User reviews

Edward G. Robinson doesn't want his adopted daughter to go near "The Red House" in this 1947 film which also stars Judith Anderson, Lon McAllister, Allene Roberts, Julie London and Rory Calhoun. Robinson is Pete, who lives with his sister Ellen (Anderson) on a self-sufficient farm. They have a daughter they both adopted, Meg, who is now a teenager with a crush on Nath (McAllister) so she arranges for him to work for Pete. Nath is interested instead in the gorgeous Tibby (London), a tramp in training who flirts with a randy local (Calhoun). When Nath decides to go home via the woods, Pete becomes very agitated and tries to dissuade him. Meg and Nath decide to find out what's in those woods and start investigating. What they uncover is life-changing.

Directed by Delmer Daves, "The Red House" is one scary noir with lots of night scenes that take place in the woods and a haunting ending. The story is also an allegory for growing up and going out into the world, which Meg and Nath are determined to do. Nath urges his mother to marry her long-time boyfriend and go north with him because it's time he was independent, and Meg wants to be treated like a young woman - not only by a young man, but by the people she sees as her parents. The more Pete tells her not to go into the woods, the more she rebels.

There are several unsettling things in this film - the secret Pete is keeping, for one, as well as very unhealthy obsession with Meg. That is handled subtly for the most part, but is still there. That may seem an ambitious subject for 1947, but it is also an obvious part of the plot of "In This Our Life," as an example. We learn as the film continues that Ellen had a chance at having her own home and happiness with the local doctor, but because Pete would not allow her to take Meg with her, she never married and stayed on the farm. The fact that she wasn't willing to leave Meg alone with Pete is quite telling. As Pete becomes more unbalanced at the thought of anyone trespassing in the woods, we can understand her motives. Another interesting feature of the film is the blatant sexuality of Tibby as opposed to the naiveté of Meg.

All the performances are good, but Robinson is a standout. He could be convincing as both a villain and a lovesick fool, a great man or a coward. Here he slowly fleshes out his character from that of a nice, gentle man to one who is becoming unhinged to complete disintegration in a truly frightening performance. Judith Anderson, so menacing in "Rebecca" underplays beautifully here and is perfectly convincing as Pete's sister. It's a sign of a great actress when she can be at home in Shakespeare and as a farmer's sister. London is stunning and does well as a gal trying to hedge her bets. Roberts and McAllister are appropriately young and have the necessary naive quality.

The best way I can describe "The Red House" is to call it unsettling. The undertones and the end of the film are disturbing, and one can see the beginnings of the psychology and dark feelings that surfaced in film after World War II.

First, I saw this as a child and recall being absolutely mesmerized and terrified by the creepy music associated with the house. Upon seeing it again some months back, I was immediately brought back to childhood and felt the same strangled dread. Sometimes memories of things from youth don't hold up but in this case, RED HOUSE remains a bizarre and scary movie into adulthood.

Robinson's performance is very atypical but effective. He was a far more versatile actor than most people realize. As definitive as his fatcat gangster kingpin roles were in LITTLE CAESAR, KEY LARGO and the like, he was equally believable as victims and suckers, as in movies like SCARLET STREET.

It is surprising that the studio was able to slip some very sexual material by the censors into this movie; Robinson is a deeply troubled and surprisingly sympathetic "deviant" here and things are handled with relative frankness.

This isn't a perfect movie (some motivational problems in particular) and i didn't plan to comment on it, but i strongly disagree with the comments of another reviewer who dismissed Robinson so I wanted to briefly opine with my dissenting opinion. One final note: besides the highly chilling music, this movie features a very haunting ending that will stay with you. This is pretty twisted stuff given the era, and despite some datedness, it's certainly worth a look for those who like their noir Gothic and haunted.

