Benighted

J. B. Priestley was an extremely popular author in the late 1920s and the 1930s, and when someone told me about Benighted, I had to read it. I love stories about old, scary houses, and this book inspired a 1930s film, "The Old Dark House," which gave birth to a whole genre of movies.Benighted is the tale of people stranded by a horrendous storm and flooding in a remote corner of Wales. Their place of refuge is an ancient, dark, creepy old manor house inhabited by four of the strangest people you'd never hope to meet. Little do they realize that it will be a severe test of their mental and physical fortitude just to survive the night.Priestley excelled in his depiction of the ancient house and its inhabitants. There is a decided scare factor when reading about them that I enjoyed. Where the book fell flat for me was in the amount of time it spent inside each of the stranded characters' heads. I can see what Priestley was trying to do: the house had such an effect on these people that their attitudes began to change about what they wanted from their lives, but it was just too much-- especially since I didn't particularly like any of them in the first place. By book's end, there's also a question I'd dearly love to have answered, a question that Priestley really didn't want readers to ask.Benighted gave me a glimpse of Priestley's talent, but it failed to hit the bulls-eye.

While growing up in the 1960s, I used to love whenever one of the local TV channels would show one of British director James Whale's Big 3 horror movies, all from Universal Studios: "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Invisible Man" (1933) and, perhaps best of all, the eternal glory that is "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). What I was unaware of back then was the fact that there was a fourth Universal horror film directed by Whale, and that bit of youthful ignorance was not entirely my fault. Whale's "The Old Dark House" (1932) was, for many years, considered a lost film, and it was not until 1968 that Curtis Harrington (himself the director of such horror gems as "Queen of Blood," "What's the Matter With Helen?" and "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?") discovered a neglected print in the Universal vaults. Today, of course, "The Old Dark House" is a breeze to see, although this viewer had only experienced it once until quite recently. Making this even more problematic for horror fans over the years was the fact that the film's source novel itself had long been out of print, an oversight that was rectified by the Richmond, Virginia-based publisher Valancourt Books, whose 2013 edition marked the novel's first appearance in almost 75 years!That novel, by the way, first saw the light of day as a 1927 hardcover from the British publisher William Heinemann, under the equally appropriate title "Benighted"; when released in the U.S. a year later, it bore its more familiar name. This was only the second novel written by Yorkshire-born author J.B. Priestley (1894 - 1984), who would go on to become one of England's most respected novelists/critics/playwrights. His first book, "Adam In Moonshine," had been released earlier that year, and he would ultimately go on to create some 30 novels before his death, one month shy of his 90th birthday. "Benighted" would be reprinted a few times before its 1945 Armed Services edition, after which it was completely unavailable for 73 years, until Valancourt chose to resurrect it for a new generation. Often referred to as the quintessential "old dark house" story (a popular genre in the early decades of the 20th century, on the printed page, the stage and big screen, and which usually involved a group of strangers coming together in a creepy, isolated abode for one reason or another), Priestley's book is a beautifully written affair, oftentimes thrilling and touching, that this reader found perfect company during a few recent stormy days in late October. Though wholly lacking in supernatural elements, the novel will surely manage to chill the modern-day reader.In the book, we encounter Philip and Margaret Waverton, a middle-aged couple that is currently undergoing some (never clearly defined) problems in their marriage. While driving through the Welsh countryside one remarkably stormy night, accompanied by their friend Roger Penderel, a younger, disillusioned, WW1 veteran, their journey becomes impossible when the roads both in front of them and behind are submerged by both flood and landslides. The trio stops at the only house in the area, and they go knocking on the decrepit pile's front door, seeking shelter. And what a household it is that they are admitted to! As it turns out, they have entered the residence of the Femm family, three very strange brothers and one very odd sister. Rebecca Femm is a mostly deaf, religious zealot who screeches incessantly. Horace is a nervous and tentative old coot. Meanwhile, the oldest of the bunch, Sir Roderick, is said to be confined to his bed upstairs. And then there is Saul, who we only learn of later...a raving, pyromaniac lunatic whose bedroom door must always be kept bolted from the outside. Oh...we also have the butler, Morgan, a massive, bearded mute who is said to be quite savage when he drinks, which he apparently does quite often. Before long, two other stranded travelers come knocking on the Femms' door, seeking shelter: Sir William Porterhouse, a wealthy captain of industry, and his youngish companion, a chorus girl named Gladys Du Cane. (Her real name, it is later revealed, is Gladys Hoskiss.) During the course of Priestley's book, this quintet of benighted travelers undergoes some truly horrifying experiences in the Femm household, as the storm outside worsens, Morgan becomes quite besotted, and Saul is set free to wreak murderous havoc...."Benighted," as it turns out, is a marvelously written book, and the reader will continually be stunned to realize that it was only Priestley's sophomore effort. The author evinces a great knack for creating mood and atmosphere with