the sub-genre. Universal was weirdly fond of the story, remaking it twice, in '38 as The Missing Guest and in '44 as Murder in the Blue Room, a musical/comedy. Funnily, each was in black and white meaning we just have to take the movie's word on the titular room's primary color.

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.

Gloria Stuart, of "Titanic" fame who was a Universal film actress of the 1930s, here has just turned 21 as of midnight and is having a small birthday party with three men who are vying for her affection and her father, Lionel Atwill in the "Secret of the Blue Room." All are having a good time, when the subject comes up of the blue room. What is the blue room? What so gruesomely ever happened there? It seems it has been locked for years, because several people were mysteriously killed in that room at exactly 1:00 a.m. on separate occasions, including a detective trying to solve the murders before him. When one of them offers to stay in the room to try to solve the mystery and prove his love for Gloria in doing so, he is nowhere to be found. So begins the strange goings-on in this effective little chiller. In fact, I would watch this again, even knowing the culprit. Lionel Atwill made a career of little horror films just like this, maybe even more macabre than this. The film also stars Paul Lukas and Onslow Stevens as two of her suitors, and Robert Barrat is on hand as the butler who seems to act like he knows more about what's going on than the others do. And, Gloria Stuart sings a lovely song near the beginning of the film. For a spooky time on Halloween night, this will definitely fit the bill and you would be more than entertained by Universal's roster of capable stars and the Universal touch of the sinister creepiness of something in the air waiting for you

This is certainly one of THE classic 'old mansion murder mysteries' that were so popular in the 30s; and it can contend with most of the very best of them. A great challenge for every mystery fan who likes to guess the murderer, because the plot takes so many turns and twists that it's really hard to follow even for a 'murder expert'! The settings are excellent, following the classic scheme of the old, elegant but somehow frightening isolated country house, with solid wooden stairs, long dark corridors with knight's armors in every corner, distinguished old-fashioned furniture - and a dark room with an old DARK mystery...

The cast is magnificent, headed by mystery expert Lionel Atwill, and beautiful Gloria Stuart (who had also played in "The Old Dark House" a year before) as the object of desire for no less than three young men; Edward Arnold, well-known to friends of more down-to-earth gangster movies and comedies, as the blunt detective, Paul Lukas as the suave foreign 'officer and gentleman' - even every bit part was casted just perfectly! In my opinion, an absolute 'must' for any fan of the classic mysteries of the 30s - and a good opportunity for others, who are not too familiar yet with the genre, to get to know it WELL and at its BEST!

Secret of the Blue Room (1933)

*** (out of 4)

Forgotten Universal mystery/horror film about a haunted room that kills whomever stays the night in it. Is it a ghost or something else? I was shocked to see how well made this film was and the direction added some nice atmosphere along the way. The story is very well written with a nice mystery and a wonderful ending that certainly caught me off guard. The only weak part is some of the police investigation. Stars Lionel Atwill and Gloria Stuart. Rare but certainly worth searching for. I might even prefer this to The Old Dark House, which shared some of the same sets as this film.

Remade twice by Universal.