House By the River (1950)
Movie Info
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Cast
as Stephen Byrne
as Marjorie Byrne
as John Byrne
as Emily Gaunt
as Mrs. Ambrose
as Flora Bantam
as Flora Bantam
as Coroner
as District Attorney
as District Attorney
as Mrs. Whittaker
as Mrs. Beach
as Effie Ferguson
as Inspector Sarten
as Mr. Gaunt
as Mrs. Gaunt
Critic Reviews for House By the River
All Critics (14) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (6) | DVD (4)
The whole picture has been hammed up until it would be funny if it wasn't so unbearably dull.
Its 85 minutes stuffed with shadowy menace, odd magical-realisms (what is it with the jumping fish?), and effortless tension, House by the River is quintessential Lang.
House by the River is a fair mystery which lacks sufficient plot twists and suspense.
It's a bleak, gloomy film, one in which the psychological undercurrents seem to be flooding over the banks, drowning any fleeting vestige of rationality in a perverse Teutonic romanticism.
Full of Victorian adornments, shadowy lighting and morbid moods, it is a desperate attempt to raise goose-flesh with a standard horror-psychological plot.
Lang builds the film's routine melodrama into a snappy commentary on moral depravity and eye-for-an-eye retribution.
Audience Reviews for House By the River
"House by the River" is another one of those movies that never answers the oh-so-important question of 'Why should we care?' It's about as boring as you can imagine, underacted and sluggishly scripted. Fritz Lang is a director that I tend to rank above others from his era, but here he just misses the mark.
Super Reviewer
I really enjoyed this melodramatic gothic mystery tale. There aren't many big stars in it, but everyone does a good job. It's exciting and has romance, a lot of drama, and even some laughs. This is a very interesting movie, more like the 40s than 50s, actually. I recommend it.
Super Reviewer
little seen and low budget gothic thriller with louis hayward in a standout performance as a would be novelist and all around sleaze who accidentally kills his maid while making advances to her. instead of reporting it, he talks his reluctant brother into helping him dump the body in the river. big mistake. the film is very entertaining but could've been stronger if lang had been allowed to make the servant black i think. cinematography is grand with long shots down dark corridors and spooky scenes of the river at night. well worth a look
Super Reviewer
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