a5c7b9f00b An Egyptologist returns from the dead to take revenge on those who have violated his tomb. Aga Ben Dragore, a knife-wielding, enigmatic Egyptian Arab, is seeking a sacred jewel which has been stolen from an ancient tomb. The thief tells him that he sold it to Professor Morlant, a fanatical Egyptologist who fervently believes in the pagan power of the ancient Egyptian gods. Dying from a mysteriously disfiguring ailment, Morlant entrusts his faithful manservant to bandage the jewel in his hand and warns him of dire consequences if his dying wishes aren&#39;t carried out. After his burial in an Egyptian-type tomb on his estate, an anonymous robber steals the precious stone from the corpse. Although the ghastly-looking dead man rises at the next full moon to seek revenge, neither he nor the audience know which member of the household possesses the powerful jewel. The print I saw was a copy of an old nitrate. I.e.: more black than white, and at times almost impossible to see what was going on. Cue laughter and corny remarks. From what I could figure this must have been one of the more beautifully designed B-movies from the 30&#39;s. Shame then that the whole cast besides Karloff is such a sham (this contains some of the hokiest acting I have seen in ages, history is no excuse here). They can&#39;t even pronounce sheik (remember that disco-song? Yep, it&#39;s chique!), and always seem to think they&#39;re already outside the shot when they&#39;re not (those facial expressions alone are worth the rental-price) Karloff is great, the rest is crap, or too damaged to be fully appreciated. In his quest for the &#39;eternal light&#39;, Professor Henry Morlant (Boris Karloff) dies with a fabled jewel granting immortality wrapped into his clutched fist before he expires. Subsequently, the jewel becomes the target of an assortment of thieves who desire it for their own purposes. &quot;The Ghoul&quot; is a dark and atmospheric early talkie horror flick from Britain, one of those films that aficionados of the genre say is a must see. The picture has it&#39;s moments, and Karloff fans, myself included, will raise an eyebrow over that ghastly self mutilation scene after his character returns from the dead. What takes away from the picture somewhat is the inclusion of an unnecessary gimmick involving a secondary character, Miss Kaney (Kathleen Harrison), who&#39;s starry eyed over an Egyptian opportunist, Aga Ben Dragore (Harold Huth). Dragore&#39;s also after the eternal light bauble, and I was wondering if he might dispatch her out of desperation at some moment.<br/><br/>I&#39;ve been waiting to see this film for some time, and reading other reviews on this board make me realize why it&#39;s been a rare treat up till now. The picture showed up on Turner Classic this morning and it turned out to be worth the wait. Perhaps a bit dark in spots, the story is a good one given it&#39;s era, and Karloff fans should be reasonably pleased. One will note that he often gives his character a pacing that recalls his Frankenstein Monster, along with a bit of The Mummy without the bandages.
Abinmamor Admin replied
296 weeks ago