Thrilling Film-Noir written and directed by Delmer Daves. A crippled farmer(Edward G. Robinson)living with his sister(Judith Anderson) and adopted daughter(Allene Roberts)is hard pressed to deal with a young man(Lon McCallister)that comes to help out with chores. The young man is a friend of the daughter, but has romantic feelings for the school "hottie" Julie London. Robinson becomes deeper obsessed with keeping everyone away from a mysterious red house hidden in the woods that surround his property. Not only is London very young at this time in her career, but so is Rory Calhoun who hunts the woods and discourages trespassers. This is a passionate and atmospheric mystery that is supported by the haunting music of Miklos Rozsa. I especially enjoyed the scene of McCallister trying to go through the woods in the hard driving rain storm with the creepy music background. If you get the chance to see this on TCM, AMC or PBS...don't pass it up.

This film-noir may look like a B-film, but it contains two powerful pieces of work, that of actor Edward G. Robinson and composer Miklos Rozsa.

A strange tale, "The Red House" benefits from one of Robinson's most flavorful performances, as a man harboring a dark secret past which returns to haunt him. Ably supporting Robinson is the strong Judith Anderson as the sister, the fine Lon McCallister as a callow but earnest youth, and the striking Rory Calhoun in one of his most impressive roles.

Directed in a somewhat standard fashion by Delmer Davis, interest is maintained by uniformly strong performances, and an extensive, full orchestral score by Miklos Rozsa. As in countless other films, Rozsa, inspired by Ravel (and the generic Debussy) weaves a wall-to-wall tapestry of psychological tension, further raising this enactment above its ordinary production design.

Devotees of Robinson can enjoy their favorite actor in his 53rd film, made at the peak of his powers. His unique film presence boasted a career of 99 films in 57 years, which was preceded by a 15-year stint on the New York stage. Robinson proved that one doesn't have to be unusually handsome to be a star, nor be relegated to minor character parts. Indeed, Robinson played leads in countless classics, with nary a weak performance. Few actors can make that claim.

The DVD transfer is not a restored print, and contains several stretches of poor audio and scratchy images. On a series called, "Hollywood Tough Guys," put out by Madacy Entertainment, one can still be grateful that "The Red House" is available, as respresentative of both Robinson's and Rozsa's unique contribution to film.

I'm not sure why this film was entitled The Red House. Not being shot in color the title will mean absolutely nothing to the viewer, especially the viewer of today who won't be dealing with a recent best selling book to compare it with.

The house of whatever color is located by a mill and it contains a terrible secret from the past of Edward G. Robinson. Robinson and his sister have raised young Allene Roberts on their farm since she was an infant and have been like parents to her. They have one standing rule at their place. Under no circumstances is she or anyone else to go to a certain stretch of woods and to enforce that rule Robinson has hired Rory Calhoun to keep trespassers off.

Of course you tell teenagers like Roberts, Lon McCallister, and Julie London not to do something or go somewhere and you know very well what's going to happen in movies and in real life. Their curiosity unravels both a terrible secret from the past and it also unravels Robinson himself who we see degenerate from a loving father figure to a terrible figure of fright and horror.

Robinson of course is his usual outstanding, but it was refreshing to see Judith Anderson for once not playing a baddie. No Mrs. Danvers here or a blackmailing wet nurse like The Ten Commandments. She's a kind loving sister who gave up her own chance at happiness and a marriage to live with Robinson and raise Roberts.

Allene Roberts and Lon McCallister are a pair of nice young people, but they don't stand up against Rory Calhoun and Julie London. Calhoun's part is mysterious and ill defined, but he has plenty of animal magnetism exploding all over the screen and this was his first big break. As for London, I'm still scratching my head why McCallister chooses Roberts when he's got Julie London giving him the come hither glance.

The Red House is a fine thriller a bit dated, but still entertaining. By the way it also has a fine Mikos Rosza score as well.

