Edward G. Robinson

Susan Hayward

Richard Conte

Luther Adler

Paul Valentine

Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Debra Paget

Hope Emerson

Esther Minciotti

Diana Douglas

Tito Vuolo

Fred Aldrich

Maxine Ardell

Al Bain

David Bauer

Eumenio Blanco

Lelia Goldoni

Sid Tomack

Argentina Brunetti

John Butler

Steve Carruthers

Michael Stark

Dolores Castle

Geza De Rosner

Franklyn Farnum

Tommy Garland

Kit Guard

Stuart Hall

Donna Hamilton

Marjorie Holliday

Frank Jaquet

Michael Jeffers

Geraldine Jordan

John Kellogg

Kay Koury

Carl M. Leviness

George Magrill

Peter Mamakos

Howard M. Mitchell

Ernesto Molinari

Roger Moore

Ann Morrison

Charles Morton

Emma Palmese

Jack Perry

Joe Ploski

Harry 'Snub' Pollard

Bernard Sell

Mario Siletti

Petra Silva

Stephen Soldi

Arthur Space

Robert St. Angelo

Theresa Testa

Guy Thomajan

Philip Van Zandt

Vicki Vann

Herb Vigran

Rhoda Williams

Jack Gordon

Frank Wilcox

Maria Haro

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Jerome Weidman

Philip Yordan

W.D. Flick

Maurice De Packh

Roger Heman Sr.

Charles LeMaire

Harmon Jones

Daniele Amfitheatrof

Milton Krasner

Sol C. Siegel

George W. Davis

Lyle R. Wheeler

Ben Nye

Thomas Little

Walter M. Scott

Drama

Crime

Thriller

House of Strangers

20th Century Fox

United States of America

English

Italiano

It's still being done you know, outside the jungle.  

House of Strangers is directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and adapted to screenplay by Phillip Yordan from Jerome Weidman's novel I'll Never Go There Any More. It stars Edward G. Robinson, Susan Hayward, Richard Conte, Luther Adler, Paul Valentine and Efrem Zimbalist. Plot finds Robinson as Gino Monetti, an Italian American banker who whilst building up the family business has ostracised three of his four sons. When things go belly up for Gino and the bank, the three sons turn against their father, the other, Max (Conte), stays loyal but finds himself set up for a prison stretch. Untimely since he's started to fall in love with tough cookie Irene Bennett (Hayward).

Jerome Weidman's novel has proved to be a popular source for film adaptation, after this 20th Century Fox produced picture came the Western version with Broken Lance in 1954 (Yordan again adapting), and then Circus set for The Big Show in 1961. While its influence can be felt in many other, more notable, crime dramas along the way. The divided clan narrative provides good basis for drama and lets the better actors shine on the screen with such material. Such is the case with House of Strangers, which while hardly shaking the roots of film noir technically, does thematically play out as an engrossing, character rich, melodrama.

Propelled by a revenge core peppered with hate motives instead of love; and dabbling in moral ethics et al, Mankiewicz spins it out in flashback structure. The primary focus is on Max and Gino, with both given excellent portrayals by Conte and Robinson. Gino is a driven man, very dismissive towards three of his boys (Adler standing out as Joe) who he finds easy to find fault with. But Max is spared the tough love, Gino admires him and sees him very much as an equal, which naturally irks the other brothers something rotten. This all comes to a head for the final quarter where the pace picks up and the tale comes to its prickly, if not completely satisfactory, ending.

In the mix of family strife we have been privy to Max's burgeoning relationship with Irene (Hayward sassy), which positively simmers with sexual tension, or maybe even frustration? This in spite of the fact he is engaged to be married to the homely innocent Maria (Debra Paget). So with dad Gino proving to be, well, something of an ungrateful bastard, and Max cheating on his intended, clearly this is not a film about good old family values coming to the fore! Then there's the small matter of brother betrayal and the case of the foolish decision making process, all elements that keep the viewer hooked till the last. 7/10

House Of Strangers 1949 Trailer

House of Strangers

производственные компании

Актёрский состав 63:

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