edward g. robinson Archives

Maybe it has to do with the turning of the calendar to the brisk month of October, but I am would like to share an atmospheric, moody film from 1947, a thriller titled The Red House, starring Edward G. Robinson and Dame Judith Anderson.

PLOT SUMMARY (Source: TCM Database/AFI)

Pete (Robinson) and Ellen (Anderson) have reared Meg (Allene Roberts) as their own, ever since she was a baby and her parents took off. Now a teen, Meg convinces her friend Nath (Lon McAllister) to come help with chores on the farm: Pete isn’t getting around on his wooden leg like he used to. When Nath insists on using a short cut home through the woods, Pete gets quite agitated and warns him of screams in the night, of terrors associated with the red house. Curious, Meg and Nath ignore his warnings and begin exploring. Meg begins falling in love with Nath, but his girlfriend Tibby (Julie London) has other plans for him. Meanwhile they all get closer to real danger and the dark secret of the red house.

Not mentioned in this synopsis is the appearance of character actor Rory Calhoun, who plays an enigmatic local drifter. For fans of films from this era, the names Calhoun, London, and of course Robinson and Anderson should be all too familiar. How they ended up in this small, independently produced film is anyone’s guess but the film ends up being all the better for it. There is a mystery to be revealed, and frankly, you will probably be able to figure out what secrets the red house holds before you should. No bother – it is an enjoyable enough film that will pass a cool, fall day (or night) in.

Check out the opening couple of minutes in the following clip and if that gets your attention, there are many copies of it available for viewing on a host of video streaming services:

Finally be sure to check out other overlooked or forgotten gems on Todd Mason’s Sweet Freedom blog.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable holiday weekend. Well I am back with my latest edition of the weekly series, Tuesday’s Overlooked Film. Again, special thanks to Todd Mason of Sweet Freedom for collecting all the contributions.

This week, I thought I had a film all lined up, but then I read a post by frequent commenter to this site, ‘Jack Deth,’ on the website, Front Room Cinema. His post was about the Top Ten Femme Fatales. As one may have guessed, many of them came from the film movement/genre known as film noir. That immediately put me in a noir-ish mood, having also just recently sat through TCM’s ‘Noir Christmas.’

This inspiration lead me to the 1944 feature, The Woman in the Window, directed by Fritz Lang. It starred Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea. It is based on J. H. Wallis’ novel Once Off Guard.

At the beginning of the film, our protagonist, the milquetoast Professor Wanley (Robinson) is headed towards his gentlemen’s club while his family is away. He passes a shop window and sees an oil painting of the lovely Alice Reed (Bennett). After a night in the club, Wanley departs only to run into the subject of the painting in the flesh. This chance encounter leads Wanley and the audience on an unexpected journey that comes to a shocking conclusion.

At the time of its release, The Woman in the Window was a minor critical and commercial success. But as with many things, over time, this film became forgotten by the masses – with the exception of the most ardent of noir fans.

This principle cast and director would collaborate again in 1945’s Scarlet Street.

Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: The Red House (1947)

Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Woman in the Window (1944)