Old dark house theme
Oct. 13th, 2022 08:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daryl_wor posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fictional_fansHi, I wanted to ask a question. My chap and I are reading Benighted (1927) by J.B. Priestley together, for which the film, “The Old Dark House” of 1932 was based. According to the introduction by Orrin Grey this was a prominent theme of stories at the time; a group of people stranded in harsh weather coming to a large house for safety and having odd experiences.
I’m wondering if anyone knows why this was a prominent theme at the time.
My current idea is that such experiences were becoming more widespread due to the automobile. With less need to prepare for farther travel, and weather often being unpredictable, the experience of a road trip gone awry could have become more common, or even if no bad weather had stranded the travellers, several could view the scenes they pass and wonder at the possibility of being stranded, “And who might those people be in that house? What if we had to stay here and rely on one of these places for shelter? What if the occupants of the home are tripped-out and goofy?”
I wasn’t sure where to ask and then I remembered this community. Hopefully it’s a fun topic to share for the month of October. ^_^
(And feel free to suggest other stories of this kind.) Thanks!
(And feel free to suggest other stories of this kind.) Thanks!
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Date: 2022-10-13 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-13 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-13 07:35 pm (UTC)There are SO many great tales and writers of this kind of thing. Anything by A. J. Alan is wonderful if you like your spookiness in a humourous vein. A. M. Burrage straddles humour and a certain warmth ("Smee" is a classic, and I'm very fond of "The Attic" too). And most of the other ghost story authors back then wrote at least some such stories.
And then there's the ultimate ill-advised stay in a remote location: "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell, made into a great film in 1932. And the most obscure and mind-bending: "Outside the House" by Bessie Kyffin-Taylor.
Personally, my favourite comfort activity is to listen to vintage horror in audio format, and these are my favourite YT channels of people who are masters at atmospheric readings of well-chosen stories:
EnCrypted Classic Horror
Bitesized Audio Classics
Horror Babble
Edward E. French
A word of warning: those channels are more addictive than boxes of chocolates!
no subject
Date: 2022-10-13 09:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-14 08:47 am (UTC)There are short summaries for most of the stories on the YT channels, so if you'd rather read than listen, you should still be able to pick out the ones that will appeal most to you.
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Date: 2022-10-14 03:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-14 08:53 pm (UTC)There are four of them, linked from my first comment.
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Date: 2022-10-14 09:59 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2022-10-14 08:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-13 09:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-13 11:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-14 02:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-14 03:46 am (UTC)