House of Strangers (1949)

After years in prison, Max promises revenge on his brothers for their betrayal. His lover Irene and memories of his past yield him a broader perspective.

Director:

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Writers:

Philip Yordan (screenplay), Jerome Weidman (novel)

Stars:

Edward G. Robinson, Susan Hayward, Richard Conte

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edward G. Robinson	...	Gino Monetti
Susan Hayward	...	Irene Bennett
Richard Conte	...	Max Monetti
Luther Adler	...	Joe Monetti
Paul Valentine	...	Pietro Monetti
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	...	Tony Monetti
Debra Paget	...	Maria Domenico
Hope Emerson	...	Helena Domenico
Esther Minciotti	...	Theresa Monetti
Diana Douglas	...	Elaine Monetti
Tito Vuolo	...	Lucca

Storyline

In New York, after seven years in prison, the lawyer Max Monetti goes to the bank of his brothers Joe, Tony and Pietro Monetti and promises revenge to them. Then he visits his lover Irene Bennett that asks him to forget the past and start a new life. Max recalls the early 30s, when he is the favorite son of his father Gino Monetti, who has a bank in the East Side. Gino is a tyrannical and egocentric self-made man that raises his family in an environment of hatred and Max is a competent lawyer engaged with Maria Domenico. When Max meets the confident Irene, he has a troubled love affair with her. In 1933, with the new Banking Act reaches Gino for misapplication of funds. Max plots a plan to help his father but is betrayed by his brothers. Now Max will see his brothers that have also being raised under the motto "Never Forgive, Never Forget".

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Plot Keywords:

brother versus brother | prison | bank | hatred | kiss | 

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Taglines:

A powerhouse of emotion.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

1 July 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

East Side Story

Filming Locations:

Ocean Park, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first of three movies written by screenwriter Philip Yordan, based on the novel, "I'll Never Go Home Again," by Jerome Weidman. The other two were Broken Lance (1954), with Spencer Tracy (for which Yordan won an Oscar for Best Story), and The Big Show (1961) with Esther Williams and Cliff Robertson.

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Goofs

At 2:00, Max approaches the front door of the Monetti Trust and Loan building. A young woman wearing a beret and a vertically-striped jacket steps out of the door, makes a right turn (from Max's perspective), and continues to walk until she disappears into the right side of the frame. 15 seconds later, the same woman is seen walking in front of the same building--again from Max's left to to his right--as if she had never been inside.

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Quotes

Helena Domenico: I'll have you know my husband died happy.
Gino Monetti: Your husband was happy to die, which is a different thing.

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Connections

Version of The 20th Century-Fox Hour: The Last Patriarch (1956)

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Soundtracks

Was That the Human Thing to Do?
(uncredited)
Music by Sammy Fain
Lyrics by Joe Young
Performed by Dolores Parker at the restaurant

User Reviews

Never Forgive, Never Forget

In New York, after seven years in prison, the lawyer Max Monetti (Richard Conte) goes to the bank of his brothers Joe (Luther Adler), Tony (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and Pietro Monetti (Paul Valentine) and promises revenge to them. Then he visits his lover Irene Bennett (Susan Hayward) that asks him to forget the past and start a new life.

Max recalls the early 30's, when he is the favorite son of his father Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson), who has a bank in the East Side. Gino is a tyrannical and egocentric self-made man that raises his family in an environment of hatred and Max is a competent lawyer engaged with Maria Domenico (Debra Paget). When Max meets the confident Irene, he has a troubled love affair with her. In 1933, with the new Banking Act reaches Gino for misapplication of funds. Max plots a plan to help his father but is betrayed by his brothers.

Now Max will see his brothers that have also being raised under the motto "Never Forgive, Never Forget".

"House of Strangers" is a magnificent film-noir by Joseph L. Mankiewicz with a great story of hatred and forgiveness. Edward G. Robinson has one of his best performances (if not the best) and wins the Best Actor award in the 1949 Cannes Film Festival. Richard Conte has one of his best roles (if not the best) in his well-succeeded career. Susan Hayward is very beautiful and elegant and performs a strong female character. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): Not Available