Ann Doran, Boris Karloff, Byron Foulger

Prophecy has it that younger twin Anton will kill brother Gregor in the castle's Black Room. Anton returns to the castle after a 10 year hiatus. Gregor, a Baron, has many attempts on his life as his s...( read more  read more... )ubjects detest his tyranny. However, good natured Anton earns the subjects' respect, and the admiration of Col.Hassel, uncle of the beautiful Thea. When Gregor kills young servant Mashka, his subjects storm the castle to remove him. Devious Gregor renounces his title in favour of brother Anton to appease them. He then kills Anton to assume his identity and the Baronship again. He is free to pursue Thea with Col.Hassel's blessing. When Col.Hassel discovers Gregor's impersonation, he also meets death. With Thea's true love, Lt. Lussan, wrongfully convicted of Hassel's murder, it appears nothing can stop evil Gregor from ambushing her into marriage. But what of that prophecy?

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62% liked it

157 ratings

Unrated, 70 min.

Directed by: Nick Grinde, Roy William Neill

Release Date: July 15, 1935

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DVD Release Date: October 17, 2006

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Flixster Reviews (23)


  • November 1, 2009
    According to prophesy, the noble House of de Berghman will end as it began, in murder. Fratricide, to be precise, with a brother slain by his younger sibling. So, when his wife gives birth to twin boys (Gregor and Anton), Baron de Berghman takes the precaution of walling up the r...( read more)oom in which the murder will supposedly take place: the Black Room. Several decades later, Gregor, now the despised Baron, comes up with his own drastic but beautifully simple scheme to cheat the prophesy... The good-and-evil twins plotline has been done to death of course - it probably already had by 1935 - but this one is hard to beat for entertainment. The production isn't quite first-class but Karloff is brilliant, essentially playing three parts here: wicked Gregor, kindly Anton, and wicked-Gregor-masquerading-as-kindly-Anton. Though the plot is full of holes (for instance, wouldn't it have been safest to have demolished the Black Room?) and the script has the annoying habit of stating the obvious, this is still great fun.
  • November 3, 2008
    Karloff plays a good twin and a evil twin. Classic Karloff,looks great and is alot of fun to watch.
  • January 5, 2009
    a few legitimately creepy moments. overall not as predictable as i thought it would be.
  • December 24, 2008
    Mostly a typical melodrama of the era, but a cool dual role by Karloff and a neat-o oubliette make it more memorable than it should be.

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