The Other (1972)

Down in the farm country of the US twins are born. One of them turns out to be good, while the other becomes rather evil.

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Tom Tryon (screenplay) (as Thomas Tryon), Tom Tryon (novel) (as Thomas Tryon)

Stars:

Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur, Chris Udvarnoky

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Uta Hagen	...	Ada
Diana Muldaur	...	Alexandra
Chris Udvarnoky	...	Niles Perry
Martin Udvarnoky	...	Holland Perry
Norma Connolly	...	Aunt Vee
Victor French	...	Angelini
Loretta Leversee	...	Winnie
Lou Frizzell	...	Uncle George
Portia Nelson	...	Mrs. Rowe
Jenny Sullivan	...	Torrie
John Ritter	...	Rider
Jack Collins	...	Mr. P.C. Pretty
Ed Bakey	...	Chan-yu
Clarence Crow	...	Russell

Storyline

In the summer of 1935, 12-year-old twins Niles and Holland Perry live with their family on a Connecticut farm. Their loving grandmother Ada has taught them something called "the game." A number of accidents begin happening, and it seems to Niles that Holland is responsible. It is Ada who begins to see the truth, and she is the only one who can stop this macabre game of murder.

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Plot Keywords:

accident | child's point of view | pregnant wife | brother brother relationship | rat | 

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Taglines:

There have been all the others. Now there is The Other

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 May 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

El otro

Filming Locations:

Angels Camp, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Benchmark,Rem,Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 100 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the early stages of production, author-producer Tom Tryon wanted Ingrid Bergman for the role of Ada (the Grandmother), and Mark Lester for the dual roles of Niles and Holland. When Bergman passed, on account of a previous stage commitment, Uta Hagen was hired and brought aboard twins Chris Udvarnoky and Martin Udvarnoky.

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Goofs

Set in 1935, Rider makes reference to the movie Murder in the Blue Room.

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Quotes

Holland: What's going on?
Niles: I'm waiting for him to disappear.
Holland: Don't be a dumbell, nobody can do that!
Niles: I know! I wanna find out how he does it. Holland? How?
Niles: I'll play the game on him!

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Alternate Versions

When shown on Network Television the last shot contained a voiceover, in which the person in the shot said they were going to tell the sheriff the truth about all the bad things which had been going on.

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Connections

Featured in Movie Macabre: The Other (1984)

User Reviews

The First Coming of Stephen King?

Many horror fans, and those who try to write such stories, understand that Stephen King has taken inspiration from the work of others. And there can be little doubt King was greatly influenced by Thomas Tryon's outstanding novels Harvest Home and The Other.

The TV movie version of The Other enjoyed good-ratings and critical acclaim when it was first broadcast on CBS in 1972. Although Stephen King was actively writing horror at the time, I suspect he took subtle cues from The Other. Among other things, little Danny Torrance's psychic manifestation of "the shining" is curiously similar to a phenomena called "playing the game" in Tryon's story.

Thomas Tryon wrote with an elegant style somewhat reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft's. His plots were engaging, his characters interesting and well developed, and his New England settings evoked the gloom and obscure anxiety traditionally associated with that region. So why has his work faded into near-obscurity while King's is heralded as the greatest in the history of horror?

Regrettably, Tryon, who was one of the most highly regarded young actors in Hollywood, started writing rather late in life and died while his creative powers were waning. He also chose to explore genres other than the Gothic (with generally good results.) There is also a more staid, pre-World War II air about his work that might not appeal King's core audience. Nevertheless, Tryon's Gothic efforts translated wonderfully onto the small screen, and he deserves a well-deserved place in the pantheon of American Gothic writers.

Thankfully, American Movie Classics has begun airing The Other again, and a new generation of fans now has the opportunity to enjoy this seminal work of cinematic horror.