This is one of the toughest Edward G. Robinson films to review, as it is so different and strange when compared to his other films. Instead of the familiar gangster film, Robinson plays a farmer in this mystery. It doesn't seem like a mystery movie initially, but you soon start to sense SOMETHING just isn't right on this lovely and isolated farm. It all begins to be revealed when a high school student comes to work part-time on the farm. He's a classmate of Robinson's adopted daughter and things seem to be working out fine until this young man wants to take a shortcut across the property. Inexplicably, Robinson STRONGLY warns him not to--saying the woods are very dangerous at night. And because of his vehemence, his daughter becomes fascinated with unraveling the whole mystery behind the woods. Instead of trying to further explain the rest of the film, let's just suffice to say that there are lots of twists and turns and even death awaiting! The total package is very good--too good to just have this film sit on shelves like it has over the years. And while not all the plot elements are completely satisfactory (Robinson at times just seemed a little too goofy and crazed and the final resolution was not the best answer to a mystery I have ever seen on film), the movie is worth seeing--particularly for fans of Robinson and films from Hollywood's Golden Age.

Until last night I hadn't seen this movie since being 9 years old in 1947. At that time it scared the hell out of me --- particular the ice house scene, etched forever in memory -- although THE RED HOUSE is not a horror movie. Looking at it again after 60 years it's still a winner.

However scary there's almost no violence, but instead it relies on the natural fright of living near a forbidden woods and the haunted RED HOUSE. The evil lies entirely in the mind of the old man (Edward G. Robinson) and the guilt from some long-ago crime. Lon McAlister plays the young man who enters the scene and other youngsters are played by Rory Calhoun and Julie London who later became stars.

It's easy to understand how the dark, forbidden woods affected me as a young child; but I doubt it would be so well received by today's kids. For one thing, they don't play outside much, let alone exploring in a dark woods or haunted house. Secondly, the woods was most likely torn down. My own woods --- circa 1947 -- had a stream, a swamp, a genuine haunted house, a pig's skeleton, and a road leading to nowhere. Today it's all gone; replaced by Holy Cross Hospital, part of the Washington Beltway, 40 new houses --- paradise swallowed up by progress. Nothing remains for today's kids.

The Red House is now in DVD. It's good; see it!

An old man (Edward G Robinson) and his sister (Judith Anderson) are concealing a terrible secret from their adopted teen daughter called Meg (Allene Roberts) . The fostered girl is attracted to a young man of the village called Nath Storm (Lon McCallister) . Meg starts falling in love with Nath , but his sweetheart Tibby (Julie London) has other plans for him . She then brings home the suitor and the old man attempts to keep everyone out of mysterious red house located on his ownership . The elderly farmer unsuccessfully attempts to bury the horrid past . Curious , Meg and Nath ignore dangers and begin exploring beyond the following warning : ¨No trespass at your own risk¨ . Meantime , they all get closer to real risk and the horrible truth about the property . At the end , the terrible secret concerning a hidden abandon farmhouse and located deep in the woods bursts out , as leaving a grand ending the resolution of the mystery .

This first-rate but slow-paced picture draws its riveting tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles as well as drama and emotion . Rare film Noir about troubled relationships , being based on the novel by Agnew Chamberlain and screen-written by the same director and by notorious and black-listed Albert Maltz . It has a good realization , an original script , haunting atmosphere , intriguing events ; for that reason madness and murder prevail . Exciting as well as strange film , possessing a mysterious and fascinating blend of rural serenity , baroque suspense in which especially stands out the magnificent musical score by Miklos Rozsa . This is pure cinema from the first to the last shot, where there's nothing left and each image has its sense and meaning . Very good acting by Edward G. Robinson on the character of an old crippled farmer "Pete Morgan", who lives with his sister in a secluded farm in front of an eerie forest . He does an excellent job and proves once again he is one of the best players in the history of cinema . Support cast is frankly well such as Judith Anderson of Rebeca as Ellen Morgan , Rory Calhoun as Teller , Allene Roberts as Meg , Julie London as Tibby , Ona Munson as Mrs. Storm , Pat Flatherty as cop and Harry Shannon . Dark cinematography plenty of lights and shades by Bert Glennon . The failure of the original copyright holder to renew the film's copyright resulted in it falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely and usually badly edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duplicated from second- or third-generation or more copies of the film.

The motion picture produced in low budget by Sol Lesser was well directed by Delmer Daves . Nice work by Delmer Daves in demonstrating his skill at all areas : as technical , using all kind of resources for illustrating the interesting as well as dramatic story with an engaging screenplay , adding great actors filmmaking and enjoyable narration . Daves was a Western expert , including his characteristic use of landscape , for the reason he lived a long time of his boyhood with the Navajo and Hopi Indian tribes as he realized the notorious trail-blazing ¨Broken arrow¨ the first movie for many years not treat the Indians as cannon-fodder for the cavalry , which made the picture unpopular in some quarters . He went on directing the suspenseful ¨3:10 to Yuma¨, other pro-Indian as ¨The last wagon¨ and about Modoc Indians as ¨Drum beat¨ , the Shakespearian style of ¨Jubal¨ , ¨Return of the Texan¨ and ¨Cowboy¨ which a fairly spectacle about a long cattle drive . From 1959 Delmer Daves becomes embroiled for the remainder of his career with teenage love epics and very popular at the Box-office as ¨A summer place¨, ¨Parrish¨, ¨Susan Slade¨, and ¨Rome adventure¨, among others . And of course , he realized Noir films such as ¨Dark passage¨ and this ¨The red House¨ that is absolutely recommended .

"The Red House" tries very hard to combine two genres with little success. On one level it's a typical teen romance with all the usual lover's quarrels and petty jealousies. On the other hand it's a psychological suspense a la "Rebecca" or "Spellbound" but lacking the genius of Hitchcock.

There's not enough red herrings or other diversions for a good suspense movie. The film moves so slowly, you can't help but guess the "secret" long before the end. The teen romance angle had more potential with Rory Calhoun, Allene Roberts and a very sultry Julie London in the cast, but Calhoun and London don't get enough screen time to keep you interested.

Although I usually love Edward G. Robinson, the lack of real suspense in the film drained his performance of much of it's power. Judith Anderson does a good job playing against type, but it's not enough to save this turgid cluster gaggle.

Delmer Daves's The Red House is a gem! But it's not a film for the kids - the film deals with somewhat perverse adult themes in a very psychologically, if not explicitly, realistic manner. The great Edward G. Robinson plays Pete Morgan, a reclusive older gentleman living with his sister (Judith Anderson) and an adopted teenage daughter, Meg (Allene Roberts). Most of the story revolves around Meg's developing romance with Nath (Lon McAllister) - a smart and decent young man who comes to work for Pete. Nath's girlfriend - kind of an erstwhile femme fatale - is played by the lovely Julie London, and it is no surprise to find that as Nath's attention turns to Meg, her attention turns to bad boy "Teller" (Rory Calhoun).

Underneath all the typically teenage romantic dynamics lies several terrible secrets and possibly, something supernatural. All of this will culminate in revealing the secret of a long-forgotten Red House in the woods behind Pete's house.

The acting is excellent. The younger members of the cast are remarkably attractive, an the cinematographer used this to great advantage. Calhoun and London occasionally falter into formulaic acting, but McAllister and Roberts are always exactly where they need to be, and Robinson turns in a typically brilliant performance. Roberts, amazingly, was 18 years old and acting in her first film when she turned in this fantastic, mature performance.

Daves paces the film very nicely. There are relatively few wasted seconds, and the build-up to the climax, and even the epilogue, are barely even noticeable as you are swept away by the increasingly convoluted and disturbing story-line. Lighting, a trademark of Daves and noir in general, is used perfectly in this very nicely shot dark contrast-oriented film. The key to the success of this film, however, is the misdirection of audience sympathies - which is all I will say about the script - to avoid a spoiler.

