The House Across the Lake

Last updated

The House Across the Lake
Heat Wave (movie poster, 1954).jpg
American release poster
Directed by Ken Hughes
Written byKen Hughes
Based onHigh Wray by Ken Hughes
Produced by Anthony Hinds
Starring Alex Nicol
Hillary Brooke
Susan Stephen
Cinematography Walter J. Harvey
Edited by James Needs
Music by Ivor Slaney
Production
company
Distributed by Exclusive Films
Lippert Pictures (US)
Release date
  • 21 June 1954 (1954-06-21)
Running time
68 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The House Across the Lake (U.S. title: Heat Wave) is a 1954 British film noir crime film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Alex Nicol, Hillary Brooke, Sid James and Susan Stephen. [1] It was produced as a second feature [2] by Hammer Films. It was released in the United States by Lippert Pictures .

Contents

Plot

An American pulp novelist, Mark Kendrick, meets his rich neighbours across the lake and is soon seduced by beautiful blonde Carol, the wife of Beverly Forrest, despite Beverly treating him as a friend. When Beverly is badly injured by a fall on his boat, Carol fails to persuade Mark to throw him overboard, so Carol does it.

After first refusing to go along with her plan to call it an accident, Mark agrees when Carol tells him that they will meet up again later and live off her dead husband's money. However, after the coroner rules the death an accident, Mark does not hear from her, but the still suspicious CID inspector on the case arranges for Mark to find out that Carol has secretly married another old flame and changed residences. Mark angrily confronts her, but she sneers that she only used him and that there is nothing he can do about it without implicating himself. Mark decides to confess, thinking that, although it will probably mean a prison sentence for him, it will mean the rope for Carol.

Cast

Production

The film was based on the 1952 novel High Wray by Ken Hughes. [3] It was filmed at Bray Studios. [4] Nicol and Brooke were the only Americans in the cast, although Brooke played a British character. Her mastery of a "posh" accent caused her to be typecast as British in Hollywood films starting in the 1940s. [5] [6]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Yet another vehicle for American stars, with British players in support. Alex Nicol plays adequately as Kendrick, Alan Wheatley gives a neat, incisive performance as the inspector, and the film is well constructed and photographed. Unfortunately, the plot revolves around the fatal charm of Carol Forrest, and Hillary Brooke cannot make this seem credible." [7]

According to The Independent , "The film was praised by critics, and began Hughes's ascent into more important productions." [8]

Filmink said "It’s quite a fun movie, reminiscent of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946); one is inclined to wonder if Nicol’s character, a writer under the pump and distracted by lust, was a Hughes self-portrait." [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillary Brooke</span> American actress (1914–1999)

Hillary Brooke was an American film actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Nicol</span> American actor and director (1916–2001)

Alexander Livingston Nicol Jr. was an American actor and film director. Nicol appeared in many Westerns including The Man from Laramie (1955). He appeared in more than forty feature films as well as directing many television shows including The Wild Wild West (1967), Tarzan (1966), and Daniel Boone (1966). He also played many roles on Broadway.

Kenneth Graham Hughes was an English film director and screenwriter. He worked on over 30 feature films between 1952 and 1981, including the 1968 musical fantasy film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, based on the Ian Fleming novel of the same name. His other notable works included The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), Of Human Bondage (1964), Casino Royale (1967), and Cromwell (1970). He was an Emmy Award winner and a three-time BAFTA Award nominee.

<i>The Last Page</i> 1952 British film by Terence Fisher

The Last Page, released in the United States as Man Bait, is a 1952 British film noir directed by Terence Fisher, starring George Brent, Marguerite Chapman and Diana Dors. The film was also known as Murder in Safety and Blonde Blackmail.

<i>Brandy for the Parson</i> 1952 film by John Eldridge

Brandy for the Parson is a 1952 British comedy film directed by John Eldridge and starring Kenneth More, Charles Hawtrey, James Donald and Jean Lodge. It was based on a short story by Geoffrey Household from Tales of Adventurers (1952). The title is a reference to the refrain of the poem "A Smuggler's Song" by Rudyard Kipling.

<i>Black 13</i> 1953 film by Ken Hughes

Black 13 is a 1953 British crime drama film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Peter Reynolds, Rona Anderson, Patrick Barr and John Le Mesurier. The film is a remake of the 1948 Italian film Gioventù perduta by Pietro Germi. It was made by Vandyke Productions.

