" The House of the Seven Gables " ( born The House of the Seven Gables ) - a film directed by Joe May , released in 1940 .
House of the Seven Gables | |
---|---|
The house of the seven gables | |
Genre | Gothic melodrama Thriller |
Producer | Joe may |
Producer | Burt Kelly (Associate Producer) |
Author script | Leicester cole Harold Green Nathaniel Hawthorne (novel) |
In the main cast | George Sanders Margaret Lindsey Vincent Price |
Operator | Milton R. Krasner |
Composer | Frank Skinner |
Film company | Universal Pictures |
Duration | 89 min |
A country | USA |
Tongue | English |
Year | 1940 |
IMDb | ID 0032610 |
The film is based on the novel of the same name by the recognized master of American literature of the XIX century Nathaniel Hawthorne , but the plot of the film differs markedly from the plot of the book. The focus of the picture is the struggle of two Pincheni brothers - the good Clifford ( Vincent Price ) and the bad Jeffrey ( George Sanders ) - for owning a family estate, which, according to legends, keeps the secret treasures, as well as the family curse of their family. In the process of the struggle, Jeffrey makes a false accusation against his brother for the murder of his father, and the court sentences Clifford to life imprisonment. Meanwhile, at the behest of the father, the house becomes the property not of the brothers, but their cousins Gefsiba ( Margaret Lindsay ), who is in love with Clifford. The next twenty years she lives in the house of a recluse and leads the struggle for the liberation of her beloved. In the end, Clifford is released, and the struggle between the brothers over the possession of the house inflames with a new force.
In 1941, composer Frank Skinner was nominated for an Oscar for the music for this film. [1]
Content
Story
An old book appears on the screen, the pages of which tell about events that took place in the middle of the 17th century. Influential Colonel Pinchen decided to assign the land of poor carpenter Matthew Mol to build a posh house on them. He blamed Mola for witchcraft, and soon he was hanged. Before his death, Maul sent a curse on the colonel and on his whole family. On the occupied lands, Pinchen built a large house, but on the very day that construction was completed, the colonel was found dead in his office ...
The action takes place in 1828 in the town of Salem (or Salem) , Massachusetts . Once on a rainy evening, the descendant of Colonel Pinchen, Gerald Pinchen ( Gilbert Emery ) invites to that same house, called the House of the Seven Gables, his son, the beginning judge Geoffrey Pinchen ( George Sanders ). After driving 80 miles from another city, Jeffrey was shocked by the news that after a series of unsuccessful financial operations that he and his father were doing, the family was on the verge of bankruptcy, and the only way out of this situation was to sell the house. The meeting also includes Gerald’s eldest son and Geoffrey’s brother, composer Clifford Pinch ( Vincent Price ), who warmly supports the idea of a father. Dreamy, idealistic Clifford is in love with his cousin Gefsibu ( Margaret Lindsay ), who, like Clifford, lives in this house. After selling the house, he is going to marry Gefsibe and move to New York , where he is expected to have a successful musical career. However, Jeffrey strongly opposed the sale of the house, believing in the legend that he hid securities that cost a fortune. The conversation ends with a sharp confrontation between two brothers. At night, Clifford hears a noise in the attic of a house. Rising to the top, he sees Jeffrey, who is rummaging in the old home chest with papers in search of the right documents. Jeffrey is convinced that the house contains a letter from the English king, giving the Pinchen family the right to own a huge piece of land in the state of Maine . Now a city has arisen on the site of this land, and if the Pinchens succeed in proving the right to this land, it will bring them a huge fortune. Although Clifford is trying to dissuade his brother by saying that these are all fairy tales that the grandmother told them as a child, Jeffrey stubbornly stands his ground.
