The Red House Movie Review

Independent producer Sol Lesser was pleased when The Red House played to packed houses, but whether that was due to the tremendous performances by Edward G. Robinson and Judith Anderson or to the passionate make-out sequences between gorgeous Tibby (Julie London, 21) and strapping Teller (Rory Calhoun, 29), the boxoffice receipts don't say. The Red House is an unusual film noir, because it takes place in a rural, rather than an urban setting. Robinson is Pete Morgan, a disabled farmer with a secret, plus a phobia about anyone going near The Red House on his property. Lon McCallister is Nath Storm, Pete's hired hand and the so-called love interest in the story. He's sort of a nerd, actually, pining over the always occupied Tibby, and only acquiescing to the gentle affection of Allene Roberts as Meg Morgan. But Pete's secret and his phobia don't go away—they fester and elicit attention in spite of his resistance. Moreover, the horrors of his own past creep up on him. In an urban setting, there would be plenty of distractions, but here, there are constant reminders of what happened in The Red House, and Miklos Rosza's score going into hysterics everytime Pete even THINKS about The Red House….Yes, it IS very melodramatic, but Robinson gives the role everything he's got. Everyone in the cast is good with the exception of McCallister, who looks like a cheerful soul, even though he can barely act at all. Also that year, Delmer Daves went subjective with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and his own adaptation of David Goodis’ urban noir novel, Dark Passage. The Red House is based on the novel by George Agnew Chamberlain.

1947 100m/B Edward G. Robinson, Lon McCallister, Judith Anderson, Allene Roberts, Rory Calhoun, Ona Munson, Julie London, Harry Shannon, Arthur Space, Walter Sande, Pat Flaherty; D: Delmer Daves; W: Delmer Daves; C: Bert Glennon; M: Miklos Rozsa. VHS