Directed By… James Whale (1932–1940) Blu-ray Box Set Announced by Imprint Films – Includes The Old Dark House in Dolby Vision
Imprint Films will release a five-disc limited edition box set celebrating director James Whale on January 7, 2026. The release, titled Directed By… James Whale (1932–1940), is presented in a Limited Edition 5-Disc Hardbox and is limited to 1,500 copies. It features four films—The Old Dark House, The Kiss Before the Mirror, The Man in the Iron Mask, and Green Hell—along with Whale’s 1938 film Wives Under Suspicion included as a bonus.
Whale’s influence on early Hollywood stretched across horror, adventure, and comedy, defining the style of 1930s genre cinema with works like Frankenstein and The Invisible Man. This new collection highlights his range with new restorations and presentations, including a **Dolby Vision grade of *The Old Dark House*** and the **worldwide Blu-ray debut of *Green Hell***.
For more from the same month, see Imprint’s other January releases including The Beastmaster and The Sword and the Sorcerer.
The Old Dark House (1932) – Imprint Collection #513
Presented for the first time on 4K UHD with a new Dolby Vision grade by Imprint Films, The Old Dark House remains one of Whale’s signature horror comedies. A group of stranded travelers finds refuge in a remote mansion whose eccentric hosts turn out to be far more dangerous than expected.
Starring Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, and Gloria Stuart, the film blends dry humor with gothic tension and stands as a landmark of 1930s horror.
Special Features and Technical Specs
- Disc One: 4K UHD
- 2160p presentation with Dolby Vision grading
- New audio commentary by Steve Haberman
- Commentaries by James Whale biographer James Curtis and actress Gloria Stuart
- Disc Two: Blu-ray
- 1080p HD presentation
- Career interview with Gloria Stuart (2004)
- The Horror of It All documentary (1983)
- Daughter of Frankenstein: A Conversation with Sara Karloff
- Curtis Harrington Saves The Old Dark House
- 2017 theatrical trailer
- Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
- Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
- Optional English HOH subtitles
The Kiss Before the Mirror (1933) – Imprint Collection #514
Based on the play by Ladislas Fodor, Whale’s stylish crime melodrama stars Nancy Carroll and Frank Morgan. A defense lawyer defending his friend for murdering an unfaithful wife begins to suspect his own spouse of betrayal. Whale later remade the film as Wives Under Suspicion (1938), included here as a bonus.
Special Features and Technical Specs
- 1080p HD presentation
- New interview with film historian Foster Hirsch
- Bonus film: Wives Under Suspicion (1938, standard definition)
- Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
- Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
- Optional English HOH subtitles
The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) – Imprint Collection #515
Whale adapts the Alexandre Dumas adventure with Louis Hayward in dual roles as twin brothers separated at birth—one ruling France as King Louis XIV, the other hidden from the world. Their fates collide in a classic tale of loyalty and identity.
Special Features and Technical Specs
- 1080p HD presentation
- New commentary by Daniel Kremer and David Del Valle
- Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
- Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
- Optional English HOH subtitles
Green Hell (1940) – Imprint Collection #516
Making its worldwide Blu-ray debut, Green Hell stars Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joan Bennett, and Vincent Price in a South American jungle adventure. A team of explorers searches for lost Incan treasure, uncovering danger and obsession in the process.
Special Features and Technical Specs
- 1080p HD presentation from a new 2025 restoration sourced from a 4K scan
- New video essay by film historian Stuart Galbraith IV
- New interview with author Foster Hirsch
- Trailers From Hell segment featuring filmmaker John Landis
- Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono
- Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
- Optional English HOH subtitles
Release Date
January 7, 2026
Region
- 4K UHD Disc: Region free
- Blu-ray Discs: Region B
Pre-order link
You may also be interested in Imprint’s upcoming 4K releases of Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2, the addition of the Golden Princess film library to its Imprint Asia line, or its recent worldwide Blu-ray debut of Picture Bride.