The Red House (1947)

An old man and his sister are concealing a terrible secret from their adopted teen daughter, concerning a hidden abandon farmhouse, located deep in the woods.

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writers:

George Agnew Chamberlain (novel), Delmer Daves (written for the screen by),

Stars:

Edward G. Robinson, Lon McCallister, Judith Anderson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edward G. Robinson	...	Pete Morgan
Lon McCallister	...	Nath Storm
Judith Anderson	...	Ellen Morgan
Rory Calhoun	...	Teller
Allene Roberts	...	Meg
Julie London	...	Tibby
Ona Munson	...	Mrs. Storm
Harry Shannon	...	Dr. Jonathan Byrne
Arthur Space	...	The Sheriff

Storyline

Pete and Ellen have reared Meg as their own, ever since she was a baby and her parents took off. Now a teen, Meg convinces her friend Nath to come help with chores on the farm: Pete isn't getting around on his wooden leg like he used to. When Nath insists on using a short cut home through the woods, Pete gets quite agitated and warns him of screams in the night, of terrors associated with the red house. Curious, Meg and Nath ignore his warnings and begin exploring. Meg begins falling in love with Nath, but his girlfriend Tibby has other plans for him. Meanwhile they all get closer to real danger and the dark secret of the red house.

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Plot Keywords:

woods | public domain | family secret | theremin | murder | 

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Taglines:

Of this man ... and the girl who lived in The Red House ... people spoke only in whispers! (poster)

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 1947 (France)

Also Known As:

No Trespassing

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sol Lesser Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Nath Storm: I don't care what Pete said, I wish we were prowling in the woods today.

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Connections

Featured in A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

User Reviews

Perfect for a stormy night!

This is my second time around commenting on this movie.

All I can say is wow! Whatever parts of this movie that seemed bizarre the first time I saw the move all came together the second time around and made sense.

The psychological drama works and the characters do give nuanced performances which I appreciated more the second time around. I adore the rural setting. The Red House is nothing short of an engrossing film with strong performances. Edward G. Robinson, Lon McAllister, Allene Roberts, Julie London, Rory Calhoun, Judith Anderson and Ona Munson are perfectly cast. Edward G. Robinson's and especially Judith Anderson's performances which seemed bizarre to me the first time came alive with depth and subtlety on a second viewing.

I agree with the folks who are saying this is a must see film. Watch it twice if your are like me and you need to in order to understand just how good it is! And I cannot stress enough how fine the Miklos Rosa score for The Red House is. This one is a keeper. If they make a restored DVD of this movie, I'll buy it (hint).