Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Red House (1947), Delmer Daves.


Forget what Leonard Maltin says, there are not three stars anywhere to be found here.  Yes, Robinson is a strong performer and so is the lovely Allene Roberts as Robinson's daughter Meg.  Yes, there's a disturbing bone-chiller under there somewhere but the execution of the film is so ham-fisted that the tension disappears, re-emerges, then goes slack again...etc.  The mystery is doled out in little bits then pours down in a torrent, making the final scenes redundant.  The version I watched was a terrible print from the Hollywood Tough Guys DVD series.  Avoid this version if you can, parts of the screen were entirely black for moments at a time.  The Red House is a prime candidate for a remake.  I suggest casting Alec Baldwin as the father!   

No comments: