The concept of a hidden door might initially spook you if you think about one already existing in your home. Those of you who bought an older home might have already found a real hidden door somewhere on-site, possibly leading to flashbacks from pop culture (and real-life history!). Let's go back and look at the most famous hidden doors from movies and TV shows.
From the Movies: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
One could also call a hidden door a secret passage, something common in many fantasy movies. Arguably, one of the most famous is from the Harry Potter movie franchise.
In this case, there were various hidden doors within the hallways of Hogwarts. Perhaps the most famous is the secret door with a painting that allowed students into the Gryffindor dorms. It was seen first in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
You may remember the painting was of a lady who came to life. The students still had to provide a verbal password to the painted woman for the door to open.
Most hidden doors in real life aren't nearly as magical, but others in pop culture were just as clever.
From TV: Batman
The original TV series Batman started the trend of hidden doors being opened by nearby busts. In the 1960s-era show, it involved opening the head of a Shakespeare bust to access the bat poles. Bruce Wayne would flip the head up, push a red button, and a secret door would open up, usually in a bookcase.
Later Batman movies played up the same thing to pay tribute to the original series. And it always seemed the butler, Alfred, would know where the hidden doors were more than Bruce Wayne or Dick Grayson.
From the Movies: Young Frankenstein
Let's go back to the hidden door in the bookcase idea. The legendary satire Young Frankenstein from director Mel Brooks played up this idea to hilarious effect.
Anyone who watches Young Frankenstein around Halloween will know the scene of Victor Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) getting his head stuck in a revolving bookcase door. In this mansion, it was a bookcase that spun around, nearly crushing someone's skull if caught in-between the revolutions.
Wilder's head caught in the bookcase door still makes audiences howl with laughter. Just repeat after him: "Don't...put...the...candle...back!"
It's worth noting there always had to be a device picked up or turned to make the hidden doors open.
From TikTok: A Real-Life Hidden Door With Dolls
There aren’t just hidden doors from movies and TV — they’re on social media, too. In April last year, a TikTok video became a big sensation when a British woman showcased a real hidden door in her home with hidden "Annabelle"-like dolls. This door was a secret storage area created by the older lady who previously owned the house. She used the room to store old items, including creepy dolls and old clothes.
Multiple Tik-Tok visits took place in the hidden room to remove the items stored there, haunting everyone who watched. It was proof of how common hidden doors really are.
Another Movie: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Beyond Harry Potter, there may be no more fa mous hidden door than in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. While the books have had many adaptations over the years, the live-action movie reminds watchers how magical the hidden door in the wardrobe chest really was.
No doubt, many kids still try to find a hidden door in the back of their home wardrobe cabinets to visit Narnia. Don't be surprised if someone really did build such a door somewhere in the world.
Get inspiration from these hidden doors from movies and TV — and add some magic and intrigue to your home by adding your own hidden door. Visit us at The Murphy Door, Inc. to use our wide assortment of hidden doors to create your own secret space.
