THE HOUSE BY THE RIVER

US, 1950, 88 minutes, Black and White.
Louis Hayward, Jane Wyatt, Lee Bowman, Kathleen Freeman.
Directed by Fritz Lang.

The House By The River is one of Fritz Lang's lesser known thrillers. After a successful career in Germany in the '20s (Metropolis) he moved to Hollywood to escape Hitler's Germany in the '30s. In his early years in Hollywood he made a range of thrillers including Fury, The Ministry of Fear, as well as westerns like Western Union. During the mid-'40s he made a number of dark thrillers, focusing on guilty leads and their struggles (or lack of struggles) with conscience: Scarlet Street, Woman at the Window, Secret Beyond the Door.

This small-budget film was made at Republic, adapted from a novel by A.P. Herbert. Louis Hayward is suave and sinister as the conscienceless writer. Lee Bowman is stern as his crippled brother. The cast also includes Jane Wyatt.

The film is atmospheric, focuses on a nasty central character - who gets a rather melodramatic comeuppance.

1.Entertaining thriller? Murder story? The turn of the century settings and atmosphere of the town?

2.Black and white photography, the dark and light in the house, outside, on the river? Light and shadows? The use of darkness? The atmospheric musical score?

3.The title, the focus on the house, Stephen's presence there, the river and its mocking Stephen?

4.The plausibility of the plot, the personalities of the characters, the interactions, the initial death, the cover-up, the consequences? How realistically played, how stylised?

5.Stephen as a writer, smooth manner, friendship with Mrs Ambrose? His looking at the maid, allowing her to have her bath upstairs, his rejection and frustration? Waiting for the maid on the staircase, flirting, the kiss, her scream, strangling her? His dilemma? John's arrival, John having helped him in the past, putting pressure on him, for Marjorie's sake, the cover-up? The driftwood bag, tying up the body, going past Mrs Ambrose's house and her coming out, John hiding? Dropping the body in the river? (And the audience prepared for material in the river drifting backwards and forwards?) The consequences, the dance, his enjoyment, John's reaction, threats? Cover-up? His insinuations about the maid's guilt - to her parents, to Marjorie, to the police? Stealing the earrings to make out she was a thief? His relationship with Marjorie, preparation for the dance? Coldness between the two, the lies about her pregnancy to force John? His cavalier attitude towards everyone? The discovery of the body, his anxiety, following it in the boat, unable to sink it? In the court, the innuendos and insinuations? His seeming innocence, making others seem guilty? The clash with Marjorie, her reading the manuscript, the confrontation with John, hitting him and trying to make out that he had killed himself? His almost killing Marjorie - and yet the need to reveal everything in the novel? His fear, the hallucination of the maid, the blowing curtain and its strangling him, falling to his death? Poetic justice?

6.Marjorie, the marriage to Stephen, her return home, the dance, thinking well about people, the maid? Her attachment to John? Puzzled by the situation, the court, Stephen's behaviour? His taunting her, her going to visit John, her concern about his depression? Reading the manuscript, the attempt on her life? A future with John?

7.John and his sternness, crippled, bitter? His clash with his maid, not eating his meal, defending the dead maid? The bag for the driftwood? The clash with his servant, her being dismissed? His help of Stephen, with the body, hiding from Mrs Ambrose, sinking the body, his melancholy at the dance? His reaction against Stephen, wanting to go to the police? Marjorie's visit? The aftermath of the court case, the accusations, the interview in the witness stand, his seeming to be guilty? The confrontation with Stephen, Stephen thinking he was dead, his return? A future with Marjorie?

8.The maid, her flirting, her death? Her parents and their concern?

9.Mrs Ambrose, the neighbour, busybody, the humour of her telling the truth in the court - especially about John's servant and her being in love?

10.John's servant, fussing over him, concern, gossip, his rebuking her, her strong-mindedness, leaving, the speculations in the courtroom, insinuating his guilt, Mrs Ambrose's outburst against her?

11.The atmosphere of the town, gossip? The judge of the court, the prosecutor - their knowing everybody, the finding, the wanting to prosecute John?

12.Stephen and his attention to detail, insinuations of guilt, his photo in the paper, the book display and his signing his books, flirting with the readers?

13.The portrait of an evil man, whims and weakness, the webs constructed, the effect on friends and relations? Love turned to hatred?