After a road accident in Hungary, the American honeymooners Joan and Peter and the enigmatic Dr. Werdegast find refuge in the house of the famed architect Hjalmar Poelzig, who shares a dark past with the doctor.
Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer
chess
prisoner of war
hungary
black and white
train
storm
psychiatrist
black cat
spiral staircase
high priest
newlywed
pre-code
based on short story
satanic ritual
satanic cult
psychotronic
preserved corpse
female corpse
devil worship
mystery writer
wife murderer
woman in peril
bus crash
europe honeymoon
flaying
glass display cases
gun turret
married to stepdaughter
Rank
#4 in 1934·#4025 overall
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.5 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Boris Karloff
Hjalmar Poelzig
Bela Lugosi
Dr. Vitus Werdegast
David Manners
Peter Alison
Julie Bishop
Joan Alison
Egon Brecher
The Majordomo
Harry Cording
Thamal
Lucille Lund
Karen
Henry Armetta
The Sergeant
Albert Conti
The Lieutenant
John Carradine
Cult Organist
John George
Cultist (uncredited)
Crew
Edgar G. Ulmer
Director
Carl Laemmle Jr.
Producer
Jack Pierce
Makeup Artist
Edgar G. Ulmer
Story
Edgar Allan Poe
Short Story
Heinz Roemheld
Music
Edgar G. Ulmer
Costume Design
Edgar G. Ulmer
Set Designer
Roman Freulich
Still Photographer
Popular Reviews
142 reviews
Solum Verithae
7.0★ · 04/20/26
“Have you ever heard of Kurgaal? It is a prison below Omsk, near Lake Baikal. Many men have gone there. Few have returned. I have returned. After fifteen years... I have returned.”
this was very interesting to watch! it was very unsettling and disturbing in a beautiful way to me, given its release year. that was quite a surprise.
i especially loved the atmosphere and aesthetic of the production design. it’s very gothic and architecturally stunning. however, the pacing could’ve been a little better; i find it rather lacking in plot and quite fast-paced, but after all, it’s based on a very short story.
also: how dare you be afraid of such cute little creatures, black cats for the win.
“Have you ever heard of Kurgaal? It is a prison below Omsk, near Lake Baikal. Many men have gone there. Few have returned. I have returned. After fifteen years... I have returned.”
this was very interesting to watch! it was very unsettling and disturbing in a beautiful way to me, given its release year. that was quite a surprise.
i especially loved the atmosphere and aesthetic of the production design. it’s very gothic and architecturally stunning. however, the pacing could’ve been a little better; i find it rather lacking in plot and quite fast-paced, but after all, it’s based on a very short story.
also: how dare you be afraid of such cute little creatures, black cats for the win.
