Customer Reviews

Red House (1947)

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4 star:		(2)
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Delmer Daves wrote and directed this wonderful film about a long hidden secret in the woods haunting a young farm girl's happiness and future. Beautiful cinematography from Bert Glennon and an atmospheric score from Miklos Rozsa set a very special mood as young rural love struggles against buried secrets in the woods. Daves does an excellent job balancing the tender romance of a lonely young girl with a noir drama of stark intensity. Allene Roberts stands out as the sweet young girl trying to blossom, giving a memorable performance. Lon McCallister is also quite good as the young farm boy who comes to slowly care for her against his shallow but sultry girlfriend's wishes. The centerpiece of the film is an ominous red house deep in the woods that holds a paralyzing fear for Edward G. Robinson. Sort of a cross between Our Town and The Strange Love of Martha Ivers in mood, it all works somehow, creating a memorable film experience.

Daves captures both the sweetness and beauty of country life using Glennon's camera and a lovely score by Rozsa to frame young Meg. Allene Roberts is the real star of this film despite fine performances from screen veterans like Robinson and Judith Anderson. Meg is a nice girl who can't compete with the sultry Tippy (Julie London) for the affections of Nath (Lon McCallister) on her level, but has depth and sweetness the viewer hopes Nath will choose instead. Pete Morgan (Edward G. Robinson) hires him on as help to Meg's delight, but soon Pete's strange and paranoid behavior regarding the woods intrudes on all their lives. Only his sister, Ellen (Judith Anderson) knows the truth, and she isn't talking. Anderson is fine as a woman who has sacrificed any happiness she might once have had with the town doctor to stay on the farm with her brother and help raise the adopted Meg. Warnings and even threats from Pete about the woods and the red house only heighten the curiosity of Nath and Meg, however.

A rural atmosphere and innocent romance complicated by a dark mystery make for engrossing viewing. Julie London is good as Nath's shallow and fickle girlfriend, lured by the danger of Teller (Rory Calhoun), the guy Pete has hired to keep everyone away from the red house and those ominous woods that scream. Things escalate and misunderstandings ensue before Ellen will take matters into her own hands in an effort to save Meg from the fate of her family. Obsession and murder will be revealed in a fitting end for all concerned, including Nath and Meg. To further disclose any details would ruin the experience for anyone who has yet to see this marvelous and unique film. Fine performances and a very special mood augment a good story and marvelous direction. Allene Roberts is wonderful here and it is her performance as the sweet Meg viewers will remember most. A forgotten classic.

This is the first time that I've been dissatisfied with anything that I've purchased from Amazon. This was an absolutely terrible copy. The picture was so fuzzy you could barely make out the backgrounds and the characters voices were off...the lips moved out of sync with the audio. I read other reviews that warned of poor quality but decided to chance it and I can't tell you how disappointed I am. Take my advice and pass on this one! Red House (1947)

I saw this movie a couple of times many years ago. It is still good.

I remember staying home from school one day and watching this movie,maybe fifty years ago. The lighting, shadows,and creepy music still have the same effect they did back then. Pete and Ellen raised Meg as their daughter since she was a baby. Now a teen,Meg convinces Nath, her friend, to help Pete on the farm. When Nath wants to take a shortcut through the woods, Pete warns him of screams in the night and terror surrounding the red house. As it turns out, Pete killed Megs parents,buried them in the ice house in a buggy at the red house,then goes a little mad. The sheriff chases Pete in his car, Pete drives into the ice house and drowns, and a wheel from the buggy flotes to the top, very dramatic.