NOTE: Be willing to spend a few extra dollars to get a good print of this film. Some of the less expensive versions have very poor sound quality - almost unlistenable.

Highly recommended for Robinson fans and non-graphic horror fans. Recommended for noir fans. Not recommended for kids.

Plot Synopsis: In rural America, Nathan Storm is persuaded by his friend Meg to work on her family's farm, which is run by Meg's uncle Pete & his sister Ellen. Pete agrees on having Nathan work there, but insists that he is never to enter the woods adjoining the property. Nathan secretly tries to enter, but is scared off by a stranger armed with a rifle. He hears of an old red house which is supposed to be in the woods & is reputed to be haunted. Nathan makes every attempt to enter the woods in order to find the red house.

Film Review: The Red House is a minor psychological thriller from the mid-1950s, starring Edward G. Robinson (who rose to fame with the likes of LITTLE CAESAR). For the uninitiated, Robinson (born Emmanuel Goldenberg) was an actor who became something of a legend for playing sinister gangsters throughout most of the 1930s. Following his career-defining role in Little Caesar, Robinson spent the next decade making up for it by playing various good-natured characters. The Red House saw a melding of the two roles he was used to playing, with his portrayal of a farmer who has a dark side.

To be honest, despite Robinson's good acting, I wasn't much impressed with the film. The plot is simple but the script is melodramatic to say the least. Not to mention the fact that the film is so slow that it becomes a real chore to watch – if you are quite impatient, I'd recommend skipping this film. Delmer Daves takes his sweet time in getting to the point – only to defer it with muddled writing. There are also some plot points that are really unnecessary – the plot line involving Rory Calhoun & his attempts to buy a government bond with three-quarters-of-a-grand have no dramatic place here & could have been written out with no impact to the film.

Having said that, the film does have its moments, including a suitably macabre ending, the characters are well-drawn & the acting is very good. Only thing is that if the script was written with more care, the film would have been an enjoyable time-waster. As it stands, The Red House is just plain dramatically flat.

I first heard of this film when Scorcesse mentioned it on his documentary, "A Journey Through American Cinema"...always wanting to see something new, I found a copy of it at work and took it home....WOW!!! This is one of the greatest low budget thriller/melodramas I have ever seen...definately up there with Jacque Tourner's "Cat People" and Edgar Ulmer's "Detour"...Daves conjures up a moltov cocktail of sexual frustration, psychological S&M, and pubescent curiosity that seems primed to explode at any minute, and the volatility of it all is what keeps you in suspense. Even if you do figure out the secret of the red house half way through (I did), the performances of everybody involved (especially Edward G Robinson) keeps your eyes glued to the screen from beginning all the way to the bitter and somewhat ironic end....if you ever run across it, please check it out....sadly, the prints that are available are a bit scratchy at best (which is what happens when a film is forgotten), but the film is an experience everybody should see for themselves.....

***SPOILERS*** Tough guy Edward G. Robinson as farmer Pete Morgan goes psycho here much like he did as "Wolf" Larson in the movie "The Sea Wolf" as he tries to keep of what the mysterious and creepy Red House-That's on his property-has hidden in it. All hell breaks loose when he hires his step daughter Meg's, Allene Roberts, boyfriend Nath Storm,Lon McCallister, as a farm hand who get's not only very romantic with Meg, whom control freak Morgan wants to keep all to himself, but insists to check out the area where the red house is located in.

It soon becomes apparent that both Morgan and his live in sister Ellen, Judith Anderson, have a skeleton hidden in the closet that they've been hiding from the world for at least 15 years and in Pete Morgan's case is more then willing to kill to keep that secret from seeing the light of day. There's also both the sexy and hot to trot Tibby, Julie London, who's got the hots from the boyishly handsome Nath and the devilishly handsome local sh*t kicker Teller played by an Elvis Presley looking, some seven years before anyone ever knew of him, Rory Calhoun whom Morgan uses to terrorize anyone from finding out the secret about his red house that he keeps hidden deep in the woods.

