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 | family secret | theremin | murder | based on novel

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Taglines:

What I cannot have... I'll destroy

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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

Meg Mogan: Then you did kill her?
Pete Morgan: No, it was an accident, I was just trying to keep her quiet.

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Connections

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

User Reviews

A sadly unknown film....

I first heard of this film when Scorcesse mentioned it on his documentary, "A Journey Through American Cinema"...always wanting to see something new, I found a copy of it at work and took it home....WOW!!! This is one of the greatest low budget thriller/melodramas I have ever seen...definately up there with Jacque Tourner's "Cat People" and Edgar Ulmer's "Detour"...Daves conjures up a moltov cocktail of sexual frustration, psychological S&M, and pubescent curiosity that seems primed to explode at any minute, and the volatility of it all is what keeps you in suspense. Even if you do figure out the secret of the red house half way through (I did), the performances of everybody involved (especially Edward G Robinson) keeps your eyes glued to the screen from beginning all the way to the bitter and somewhat ironic end....if you ever run across it, please check it out....sadly, the prints that are available are a bit scratchy at best (which is what happens when a film is forgotten), but the film is an experience everybody should see for themselves.....