Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Ethel Barrymore | ... | Mary Herries | |
Maurice Evans | ... | Henry Springer Elcott | |
Angela Lansbury | ... | Mrs. Edwards | |
Keenan Wynn | ... | Edwards | |
Betsy Blair | ... | Ada Elcott | |
John Williams | ... | Mr. Foster | |
Doris Lloyd | ... | Rose | |
![]() |
John O'Malley | ... | Antique Dealer |
![]() |
Henri Letondal | ... | Monsieur Malaquaise |
Moyna MacGill | ... | Mrs. Harkley | |
![]() |
Barry Bernard | ... | Mr. Harkley |
![]() |
Sally Cooper | ... | Lucy Weston |
![]() |
Arthur Gould-Porter | ... | Chauffeur |
![]() |
Sherlee Collier | ... | Aggie Edwards |
![]() |
Phyllis Morris | ... | Dora |
Mary Herries has a passion for art and fine furniture. Even though she is getting on in years, she enjoys being around these priceless articles. One day she meets a strange young painter named Elcott, who uses his painting skill to enter into her life. Little does she expect that his only interest in Mary is to covet everything she has. Written by Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>
Anyone who remembers Maurice Evans' kindly turn as Mia Farrow's friend in "Rosemary's Baby" may be shocked to find him so convincingly evil in this gripping melodrama. Ethel Barrymore plays a sharp, sensible woman who gets taken in by a con-man; he moves into her house and she quickly becomes his prisoner. The plot is infuriating (we in the audience feel like prisoners, too) and the inevitable turning-the-tables ploy seems to take forever to arrive. Still, Barrymore's plight is played to the urgent hilt, and Evans (along with his brutish cohorts, Keenan Wynn and Angela Lansbury) is downright despicable. The handling of this story, previously filmed in 1936 with Aline MacMahon, twists all the right screws with grueling accuracy, but calculated pictures like this may turn off many viewers before the final act. Ultimately, too many plot entanglements are left ignored and some crucial moments take place off-screen. Strictly as a masochistic thriller, however, the film is queasy and indeed suspenseful. **1/2 from ****