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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An impressive, neglected classic of psychological suspense, 14 May 2005
Ah, the golden age of Hollywood, when films actually relied on strong stories to build suspense and keep audiences riveted to the screen. I had never really heard of The Red House (1947) until recently, but this is one heck of a good film. It sometimes gets associated with film noir, but I would describe it as more of a psychological thriller. It features a strong cast, including the likes of Edward G. Robinson, Judith Anderson, and Rory Calhoun (as well as a wonderful young actress named Allene Roberts), a wonderful musical score by Miklos Rozsa, and a plot that methodically works itself out to great effect.Young Meg (Roberts) lives on a quiet country farm with Pete Morgan (Robinson) and his sister Ellen (Anderson), having been taken in by the Morgans as a two-year-old following the death of her parents. Everything is calm and peaceful until Meg talks Pete into hiring some extra help in the form of young Nath Storm (Lon McCallister). When Nath says he is taking a shortcut through the woods, Pete goes off half-cocked and starts ranting about the woods being haunted, screams in the night, and the evils of a red house. Nath soon comes running back to the farm, but he is determined to figure out the secret of those woods. Meg also wants to know why she has always been forbidden to enter the woods, and the two of them sneak off several times to go exploring. Pete becomes more unsettled as the movie progresses, as dark memories begin to bubble to the surface of his mind, and the viewer is eventually forced to question his motives. There is plenty of drama and suspense (and a touch of young love) before the dark secrets of The Red House are revealed, all of which contribute to the film's remarkably dark and somewhat eerie atmosphere and a surprisingly effective conclusion. To my mind, Robinson tends to overplay his part at times, but Allene Roberts comes into her own and plays opposite his character extremely well. Some viewers found some of the scenes in the dark woods to be scary, but modern audiences will almost surely find nothing the least bit scary about this film. Suspense, though, still abides here in droves, helped along quite effectively by an orchestral score featuring the theremin (which was used predominantly in early science fiction films). Younger viewers might sometimes grow a little impatient with the slow and steady nature of the plot, but it is the strength of that plot that makes The Red House a somewhat overlooked classic.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Red House is a gem worth getting, although I wish it looked better, 2 Aug 2007
Pete Morgan (Edward G. Robinson) owns a farm by the edge of the woods. His sister, Ellen Morgan (Judith Anderson), keeps house for him. Years ago they adopted a baby when the parents ran off. Now Meg Morgan (Allene Roberts) is a teenager in high school, and she persuades Pete to hire a friend, Nath (Lon McCallister), to help with the chores since Pete is having a hard time keeping up with things. He's getting older and has a wooden leg. Pete reluctantly agrees, but warns Nath that under no circumstances is he to go through the woods to get to the farm. Pete has even hired a hand with a rifle to scare people off. Naturally, Nath goes through the woods and, with Meg, determines to find out the mystery behind a ruined, overgrown red house they find there.
This is a little gem of a movie. It starts in sunlight, moves into tangled paths and deep shadows and eventually works it way back out. The mystery is tragic and believeable, and the movie moves toward the conclusion with a real feeling of growing unease. It features some tense and scary moments in the woods, and the red house itself is eery and forbidding.
Robinson gives, I think, another of his first class performances. Pete is a man with a terrible secret, which his sister shares. He loves Meg and wants to protect her, but he also is increasingly unpredictable and unstable. Judith Anderson reins in her tendency to be stagy, and in this role gives a performance of strength and compassion. Allene Roberts never developed much of a career but she reminds me a little of Teresa Wright. Lon McCallister was a boyish and very boy-next-door type. Together they're believeable as two teens who begin to have serious feelings for each other. And its interesting to see Rory Calhoun as the sleazy young guy with the rifle and Julie London as McCallister's girlfriend who moves briskly over to Calhoun.
One of the strengths of the movie is Miklos Rozsa's score. He emphasizes the moods efficiently and with great effect. The theme he came up with for Meg Morgan is one of the most innocently romantic I've ever heard.
The Red House is a movie that might be described as a mystery drama with a little psycho horror thrown in (with the horror being what people do and how they pay for it). It's a good movie that, unfortunately, fell into public domain. The DVD is watchable and the movie will probably never get a restoration. Too bad, but it's still worth having.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
The Red House: Love, tenderness and a sad, twisted Edward G. Robinson, 12 Oct 2009
Pete Morgan (Edward G. Robinson) owns a farm by the edge of the woods. His sister, Ellen Morgan (Judith Anderson), keeps house for him. Years ago they adopted a baby when the parents ran off. Now Meg Morgan (Allene Roberts) is a teenager in high school, and she persuades Pete to hire a friend, Nath (Lon McCallister), to help with the chores since Pete is having a hard time keeping up with things. He's getting older and has a wooden leg. Pete reluctantly agrees, but warns Nath that under no circumstances is he to go through the woods to get to the farm. Pete has even hired a hand with a rifle to scare people off. Naturally, Nath goes through the woods and, with Meg, determines to find out the mystery behind a ruined, overgrown red house they find there.
This is a gem of a movie. It starts in sunlight, moves into tangled paths and deep shadows and eventually works it way back out. The mystery is tragic and believable, and the film moves toward the conclusion with a real feeling of unease. It features some tense and scary moments in the woods, and the red house itself is eery and forbidding.
Robinson gives another of his first class performances. Pete is a man with a terrible secret, which his sister shares. He loves Meg and wants to protect her, but he also is increasingly unpredictable and unstable. Judith Anderson gives a performance of strength and compassion. Allene Roberts never developed much of a career but she reminds me a little of Teresa Wright. Lon McCallister was a boyish and very boy-next-door type. Together they're believable as two teens who begin to have serious feelings for each other. And its interesting to see Rory Calhoun as the sleazy young guy with the rifle and Julie London as McCallister's girlfriend who moves briskly over to Calhoun.
One of the strengths of the movie is Miklos Rozsa's score. He emphasizes the moods efficiently and with great effect. The theme he came up with for Meg Morgan is one of the most innocently romantic I've ever heard.
The Red House is a movie that might be described as a mystery drama with a little psycho horror thrown in (with the horror being what people do and how they pay for it). It's a fine movie that, unfortunately, fell into public domain. Buyer beware as far as DVD transfer quality goes. Too bad, but The Red House still worth having.
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