House of Darkness (1948 film)

Last updated

House of Darkness
House of Darkness (1948 film).jpg
Original trade ad in Kinematograph Weekly
Directed by Oswald Mitchell
Screenplay by John Gilling
Based onradio play Duet by Betty Davies
(as Betty Davies) [1]
Produced byHarry Reynolds
Starring Henry Oscar
Laurence Harvey
Cinematography Cyril Bristow
Edited byRobert Johnson
Music by George Melachrino (musical director)
Color process Black and white
Production
companies
International Motion Pictures
Harry Reynolds Productions
Distributed by British Lion Films
Release dates
  • 11 June 1948 (1948-06-11)(London)
  • 4 October 1948 (1948-10-04)(UK)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

House of Darkness is a 1948 British horror film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Henry Oscar and Laurence Harvey. [2] It was written by John Gilling based on the 1947 radio play Duet by Betty Davies. It marked the film debut of Laurence Harvey. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Plot

A young man plans to get his hands on the family fortune.

Cast

Production

Harvey had been spotted by a talent scout while performing in Manchester Rep. [6]

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This film could have become boring in parts if it were not so well cast. Lawrence Harvey, as the embittered Francis, is outstanding, as also are Lesley Osmond, his forbearing wife in a difficult household, and Grace Arnold as Tessa, the devoted housekeeper. The haunting music of George Melachrino's First Rhapsody completes the eerie atmosphere of this film." [7]

Kine Weekly wrote: "Unpretentious, yet holding, psychological melodrama, embellished with George Melachrino's melodies. ... Lawrence Harvey gives a most promising performance as megalomaniac Francis. Talented and self-confident, he should go far.  ...The film, unfolded in one uninterrupted flashback, is quite a good romantic thriller, even though its abracadabra takes a bit of swallowing. Lawrence Harvey has a lot to learn, but in spite of his lack of experience his sense of the dramatic and his power to convey hysteria are more than capable of meeting the comparatively modest demands of its plush upholstered macabre." [8]

References

  1. ↑ Gifford, Denis (2016). British Film Catalogue: Two Volume Set – The Fiction Film/The Non-Fiction Film. Routledge. ISBN   9781317740636 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "House of Darkness". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  3. ↑ "Introducing Laurence Harvey". Streamline. 27 May 2010. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Young Man in a Hurry". The Sydney Morning Herald . No. 36, 241. New South Wales, Australia. 16 February 1954. p. 11. Retrieved 24 May 2018– via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ Laurence Harvey, 45, Dies of Cancer at His London Home Los Angeles Times 26 Nov 1973: 2
  6. ↑ Thompson, Howard (20 June 1954). "Laurence of Lithuania: Laurence Harvey Sets the Course From His Homeland to Screen Stardom". New York Times : X5.
  7. ↑ "House of Darkness" . The Monthly Film Bulletin . 15 (169): 73. 1 January 1948. ProQuest   1305808729.
  8. ↑ "House of Darkness" . Kine Weekly . 376 (2146): 17. 17 June 1948. ProQuest   2732614707.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.