THE HOUSE ON TELEGRAPH HILL

US, 1951, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Valentina Cortese, Richard Basehart, William Lundigan, Fay Baker.
Directed by Robert Wise.

The House on Telegraph Hill is a post-war story which turns into a threatening murder story. The film focuses on a young woman in eastern Europe who assumes the identity of a dead woman and goes to the United States, finding that she has a son, a wealthy home, the guardian of the son who is interested in marrying her. She settles into life in San Francisco and the house on Telegraph Hill. During her interrogations in Europe she had encountered an official, William Lundigan, who plays an important part in the development of the thriller. Fay Baker appears as the nanny for the young child.

The film creates the atmosphere of World War Two and the closure of the concentration camps and then makes the transition to the late 1940s and life in San Francisco after the war. The film was directed by Robert Wise who had made and edited horror films for Val Lewton and had begun to make bigger-budget films for 20th Century- Fox including, at this time, The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Desert Rats. Valentina Cortese was a significant Italian actress, appeared in a number of films but mainly in Italy. She received an Oscar nomination for her work in Francois Truffaut’s Day for Night. She was also married to Richard Basehard for a number of years.

1.An interesting thriller? The post-war atmosphere in Europe? Life in San Francisco? The transition from drama to thriller?

2.The black and white photography, San Francisco locations? Telegraph Hill? The city? The offices? The affluent home? The musical score?

3.The focus on Victoria, before the war, the internment, life in the camp, the other women, friendships, clashes? Karen and her illness, dying? Victoria deciding to assume her identity? Having listened to all the stories? Her discussions with Mark Bennett, his remembering her later? The move to the United States, being welcomed by the family, by Alan? Meeting Chris? The clashes with Margaret as the nanny? Adapting her life, affluence, style, social life? Her ability to keep up the pretence?

4.Alan, his place in the family, his being the guardian of the boy? The matriarch of the family and her death? Alan and his relationship with Karen, the courtship, the marriage, life in the house? His moods? Chris and the story of his explosion and the burning of the building? Alan’s reaction? Margaret’s reaction? The meeting with Mark Bennett and the clash between him and Alan? Karen getting suspicious, Alan’s behaviour at the burnt-out shed? His seeming looks of menace? Meeting her at the building and her not going to her appointment with Mark? The phone calls? The tensions within the house – the atmosphere of stories like Gaslight?

5.Karen, her love for the boy, his love for her, warming to her immediately? His relationship with Margaret? The play, the burning of the shed? Margaret and her looking after the boy, the touch of jealousy? The clash with Karen? Her sacking her, the discussions with Alan, her being reinstated?

6.The growing tension? The revelations about Alan, his ambitions? Murdering the matriarch? Attempting to kill Chris? The relationship with Margaret?

7.His being arrested by the police? Margaret and her saving Chris from Alan? Accepting the consequences and going with the police? Her principles?

8.The happy ending with Karen and Mark together and caring for Chris? A satisfying thriller-drama, early 1950s style?