The granddaddy of all those creaky reading-of-the-will-in-the-old-dark-house mystery thrillers first presented on the Broadway stage in 1922. The film is heavily burdened with often disruptive comic relief but is visually stunning, with wonderful scenes of billowing draperies, clutching claws, and wide-eyed, corridor-roaming heroines. This is the best of the plethora of silent old-house chillers.

Good absorbing spooky old mystery. More watchable than many other silents.

A dark and forboding mansion, an excentric millionaire, a will, greedy relatives, an escaped lunitic, windblown curtains, secret passages.... This is a great horror/mystery movie, but the pacing leaves much to be desired. There are a lot of places where the characters simply talk or make faces to pass the time. This movie would have been much better with either more plot to fill the time or less time in telling the story.

It's got influence and fine craftsmanship to spare, that's for sure. Kind of old hat for the nowadays, though, but not enough for it to matter.

Keeps pace with itself throughout, only breaking up the spooks with its scared silly routines. One of the few Hollywood horrors able to indulge in its atmosphere completely.

Leni knew his craft. As has been noted, the use of super-impositions and flashy title cards is effective. The haunted house genre went down hill quick but this specimen still has freshness and is genuinely atmospheric and amusing.

The film has a great, old fashioned spooky mood throughout that I really enjoyed. There are some great camera shots and movements, such as a long tracking shot near the beginning, that highlight the creepy old house and create the perfect haunted house atmosphere. One of the more fun silents I've seen.

Very expressionistic, excellent use of super-impositions and clever title cards. The comedy moments are a bit hammy, but it's also fascinating to see how well they blend with the mystery.