The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)

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

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Elick Moll (screenplay), Frank Partos (screenplay)

Stars:

Richard Basehart, Valentina Cortese, William Lundigan

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Basehart	...	Alan Spender
Valentina Cortese	...	Victoria Kowelska (as Valentina Cortesa)
William Lundigan	...	Major Marc Bennett
Fay Baker	...	Margaret
Gordon Gebert	...	Christopher
Steven Geray	...	Dr. Burkhardt
Herbert Butterfield	...	Joseph C. Callahan
Kei Thin Chung	...	Kei - Houseboy
John Burton	...	Mr. Whitmore
Katherine Meskill	...	Mrs. Whitmore
Mario Siletti	...	Tony, the Grocer
Charles Wagenheim	...	Man At Accident
David Clarke	...	Mechanic
Tamara Schee	...	Maria
Natasha Lytess	...	Karin Dernakova

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

concentration camp | greed | car accident | bergen belsen | taxi | 

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Taglines:

Shame is the mistress of this house and betrayal its master!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 August 1951 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A Casa da Colina

Filming Locations:

Speedys New Union Grocery - 301 Union Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Julius Castle, a restaurant with a castle-like exterior located on San Francisco's Telegraph Hill, was used as the exterior of the house in the film. The filmmakers built a mansion-like exterior around parts of the restaurant to hide certain elements (such as the "Julius Castle" sign on the outside wall). Built in 1922, Julius Castle served as a high-class restaurant until it closed in 2008. (It is currently for sale.)

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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.

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Quotes

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

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Enjoyable Thriller of Greed

In the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, the Polish Victoria Kowelska (Valentina Cortesa) has lost her husband and family in the war. She befriends her fellow citizen Karin Dernakova (Natasha Lytess), who miss her son Chris (Gordon Gebert) that lives with her Aunt Sophie in San Francisco. Karin dies three days before the liberation forces commanded by Major Marc Bennett (William Lundigan) arrive at the camp and Victoria assumes the identity of her friend to emigrate to the United States. However, she is informed that Aunt Sophie has just died and she stays in a camp for survivors.

Four years later, she succeeds to go to the United States and meets Sophie's lawyer. She learns that Alan Spender (Richard Basehart) was assigned Chris' trustee and he invites her to travel with him to San Francisco to see Chris. Along their journey, they get married to each other and Karin has a cold reception from the housekeeper Margaret (Fay Baker) that raises Chris at the mansion on Telegraph Hill. Karin meets Major Bennett, who is a friend of Alan, in a party at home and she befriends him. Soon Karin is connected to Chris, but when she has a car accident, she suspects that Alan wants to kill Chris and her to keep the money for him. Is she paranoid?

"The House on Telegraph Hill" is an enjoyable thriller with a story of greed. The movie has an impressive scene when Victoria's car loses the break on the hills of San Francisco. The mystery is kept to the end when the truth is shown. The Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp is the place where Anne Frank died. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Terrível Suspeita" ("Terrible Suspicion")