Dragonwyck (1946)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Anya Seton (by)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz (written for the screen by)

Release Date:

10 April 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

DANGEROUSLY She dared to LOVE! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

A simple Connecticuit farm girl is recruited by a distant relative, an aristocratic patroon, to be governess to his young daughter in his Hudson Valley mansion.

Plot Keywords:

Mansion | Farm | Farmer | Governess | Hudson Valley

Cast

Gene Tierney	...	Miranda Wells
Walter Huston	...	Ephraim Wells
Vincent Price	...	Nicholas Van Ryn
Glenn Langan	...	Dr. Jeff Turner
Anne Revere	...	Abigail Wells
Spring Byington	...	Magda
Connie Marshall	...	Katrine Van Ryn
Harry Morgan	...	Klaus Bleecker (as Henry Morgan)
Vivienne Osborne	...	Johanna Van Ryn
Jessica Tandy	...	Peggy O'Malley
Trudy Marshall	...	Elizabeth Van Borden

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 | UK:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The family name Schermerhorn, which is the subject of gossip at the ball at Dragonwyck is actually the name of writer Mankiewicz's ex-in-laws.

Quotes:

Magda: You like it here?
Miranda Wells: [defensive] Of *course* I do!
Magda: Of course you do. You like being waited on - I could see tonight it was your first time. You like peaches out of season. You like the feel of silk sheets against your young body... And one day you'll wish with all your heart you'd never come to Dragonwyck!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962)

Soundtrack:

CREOLE LULLABY

I'm in love with Gene Tierney....AND Vincent Price!

With "Laura" being my all-time favorite film, I simply couldn't wait to watch "Dragonwyck", a movie that reunites Gene Tierney and Vincent Price once more, this time in a genuine Gothic setting! And although not as mesmerizing as "Laura" (that's hardly possible), this is an enchanting and sophisticated drama/thriller with brilliant dialogues and filming locations that look like beautiful postcard-images. Joseph L. Mankiewicz's screenplay contains few surprises, but the intrigue and mystery is professionally upheld thanks to the solid acting performances and the nearly flawless recreation of the 1840's life-styles. "Dragonwyck" tells the story of a beautiful farmer's daughter Miranda who leaves her Conneticut home to go and live with wealthy landlord (and very distant relative) Nicolas Van Ryan. He treats her as a princes, but Van Ryan is a man with two faces and, soon after their sudden marriage, Miranda experiences that her husband is an ill-natured, egoistic and mad tyrant. Nicolas can't accept that the farmers working on his estate stand up for themselves and he works off his hatred on poor Miranda. Gene Tierney and Vincent Price are a terrific classy movie-couple (as charismatic as Humprey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in my humble opinion) and their performances alone make "Dragonwyck" a must-see. Tierney is simply adorable and Price, still in an early phase of his great career, looks naturally evil and frightening. Director/scriptwriter Mankiewicz is mostly famous for "All About Eve", but I can't help loving "Dragonwyck" a whole lot more. Beautiful film, highly recommended!