The next morning, rumors are spreading around the city that the House of the Seven Gables will be sold soon. On the same day, Gerald suddenly changes his mind, and decides not to sell the house. Upon learning of this, Clifford is outraged and talks on a raised voice with his father. During the conversation, Gerald becomes ill, when he falls, he smashes his head on the edge of the writing, and, without regaining consciousness, dies. Witnesses of this scene are Jeffrey and Gefsib who run into the room. Without hesitation, Jeffrey accused Clifford of gathering his father when he gathered, in a fit of rage, hitting him with a stationery device, on which there were traces of blood. Soon there is a trial in which a jury convicts Clifford of the death of his father. However, due to the fact that the decision was made only on the basis of circumstantial evidence, the judge sentenced Clifford not to the death penalty, but to life imprisonment. Clifford argues that he is not guilty and that the whole thing is rigged by Jeffrey, but no one listens to him. Then Clifford sends a curse on his brother, and Gefsiba swears that he will fight for the release of Clifford as much as he needs.
Jeffrey celebrates victory, but when reading the will, it turns out that Gerald Pinchen, to save the house from creditors, rewrote it in the name of Gefsiba, and now she is the full owner of the House of the Seven Gables. Gefsiba immediately throws Jeffrey out of the house, and tightly closes all the doors and window casements in the house, depriving himself of the light and turning into a suffering hermit. Over the next two decades, she rarely leaves the house, devoting all her time to the struggle for the release of Clifford. She travels to meetings with officials and writes petitions addressed to the governor with a request for a review of the case, but for a long time this does not bring results.
In 1841, Matthew Mole ( Dick Foran ), a descendant of the same Mole carpenter who once cursed the Pinchen family, was put in a prison cell to Clifford. Matthew is an active participant in the abolitionist movement , and he went to jail for ten days for propagating his views on the market square. Clifford and Matthew quickly find a common language and become friends. Soon Mola is released, and he, under the name of the photographer Holgreyv, rents a room in the House of Seven Gables. Over time, Holgrave becomes a respected citizen and develops active abolitionist activities in the city, creating a local society that collects funds to help slaves who have escaped from the South . Funds are entrusted with keeping the company's treasurer, Deacon Arnold Foster ( Myles Mender ).
A few years later, a distant relative of the Pinchens dies, and Gefsiba takes to him his lonely adult daughter Phoebe ( Nan Gray ), who is left without shelter. Desperate for money, Gefsiba opens a small shop, refitting one of the rooms of his house for this. Thanks to the beautiful, cheerful Phoebe who runs the store, they manage to seriously improve their financial situation. Between Holgreyvom, which helps Phoebe with the arrangement of the store, and the girl there is sympathy, gradually turning into love.
In 1848, Geoffrey appeared in the city, who, under the pretext that Gefsiba took up such unworthy business as trade, hopes to re-enter the fight for the rights to the house and continue the search for the documents hidden in it. On the same day, it becomes known that Gefsiba’s efforts were not in vain, and the new governor of the state, by decree, released Clifford to freedom with the condition that he could prove his innocence. Returning Clifford thanks Gefsibu for all that she has done for him, and the close relationship between them is restored. Clifford pretends not to be familiar with Holgreyv, who publishes an article in the local newspaper that after returning home, Clifford began to study old documents again and plunged in search of the treasure hidden in the house. Jeffrey invites Holgreyv to ask him about Clifford’s activities, but he only confirms what was printed in the article, further stirring up Jeffrey’s interest. Following Holgrave, deacon Foster comes to see Jeffrey. From their confidential conversation, it becomes clear that the deacon secretly donated the funds collected by the abolitionists to Jeffrey, who promised him quick and large profits. Geoffrey invested money in a ship that was supposed to bring another batch of slaves to America, but something went wrong with this risky operation, and Jeffrey could not return the money to the deacon.