simply written yet elegant prose, and his dialogue often sparkles with wit and wisdom. The Femm fatales, as shown here, are reminiscent of the later Addams family of TV fame, although without the latter's charm, cuteness and humor, and Priestley makes all his oddball Femm characters convincingly realistic and quite within the bounds of credibility. Who needs ghosts when you've got a bunch of living fossils like the Femms? Into his book, Priestley injects any number of memorable scenes, some of the finest being the game of Truth that most of the characters play early on, during which we learn much about what makes them tick; the scene in which the drunken Morgan tries to rape Margaret, and then battles her husband at the top of a stairway; Roger and Gladys' conversation as they sip whiskey in the house's garage, and realize their love for one another; Margaret and Philip's entering the bedroom of the incredibly ancient Sir Roderick and conversing with him; and the climactic dukeout between Roger and the madman, Saul. Throughout, the characters alternately perceive their predicament as being a nightmare, a film and a staged play, a testament to the unreal nature of the proceedings, with Roger realizing early on that "these Femms, perched remotely on their hill, seemed to have gone queer, all maggot-brained...." And indeed, the author does mention, of the Femms, that "these people might have been living in another world...."As for the film, which I just watched for the second time, immediately after finishing "Benighted," it is a remarkably faithful adaptation, with many scenes depicted precisely as I'd imagined them, and with passages of dialogue plucked verbatim from Priestley's book. The film, however, does make some minor changes to the author's original conception, some of them quite inexplicable. Gladys' last name, for example, is changed from Hoskiss to Perkins. Why? The scene in which the characters reveal much about themselves in that game of Truth has been excised, replaced by a not-nearly-as-enlightening general conversation. Sir Roderick, strangely enough, is said to be the other Femms' father, not eldest brother, and his age (never mentioned in the novel) is said to be 102. The entire sequence with Saul in the film--his maniacal conversation with Roger--has been invented whole cloth, and the character of Morgan has been softened a bit. Most glaringly, the film gives the viewer no sense of the troubled patch that the Wavertons are going through in their marriage, is devoid of the weighty and philosophical discussions present in the book, and changes the novel's tragic conclusion in favor of a "Hollywood happy ending." As regards that last, Orrin Grey, in his fine introduction to the Valancourt edition, tells us "...The movie originally ended just as the book does, but it was re-shot after preview screenings determined that audiences wouldn't respond as well to the book's more tragic climax...." A pity, says me.As for the rest of it, the film version was, unsurprisingly, marvelously directed by Whale (Whale's in Wales?), and featured that mostly faithful script by Benn W. Levy, as well as beautifully creepy cinematography from Arthur Edeson, who also worked on "Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man." And my goodness, what a terrific international cast was assembled for this production! American actor Melvyn Douglas (in his sixth film) plays Roger Penderel; Canadian actor Raymond Massey (in his fifth film) and American actress Gloria Stuart (in her third film; Gloria would later star in "The Invisible Man" and, many decades later, in "Titanic") portray the Wavertons; English actor Charles Laughton (here in his first American film) plays Sir William; and English actress Lilian Bond plays Gladys. As for the Femm clan, they are all portrayed by English performers: The great Boris Karloff, top billed here, plays Morgan, a huge scar across his nose added for the sake of shudders (Boris would appear in "The Mask of Fu Manchu" and "The Mummy" later that same year); Eva Moore digs her teeth into the role of Rebecca; Brember Wills plays the maniacal Saul; and, perhaps most appropriately cast, the marvelously eccentric Ernest Thesiger perfectly inhabits the role of Horace (Ernest and Boris, of course, would be reunited three years later in "Bride of Frankenstein"). As for Sir Roderick, he is played by a woman, namely Elspeth Dudgeon; apparently, the filmmakers could not find any male who looked as convincingly ancient in Otto Lederer and Jack Pierce's wonderful makeup job as this actress! All the players do very fine work in this film adaptation, a concise and compact affair that moves along briskly...perhaps too briskly. As I say, a most faithful filmization (William Castle's 1963 film "The Old Dark House," by the way, is supposed to be not at all faithful to the book), but one that sadly lacks the novel's internal thoughts of its myriad characters. But isn't that the way these things usually go? Isn’t the book usually fuller, richer, deeper? Oh...one more thing. How could the filmmakers have possibly misspelled Priestley's name in the opening credits, rendering it instead as "J. B. Priestly"? Gadzooks!And speaking of typos, I might add how impressed I was at Valancourt's presentation of this long-overdue reprint. It is a book with not a single typo to be found in its entire length, which in a reasonable world would not be occasion for comment, but after my two recent experiences with typo-riddled modern books, this came to me as a pleasant surprise. I would make another purchase from this fine publisher anytime. And a good thing, too! I see that Valancourt has a number of other Priestley books available, and based on how much fun "Benighted" was, am curious to read more. His 1938 novel "The Doomsday Men" is supposed to contain some fantastic content, and that is where this reader would be headed next. Stay tuned....(By the way, this review originally appeared on the Fantasy Literature website ... a most ideal destination for all fans of spooky literature such as this....)

