The House on Telegraph Hill

19511951
PGPG
1h 33m

6.9/10

Crime Drama Film-Noir

Concentration camp survivor Victoria Kowelska finds herself involved in mystery, greed, and murder after she assumes the identity of a dead friend in order to gain passage to America.Concentration camp survivor Victoria Kowelska finds herself involved in mystery, greed, and murder after she assumes the identity of a dead friend in order to gain passage to America.Concentration camp survivor Victoria Kowelska finds herself involved in mystery, greed, and murder after she assumes the identity of a dead friend in order to gain passage to America.

6.9/10

2.9K

Director
- Robert Wise
Writers
- Elick Moll(screenplay)
- Frank Partos(screenplay)
- Dana Lyon(novel)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total

Videos1

Trailer 2:27

The House On Telegraph Hill

Richard Basehart and William Lundigan in The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)

Richard Basehart, Valentina Cortese, and William Lundigan in The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)

Valentina Cortese in The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)

Richard Basehart in The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)

Valentina Cortese and William Lundigan in The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)

Director
- Robert Wise
Writers
- Elick Moll(screenplay)
- Frank Partos(screenplay)
- Dana Lyon(novel)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

Victoria has survived Nazi concentration by assuming the identity of one who died there. She arrives in San Francisco to see her "son" just as the boy's great-aunt dies leaving a lot of money to be inherited. Victoria falls in love with the boy's trustee Alan Spender, and they move into the mansion on Telegraph Hill. Living life in a new identity isn't without its dangers, however. —Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>

taxi driver concentration camp greed car accident bergen belsen 20 more

Taglines
- Shame is the mistress of this house and betrayal its master!
Genres
Certificate
- PG
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
Richard Basehart and Valentina Cortese met while making this film and were married in March1951.

Goofs
Nazi concentration camps routinely confiscated the identification documents and personal property of inmates. Yet Victoria's friend Karin has been allowed by the Nazis to keep a photograph of her son and other means of identification, which Victoria takes after Karin's death. And Victoria also kept her own passport during her time as a prisoner of the Nazis.

Quotes
Alan Spender: [to Victoria/Karin] The trouble with you is you really don't know how to relax.

Connections
Edited into The Green Fog (2017)

Soundtracks
Blue Moon
(uncredited)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Played immediately after the performance at the Chinese restaurant

Top review

8/10

gripping suspense thriller

I was lucky enough to see this movie on the big screen, with a full house, and it was a wonderful experience. The audience was completely enthralled, to the point of yelling out worried instructions to the onscreen characters. The acting in this film is very high-quality, and the pacing effective. I thought the footage of San Francisco (where I saw the film) was beautifully done; it really evokes the Telegraph Hill area. The director made particularly good use of the hills, as you'll see. If you like elegant suspense films like "Gaslight" and "Suspicion", you'll enjoy this one. Valentina Cortese is a very appealing heroine, and the story was made more interesting by the WWII element. The only thing I had a problem with was the fact that the two leading men looked too much alike. But that was a minor flaw in a very well-made film.

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