Ignoring an ancient prophecy, evil brother Gregor seeks to maintain his feudal power on his his Tyrolean estate by murdering and impersonating his benevolent younger twin.Ignoring an ancient prophecy, evil brother Gregor seeks to maintain his feudal power on his his Tyrolean estate by murdering and impersonating his benevolent younger twin.Ignoring an ancient prophecy, evil brother Gregor seeks to maintain his feudal power on his his Tyrolean estate by murdering and impersonating his benevolent younger twin.
- Mashka
- (as Katherine de Mille)
- Court Clerk
- (uncredited)
- Anton as a Child
- (uncredited)
- Franz - Captured Assassin-Villager
- (uncredited)
- Gregor's Hairdresser
- (uncredited)
- Karl - Lead Villager
- (uncredited)
- Member of the Court
- (uncredited)
- Member of the Court
- (uncredited)
- Michael the Footman
- (uncredited)
- Gatekeeper
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPresent existent version, as presented on Turner Classic Movies, bears title and end credits redesigned for the 1955 wide screen re-release.
- GoofsThe film is set in the early 1800s, yet a statue of St. Therese of Lisieux (Therese Martin) is prominently displayed in the castle three times (at 17:26, 40:09, and 47:08). Therese Martin was not born until 1873. Furthermore, no statue of St. Therese was made or displayed until after she was canonized, in 1925.
- Quotes
Mashka: Don't you want to kiss me?
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: [Cutting a juicy pear with his knife and eating it as he talks] A pear is the best fruit!
Mashka: Every time you see her, you want to be rid of me.
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: [Seemingly ignoring her] Lots of juice in a pear!
Mashka: Well, you'll find out I'll not be got rid of so easily! Do you hear what I say?
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: Adam should've chosen a pear.
Mashka: You've got it all planned, haven't you? You're gonna marry her. You're gonna make her your wife, your baroness!
Baron Gregor de Bergmann: I like the feel of a pear! And when you're through with it...
[He carelessly tosses it across the room]
- ConnectionsFeatured in Monday Night Frights: The Black Room (1962)
The room itself was ordered sealed shortly after the birth of the twins in order to avert a repeat of the tragedy. Unbeknownst to the villagers, Gregor has found a hidden passage into the black room, and it is the torture pit of the room where he disposes of the bodies of his victims.
Anton, the younger brother, returns home upon the urging of his brother Gregor, who has, after several attempts on his life, realized that he must step aside in order to calm the people down. Gregor has in mind a phoney abdication in which he seems to step aside in favor of his twin. His actual plan is to murder Anton, and to continue to reign in Anton's identity, in his own twist on the family curse. He falls over his own hubris for a number of personal reasons, but before film's end, he manages to indulge in a round of crafty Karloffian mayhem.
Karloff plays both the monstrous and benign brothers, but in addition, he portrays the nasty brother imitating the gentle one. That's what makes this piece fun. Seventy minutes of the grand old man of the gothics at his best. I've probably seen it about thirty times now, and it holds up well.
- oyason
- Aug 19, 2004
- How long is The Black Room?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Crna soba
- Filming locations
- Culver City, California, USA(Exterior Castle set and Exterior Tyrolean town at the RKO Forty Acres Backlot)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 8 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1