Darkened Rooms (1929) - A messy, fun look at old-school ghost scams

If you have about an hour and want to see some 1920s people being absolute scoundrels, you should probably watch this. It’s perfect for people who like those old "grifter" movies where everyone has a hidden motive. If you can't stand old movies where the acting is a bit... dramatic, then you’ll probably hate it.

I wasn't expecting much, but Evelyn Brent really carries the whole thing. She plays Ellen, this actress who is basically one step away from being totally broke. You can tell she's tired just by the way she leans against the doorframes. 🚬

Then there is Neil Hamilton. Most people know him as Commissioner Gordon from the old Batman show, but here he’s young and honestly? Way too handsome to be a photographer who’s also a fake medium.

The plot moves fast, which I like. They decide to fleece this wealthy heiress who is desperate to talk to her dead boyfriend or something. It’s a classic setup, like something you’d see in Alias Jimmy Valentine but with more ghosts.

There is this one scene where they are setting up the seance room. They use these tiny wires and hidden speakers. It’s funny because they think it's high-tech, but it looks like a middle school science project. 🛠️

The lighting in the darkened rooms (hey, title drop!) is actually pretty cool. It’s very shadowy and moody. It reminded me of Zongar in that way, where the shadows do most of the heavy lifting for the budget.

Neil Hamilton’s character, Emory, starts getting a bit too into the role. He begins to think he might actually have powers, which is where the movie gets a little weird. He has this wide-eyed look that makes him seem either possessed or just really caffeinated.

I noticed a weird detail in the background of the heiress's house. There's this giant vase that looks like it’s about to tip over in every single shot. I spent ten minutes just waiting for it to fall. It never did. 🏺

The movie is from 1929, so the sound is a bit crunchy. You can tell the actors were trying to stay close to the hidden microphones. Sometimes they stop moving entirely just to say a line, which feels a bit stiff compared to something like Racing Through.

There’s a bit where Ellen starts to feel guilty. You can see it in her eyes, or maybe she just had a headache. It’s hard to tell with the makeup they wore back then, but she sells the regret well enough.

I liked the supporting cast too. Wallace MacDonald is in this, and he’s always a reliable face in these old Paramount pictures. He doesn't have much to do, but he fills the space. It’s not quite as wild as The Road to Ruin, but it has that same "cautionary tale" vibe that ends up being more fun than serious.

The seance scenes are the best part. Even though you know it's a fake, the way the heiress reacts is actually kind of sad. It makes the main characters look like total jerks, which is a bold choice for a movie from this era. 🕯️

One thing that bugged me was the ending. It felt like they ran out of film and just decided to stop. One minute things are falling apart, and the next, it’s just... over. 🎬

It’s a bit like Fool where the characters are their own worst enemies. You want them to succeed but you also kind of want them to get caught. It’s a confusing feeling.

I also saw The Poor Rich Cleaners recently, and this is definitely better than that. It has a bit more soul, even if the ghosts are fake.

The way the photographer looks at his camera is almost romantic. He treats it better than he treats Ellen. It’s a strange little character quirk that I appreciated.

Overall, if you like spooky vibes and old-fashioned crimes, give it a go. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s got some grit to it. Plus, seeing the old trickery they used for "spiritualism" is worth the price of admission alone. 👻

I did notice one guy in the background of the club scene who just stares directly into the lens for three seconds. He looks like he was lost. It’s those little mistakes that make these old movies feel more alive to me.

Don't expect something like The IX Olympiad in Amsterdam—this isn't high art or a grand spectacle. It’s just a dirty little story about people trying to get rich quick.

Is it the best movie about mediums? No. But it’s got Evelyn Brent looking cool in a hat, and sometimes that is all you really need on a Sunday afternoon. 👒