****SPOILERS**** You can see that Morgan is not all there to begin with but as the secret of the red house and what's hidden in it starts to leak out, due to the efforts of both Meg & Nath, that he completely cracks up.From at first being a kind and gentle soul who wouldn't hurt a fly to a crazed out of control lunatic going so far as murdering his own sister Ellen. It was Ellen who was about to go to the local authorities and have him committed before he did any more damage. The mentally deranged Morgan even attempts to rape, in thinking that she's his former girlfriend, and murder Meg for walking out on him by getting overly friendly with Nath whom he also attempts to murder. With the secret of the red house now known all over the papers and news outlets-radio & TV- and the police about to take him into custody Morgan makes a dash for it in his jalopy of a pick-up truck and ends up drowning himself. That as he burst into the red house's ice house-with the ice melting in the summer heat- where all the evidence of his many crimes-of some 15 years ago-are hidden.

All the previous comments echo mine/ The print I have is one of the first I purchased way back when films first came available on tape. At the conclusion there is an interesting commentary on this New hobby of collecting films, They even give a phone number to call on collecting films, I will call tomorrow & see if the number is still in use. This film is part of the FILM CLASSIC series, & many of the prints are not as good as the current films; but THE RED HOUSE print is reasonably clean. The music by Miklos Roxsa (spelled wrong) is superb

& fits each scene perfectly. I wish I could say that about current music scores. The hero Lon Macallister, while never being the best actor comes accross very well. the main reason he did not make may more films was his very receding hairline which is quite noticeable.

Rating ***/4 82 points/100 IMBd 7

"Meg" (Allene Roberts) is a teenage girl who lives on the edge of a dark and dreadful forest with a man named "Pete Morgan" (Edward G. Robinson) and his sister "Ellen Morgan" (Judith Anderson) who adopted her when she was 2 years old. As long as she can remember she was told not to venture into the forest. Then one day Pete hires a teenage boy named "Nath Storm" (Lon McCallister) to help with the chores on the farm which pleases Meg to no end even though Nath has a girlfriend named "Tibby" (Julie London) who keeps him focused solely on her. Unfortunately, one stormy night Nath decides to take a short-cut through the woods which greatly displeases Pete and begins a series of bad feelings between the two of them. The friction soon becomes even worse when Meg decides to disobey Pete's instructions and venture into the woods with Nath in search of a mysterious "Red House" which she is told is particularly horrendous. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an entertaining movie which was actually enhanced by the fact that it was filmed in black-and-white as it added a certain macabre feel to everything. It also helped that the sub-plots blended well together to form a cohesive story-line. That being said, I have rated the film accordingly. Above average.

This is my second time around commenting on this movie.

All I can say is wow! Whatever parts of this movie that seemed bizarre the first time I saw the move all came together the second time around and made sense.

The psychological drama works and the characters do give nuanced performances which I appreciated more the second time around. I adore the rural setting. The Red House is nothing short of an engrossing film with strong performances. Edward G. Robinson, Lon McAllister, Allene Roberts, Julie London, Rory Calhoun, Judith Anderson and Ona Munson are perfectly cast. Edward G. Robinson's and especially Judith Anderson's performances which seemed bizarre to me the first time came alive with depth and subtlety on a second viewing.

I agree with the folks who are saying this is a must see film. Watch it twice if your are like me and you need to in order to understand just how good it is! And I cannot stress enough how fine the Miklos Rosa score for The Red House is. This one is a keeper. If they make a restored DVD of this movie, I'll buy it (hint).

Were it not for Miklos Rozsa's theremin score one might take this fanciful cross between the Kansas scenes in 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Deliverance' for a rural silent melodrama of the sort made by Murnau or Sjostrom; complete with a vamp played by the young Julie London.