<i>Tomorrow at Ten</i> 1962 British film by Lance Comfort

Tomorrow at Ten is a 1962 British second feature thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring John Gregson, Robert Shaw and Kenneth Cope.

<i>Town on Trial</i> 1957 British film by John Guillermin

Town on Trial is a 1957 British mystery film directed by John Guillermin and starring John Mills, Charles Coburn, Barbara Bates and Derek Farr. A whole town comes under suspicion when two grisly murders are carried out—particularly members of the local sports club.

<i>Portrait of Alison</i> 1956 British film by Guy Green

Portrait of Alison is a 1956 British atmospheric crime film directed by Guy Green. It was based on a BBC television series of the same name, which aired the same year.

<i>Operation Diplomat</i> (film) 1953 film by John Guillermin

Operation Diplomat is a 1953 British drama film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Ernest G. Roy.

<i>Murder by Proxy</i> 1954 British film by Terence Fisher

Murder by Proxy is a 1954 British 'B' film noir crime drama film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Dane Clark, Belinda Lee and Betty Ann Davies. The film was based on the 1952 novel of the same name by Helen Nielsen. It was produced by Hammer Films, and released in the United States by Lippert Pictures.

<i>The Long Haul</i> (1957 film) 1957 British drama film directed by Ken Hughes

The Long Haul is a 1957 British drama film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Victor Mature, Patrick Allen and Diana Dors. It is based on the novel The Long Haul by Mervyn Mills.

<i>Drop Dead Darling</i> 1966 British-American film by Ken Hughes

Drop Dead Darling is a 1966 British-American black comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Tony Curtis, Rosanna Schiaffino, Lionel Jeffries and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

<i>Jazz Boat</i> 1960 British film by Ken Hughes

Jazz Boat is a 1960 British black-and-white musical comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries and big band leader Ted Heath and his orchestra. It was based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Rex Rienits.

<i>Wide Boy</i> (film) 1952 British film by Ken Hughes

Wide Boy is a 1952 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Susan Shaw, Sydney Tafler and Ronald Howard.

<i>The Gilded Cage</i> (1955 film) 1955 British film

The Gilded Cage is a 1955 second feature British crime film directed by John Gilling and starring Alex Nicol, Veronica Hurst and Clifford Evans.

<i>Little Red Monkey</i> 1955 British film by Ken Hughes

Little Red Monkey is a 1955 British thriller film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Richard Conte, Rona Anderson and Russell Napier. The screenplay was by Hughes and James Eastwood, based on the 1953 BBC Television series of the same name written by Eric Maschwitz.

<i>The Brain Machine</i> (film) 1956 film by Ken Hughes

The Brain Machine is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Maxwell Reed, Elizabeth Allan and Patrick Barr.

<i>Hell Is Empty</i> 1967 British film by John Ainsworth and Bernard Knowles

Hell is Empty is a 1967 British crime film directed by Bernard Knowles and John Ainsworth, and starring Martine Carol, Anthony Steel, Shirley Anne Field and James Robertson Justice.

<i>Gaolbreak</i> 1962 British film by Francis Searle

Gaolbreak is a 1962 British second feature crime film directed by Francis Searle and starring Peter Reynolds, Avice Landone and Carol White. The film was released as a supporting feature to Tiara Tahiti (1962).

References

  1. ↑ "The House Across the Lake". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Chibnall & McFarlane p.82
  3. ↑ Advertisements The Sphere; London Vol. 209, Iss. 2752, (Nov 8, 1952): 251
  4. ↑ Round the British Studios, Nepean, Edith. Picture Show; London Vol. 62, Iss. 1614, (Mar 6, 1954): 11.
  5. ↑ HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE, The Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 21, Iss. 240, (Jan 1, 1954): 105.
  6. ↑ THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE: Assoc. Brit.-Pathe Picture Show; London Vol. 62, Iss. 1630, (Jun 26, 1954): 10.
  7. ↑ "The House Across the Lake". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 21 (240): 105. 1 January 1954. ProQuest   1305815980 – via ProQuest.
  8. ↑ OBITUARY: Ken Hughes: [FOREIGN Edition] Vallance, Tom. The Independent 1 May 2001: 6.
  9. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (14 November 2020). "Ken Hughes Forgotten Auteur". Filmink.

Bibliography

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.