Jeffrey realizes that the only way to get out of the current situation for him will again be to gain control of the house, and to find the treasure hidden there. To do this, he decides to accuse his brother of insanity and plant him in a psychiatric clinic on the grounds that insane Clifford, in search of secret passages, wants to make out the whole house. Jeffrey enters the store to Gefsibe, where he hears loud hammer blows, finding confirmation of his version that Clifford is looking for secret passages and treasures in the house. After his departure, Gefsiba goes down to the basement and sees that it is Holgreyv, imitating the search for treasures, deliberately hits the pipe with a hammer. Suspecting that Holgreyv is in concert with Jeffrey and intends to plant Clifford in a mental hospital, Hepsiba drives him out of his house, allowing him to stay until he finds a new apartment for himself. Although Phoebe in love is trying to protect Holgreyv, Gefsiba remains adamant. In the absence of Holgreyv Gefsiba searches his room, finding out from letters and documents that his real name is Matthew Maul. This further reinforces her fears, and she goes to Clifford to warn him of the threat hanging over him. However, Clifford reassures Gefsibu, saying that Holgreyv-Mol is his friend, and that all his actions are part of a plan to achieve a complete justification for Clifford.
Soon Jeffrey comes to Clifford and states that he intends to plant him in a psychiatric hospital and has already gathered medical experts who will confirm his insanity. In response, Clifford declares that he is willing to voluntarily give up all rights to the house in favor of Jeffrey if he signs a document stating that Clifford’s accusation of murdering his father was wrong and was made in the heat of passion. Jeffrey refuses to sign the document. At this moment, Deacon Foster appears in the house, demanding that Jeffrey immediately return the money transferred to him. The deacon says that he is followed by a group of abolitionists who demand the immediate return of money for the needs of the escaped slave. If they find out that the money is gone, they will destroy it. When Jeffrey declares that he has no money, the deacon goes into the next room and shoots. Appears Gefsiba accused of killing Geoffrey, just as Jeffrey once accused Clifford of killing his father. In a panic, Jeffrey asks Clifford to save him from the abolitionists and signs a letter that removes all the murder charges from Clifford. Having received an acquittal letter, Clifford declares to his brother that there are no secret rooms in the house and no treasures. All this was invented to fool Jeffrey according to a plan that Clifford developed with Holgreve, whose real name is Matthew Mol. Hearing the name of Maul, Geoffrey is gripped by the horror of a family curse, he falls unconscious and dies.
Having achieved a complete justification, Clifford marries Gefsibe, and Maul marries Phoebe. They put the house in order and put it up for sale.
Cast
- George Sanders - Jeffrey Pinch
- Margaret Lindsay - Gefsiba Pinchen
- Vincent Price - Clifford Pinch
- Dick Foran - Matthew Mol
- Nan Gray - Phoebe Pinch
- Cecil Kellaway - Philip Barton
- Alan Napier - Fuller
- Gilbert Emery - Gerald Pinch
- Myles Mander - Deacon Arnold Foster
- Charles Trowbridge - Judge
Film makers and leading actors
The director of the film, Joe May, was born in Vienna and began his creative career in 1911 in Berlin , where he worked as a film director, and immediately after the end of the First World War he became one of the leading producers and directors of the largest German state film studio UFA , at which time the leading representatives worked German expressionism . May put a lot of films in Germany, the most recognized of which was “ Asphalt ” (1929), telling “about a road policeman who commits an unintentional murder. “Asphalt” referred to the direction of “street films”, in which ordinary people reached the stage of committing dishonorable acts because of the fall of public morality against the background of public decline and the collapsing economy of the country. The film reflects reflections of German expressionism, including a contrasting setting of the light, unusual angles, visual symbolism and a well-thought mise en scene. ” When the Nazi party came to power, May left Germany, and in 1934 he arrived in Hollywood , where he signed a contract with the Studio " Universal ". In the same year, May put his first Hollywood film - the musical comedy “ Music in the Air ” (1934) with Gloria Swenson [2] . May’s other most important works in Hollywood include the criminal melodrama “ Confession ” (1937) with Kay Francis and Basil Rathbone , the crime thriller “ House of Fear ” (1939) and the horror film The Return of the Invisible Man (1940) [3] , which starred, in particular, Nan Gray , Cecil Kellaway and Alan Napier , and Vincent Price debuted as the invisible man in the title role [4] .
