Secret of the Blue Room (1933): A cozy Autumn detective story
When one thinks of Universal Pictures in the 1930s, I would wager that some immediate movies that come to mind include classics such as Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolfman, so on and so forth. Though not responsible for creating these characters, the Universal iterations are without a doubt the versions that have endured the test of time. These revolutionary Creature-Features have defined Universal’s legacy. Consequently, the looming visages of these films often overshadow the rest of Universal’s Pre-Code catalog.
Throughout the 1930s, Universal also released a line of murder mystery films, which they often marketed as horror. While popular in their day, these films rarely broke the formulaic whodunnit mold that they helped invent and then quickly beat to death, leading them to be forgotten over time in favor of more groundbreaking film fare. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t worth revisiting, though. Despite being marketed as horror films, these movies often have a somewhat cozy vibe to them, something nice to watch on a rainy evening as you lay in a warm bed. 1933’s The Secret of the Blue Room is no different.
The 1930s was a weird time for film; movies were new technology, and Hollywood was a veritable Wild West with almost no rules as to what could be shown on screen, who could show it, and so on. Though the beginning of Hays Code enforcement effectively ended this wild first generation of modern filmmaking by 1934, we can look back on it as one of the most honest artistic periods. These uncensored movies act as timecapsules, capturing the fears and predilections of our grandparent’s generation. While Secret of the Blue Room is tame even by 1930s standards, things like multiple suitors, short skirts, and bawdy female characters firmly place among the Pre-Code film archives..
Our story opens with a group of wealthy friends visiting Robert Von Heldorf and his daughter Irene, who has just turned 21. It is fairly apparent that the three visiting men, Tommy, Frank, and Walker, are interested in Irene, though Tommy seems to be the only one who is a realistic age to pursue her. After her father makes a birthday speech, Irene then kisses all three men, as well as her father, on the mouth for an uncomfortable amount of time. Though it makes a little more sense when put into the context of the time period, the scene is still disconcerting.
As the night wears on, talk turns to Irene’s ideal husband. She states that above all, she must have a man of courage. In order to prove that he is worthy of her affections, Tommy declares that he will spend the night in the Von Heldorf’s “Blue Room,” a guest room in which several people, including Robert’s sister, have died. Though the Von Heldorfs are against it, the others decide to make a bet that they will all take a turn sleeping in the supposedly cursed room, turning it into a game. It’s a little strange listening to these people make jokes about a room in which their host has lost many friends; it’s never alluded that the deaths are a legend, Robert Von Heldorf blatantly states that they are fact. It’s a strange way to act, and makes our main characters feel cold and uncaring. They are aristocratic though, so that may have been the point. Anyway, the next morning, Tommy has disappeared. Despite this, Frank is undeterred from using the room the next night. While playing the organ, he is shot and killed by an unseen assailant. The local police detective is called, and it is up to him to find the killer… And it is quickly, if weakly, established that it could be anybody.
While not archaic, Secret of the Blue Room has not entirely benefited from the passage of time. The camera work mostly consists of static compositions, and the cuts between camera shots are choppy; it’s extremely easy to tell where they spliced two takes together.
The film also has no soundtrack, other than two piano sequences. One of these sequences involves Irene singing an entire song while the audience and cast look on. The scene lasts for nearly three minutes, and it is excruciating. While this doesn’t transfer over well to modern audiences, it must be remembered that In 1933 “talkie films” had only been around for about five years. Many early sound films had these long musical sequences, yet the rest of the film would be without music. As a result, Secret of the Blue Room is a very quiet film between its dialogue-heavy scenes. While this worked for Dracula two years prior, adding to the uneasy atmosphere the film created, Secret doesn’t do a good enough job of building suspense. The quiet soundscape comes off as bland and boring.
On a positive note, the movie does have the distinction of being an early example of the “Old Dark House” trope, as well as containing several elements that would become common in the Slasher genre decades later. A true “whodunnit” film, the bait and switch twist is fun, if a little predictable today. The story is fairly straight-forward, despite a couple unneeded side plots introduced purely to create more suspects. Simple narratives with a hint of mystery have become one of the appealing, “cozy” factors of these movies. A modern comparison would be Lifetime Films; they’re all the same, and that’s kind of what you’re looking for here.
Though the acting is decidedly dramatic due to many of the cast being stage actors, it is enjoyable when taken for what it is. Irene is played by Gloria Stuart, who you may recognize as the older version of Rose in James Cameron’s Titanic. While the stiff, theatrical style may take a little getting used to if one is not a fan of live theater, it comes across as charming. I would count it as a feature of watching films of this time period, rather than a flaw.
So, is Secret of the Blue Room worth revisiting? At just over an hour long, I don’t see why not. There are far worse films from the era out there. As long as you don’t expect anything groundbreaking or modern, Secret of the Blue Room is a fun relic perfect for a cold Autumn day. It can be found on Youtube for free, though it isn’t the best looking print. The movie was remade twice in the following years, first as The Missing Guest in 1938 and Murder in the Blue Room in 1944. In fact, Secret of the Blue Room is in itself a remake of a German film, Geheimnis des blauen Zimmers, which came out the year before.
Some regard Secret of the Blue Room as a minor classic from the early days of Universal. While “classic” is a strong word, it has a charm to it. Put it on your classic Halloween Playlist tonight.
3/5