The Old Dark House is one novel any horror literature fan should take the time to read. It's not that long and takes place in the course of one evening. Written by J.P. Priestly in 1927, it was published in the United States as The Old Dark House, but originally as Benighted (the title you can find it at through Valancourt Books). It was filmed as The Old Dark House in 1932 and can be purchased on Blu-Ray.Philip Waverton, his wife Margaret and their friend Roger Penderel are traveling across Wales in by car when they are beset by a thunderstorm. As the roads become impassable, their spot a house in the hillside and decide to make for it when a landslide buries the roads . They're greeted at the door by a huge, mute butler, whom we soon learn is named Morgan. Inside the house, which turns out to be a 16th century manor, they are greeted by two of the other inhabitants of it: Horace Femm and his sister Rebecca. They soon learn there is another member of the family, Sir Roderick Femm, who is too ill to leave his room. Later that evening, Sir William Porterhouse and his chorus girlfriend Gladys make an appearance, as they too are seeking shelter from the storm.As the night drags on, strange things begin to happen. Morgan the butler starts drinking in the kitchen and becomes a very mean drunk. Rebecca Femm begins preaching hell-fire and damnation to anyone who bothers to listen, Horace Femm reveals he's wanted by the police and the travelers reveal interesting bits about their own backgrounds. Eventually the power fails and the Old Dark House is lit by candle lights and lamps. Then things become very strange.The book is written in a very continental style. Long expository sentences and observations very typical of literature of this period. But the conversations are riveting in what you learn about the characters. At one point someone suggests they play Truth (as in Truth or Dare). Horace Femm mocking comments "Oh, its' a game now. About time". Sir Porterhouse who makes his stage entrance as a glad-handling money bags soon reveals he's not to the manor born. And Penderel, a veteran, is still suffering from seeing his comrades mowed down in WWI.Here's a good example of how Priestly manages to take a character who might be a boob in any other story and give him depth: `Unless you're very lucky,' he began, `you only make money by wanting to make it, wanting hard all the time, not bothering about a lot of other things. And there's usually got to be something to start you off, to give you the first sharp kick. After you've got really started, brought off a few deals and begun to live in the atmosphere of big money, the game gets hold of you and you don't want any inducement to go on playing--d'you follow me? It's the first push that's so hard, when you're still going round with your cap in your hand. It's my experience there's always something keeps a man going through that, puts an edge on him and starts him cutting, and it may be some quite little thing. A man I knew, a Lancashire man too, was an easy-going youngster, thought more about cricket than his business, until one day, having to see the head of a firm, he was kept waiting two hours, sitting there in the general office with the clerks cocking an eye at him every ten minutes. He's told me this himself. "All right," he said to himself, "I'll show you." He walked out when the two hours were up, and that turned him, gave him an edge. He did show 'em, too. I don't say, of course, that every man who says something like that to himself brings it off, but some do. Well, it was the same with me.'Of course, you can't discuss the book without mentioning the movie version which came out a few years later. An early talkie, it suffers a bit from sound recording and the problems of preservation. It was only through the efforts of filmmaker Curtis Harrington that a decent copy was found. Following the heels of director James Whales' Frankenstein it was the ignored by the public, who didn't seem to understand the mix of horror and comedy. But the movie is an excellent adaptation of the book with whole dialogue being taken from the original source. Although the upbeat "cold light of day" ending is absent in the book, I still highly recommend the film version. I've watched it many times. When I read the book I can't help but hearing Ernest Thesiger's voice every time Horace Femm speaks.I must give a shout-out to Pretty Sinister Books for bringing this brilliant classic to my attention. Also to Valancourt Books who made an electronic version available.

Imagine you are driving through a storm in the back of beyond. The road starts to become flooded. You are with two friends and you need help when you discover you are lost. Suddenly you come across a dilapidated large old house. You stop and knock on the door. The door opens and then you are faced with a frightening mystery. If you have the courage to read on you will find your imagination tested. Later made into a film this book is a cracker. Just be warned : J B Priestley entertained a few strange ideas relating to the nature of existence . He always weaves them into his work. Buy and enjoy. But remember : you have been warned !

Thought this was supposed to be scaryI thought it a load of rubbish. It was completely pointless. How they managed to make a film of it I can't imagine. Priestley was just learning the trade as it was only his 2nd bookThe Good Companions was worth reading.

I am still reading this book and enjoying it immensely.I have seen the James Whale 1932 film The Old Dark House loads of times, and never realised it was first a novel.The novel delves far deeper into the psyche of those trapped together. Yet it is full of witticisms and humour.So pleased I bought this.

Written and set in the thirties, very outdated now. Never get married to someone you met an hour ago.

Unforgivably overlooked for so long, 'Benighted' is a thoroughly enjoyable and well written horror story, full of memorably eccentric characters and loads of atmosphere. HIGHLY recommended!