As one savours the beauty of the sunlit daytime exteriors and chiaroscuro of the gothic night scenes one hopes that this is all leading somewhere; but alas it isn't.

On the bus ride home, handsome "Union High School" senior Lon McCallister (as Nath Storm) cozies up to sexy girlfriend Julie London (as Tibby Rinton) while cute Allene Roberts (as Meg Morgan) looks forlorn - obviously, Ms. Roberts would like Mr. McCallister to be her boyfriend. Telling McCallister that her wooden-legged foster father Edward G. Robinson (as Pete Morgan) needs help on the farm, Roberts invites him over to apply for an after-school job. McCallister accepts.

After joining Mr. Robinson and his spinster sister Judith Anderson (as Ellen) for dinner, McCallister wants to take a short cut home. Robinson warns him "Ox Head Woods" is dangerous, forbidden, and likely haunted by screams. McCallister skeptically decides to take his chances, but is frightened into taking the recommended route home. Despite her increasingly spooky foster father, McCallister grows closer to Roberts. Soon, they are searching the forest for a lost house of secrets…

With its effectively ascending Gothic atmosphere, and a fine cast, "The Red House" has everything it takes to be considered a minor classic, at least. Perhaps its appreciation will someday surface. With hints of incest, Robinson is excellent; he never seemed to get the roles or recognition needed to reach the deserved level of esteem awarded contemporaries. It's nice to hear McCallister's age explained; due to helping their parents at work, "boys graduate a little older than those in the city."

McCallister holds his own against is legendary co-star, as do the aforementioned players. Also making a good impression is Rory Calhoun (as Teller), a trigger-happy high school dropout hired by Robinson to ward off trespassers. Director Delmer Daves and photographer Bert Glennon take advantage of the eerily breezy locations. Making producer Sol Lesser proud, Miklos Rozsa's soundtrack music is a perfect accompaniment and the editing by Merrill White should also be noted.

******** The Red House (3/16/47) Delmer Daves ~ Edward G. Robinson, Lon McCallister, Judith Anderson, Rory Calhoun

Edward G Robinson plays crippled farmer Pete Morgan who lives with his sister and an adopted girl called Meg. A young lad called Nath finds work there, helping out after school. Morgan warns him against walking home through the woods in the dark but young Nath ignores his advice. He soon gets spooked and before long he's back at the farm. These sequences in the woods are genuinely tense, at first I wondered if there was something supernatural going on. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the danger is man. This movie is a good example of film noir, it looks great in black and white and has some very effective tension. Lon McCallister does look a bit old to be playing a school kid (he was 25) but his girlfriend Tibby (Julie London) is a real looker, Meg (Allene Roberts) is very attractive too. Creepy Farmer Morgan not only has a pronounced limp with his wooden leg but he has some dangerous mental issues too. I had never heard of this film before but it turned up on British TV and I enjoyed it.

Watched this film recently and I really loved it! Entertaining throughout and with solid performances from a cast that consists of Edward G. Robinson, Lon McCallister, Judith Anderson, Rory Calhoun and Allene Roberts. The movie is very odd but incredibly atmospheric and at times, a bit spooky. Robinson and Anderson play a brother and sister who have adopted Roberts and have raised her as their own on their farm all the time concealing a dark secret that lays hidden in the red house beyond the woods. Robinson will go to whatever means he has to in order to protect the secret and that includes hiring Calhoun to scare away trespassers with his handy scope rifle. Young McCallister is hired by Robinson to help on the farm and soon proceeds to try and unravel the mystery with the help of Roberts. Excellent direction from Delmer Daves who pumps up the atmopshere with lots of whistling wind, creepy shots of the woods and terrific use of shadows. A mention also must be made regarding the great score by Miklós Rózsa which fits every scene perfectly and creates the right amount of eerieness at the right times. The ending is quite haunting also. A very good film that has become a quick favorite of mine and one I'll definitely be watching again.