In this film, one of their first major roles was played by two actors who would achieve appreciable recognition in the 1940s and 1950s - George Sanders and Vincent Price . George Sanders became known for his roles in the Hitchcock thrillers “ Rebecca ” (1940) and “ Foreign Correspondent ” (1940), Fritz Lang “The Hunt for Man ” (1941) and “ While the City Sleeps ” (1956), in fantasy-dramas “ Portrait Dorian Gray ”(1945) and“ The Ghost and Mrs. Mure ”(1947), as well as in the films Noir“ The Dweller ”(1944) and“ The Hangover Square ”(1945) by John Brahm ,“ Strange Case of Uncle Harry ”(1945) and The witness of the murder ”(1954) [5] . In 1951, Sanders received an Oscar for a supporting role in Mankevich ’s drama “ Everything about Eve ” (1950) [6] .
Vincent Price played prominent roles in the films Noir “ Laura ” (1944), “ God is her judge ” (1945), “ Web ” (1947), “The woman of his dreams ” (1951) and “ While the city sleeps ” (1956, together with Sanders ), but most of all became famous for his works in the horror genre, playing, in particular, in such films as “ Wax Museum ” (1953), “The Fly ” (1958), “ House of Night Ghosts ” (1959), “ House of Usher ”(1960),“ The Well and the Pendulum ”(1961),“ The Mask of the Red Death ”(1964),“ The Last Man on Earth ”(1964) and“ The Terrible Doctor Fabs ”(1971) [7] .
Margaret Lindsay is best known for her roles in the films of the 1930s, such as the crime comedy The Lady Killer (1933), the criminal melodrama The Fog Over Frisco (1934), the dangerous melodrama (1935) and the criminal melodrama Border Town ”(1935), the thriller“ Jimy ”(1935) and the melodrama“ Jezebel ”(1938), and later - the film Noir“ Sin Street ”(1945) [8] .
Nathaniel Hawthorne's book and the plot of the film
The film is based on Nathaniel Hawthorne 's classic American novel “The House of the Seven Gables ” (1951), which was adapted for the screen by Harold Green and turned into a tense gothic melodrama directed by Joe May and screenwriter Lester Cole. The story of Hawthorne, which occupies several generations of greed and greed, was reduced to 89 minutes of screen time, without affecting the central moments of the narrative and its theme ” [2] . Critics drew on the significant plot difference between the book and the film. Thus, the critic of the New York Times B. R. Krisler wrote that in order to enrich the romantic component of the film, its creators made "some changes in the Pinchen family." The withered old maiden Gefsiba, who lived for so many years alone, became the cousin and lover of the unjustly convicted Clifford in the film, and he in turn became a mentally healthy handsome and talented composer. Clifford and Jeffrey Pinchen became siblings, "and so their rivalry became more intense." As a result, the center of the film was the story of Gefsiba and Clifford, who fight for their love with life's difficulties, "false accusations and intrigues from the bad Jeffrey, and the mysterious family curse" [9] .
Movie evaluation by criticism
Overall film score
The picture received restrained positive criticism, which noted reliable directorial work and excellent acting, but found the picture itself boring for the gothic thriller genre. Immediately after the picture came out, critic B. R. Chrysler in the New York Times , calling it a “joyless and slightly trivial story,” wrote that this “version of Nathaniel Hawthorne ’s novelty that was embellished and powdered at the Studios“ Universal ”studio was distributed by distributors like "a dark and ominous drama in a house with a strange curse." Meanwhile, according to the critic, it is unlikely that "viewers who are used to raw meat will appreciate this watery interpretation of the shocking history of the nineteenth century" [9] . Krisler explains that “for those who are used to the brilliance of knives, fists and the thunder of guns, the film most likely will seem boring with its costumed grace, gloomy reflections and a slow, heavy tempo of narration.” On the other hand, for the devoted admirers of Hawthorne's creativity, “the film will be a small shock” when they see the changes that the authors made to the plot of the classic novel [9] .
Modern critic Dennis Schwartz believes that "director Joe May sadly puts this atmospheric family drama on the classic story of Nathaniel Hawthorne about the damned family (in the picture the relationships of the characters are very often changed, although the film conveys the spirit of the book)." According to Schwartz, “the book is outstanding, and the film is not - except for excellent acting work,” further noting that the film “is difficult to enjoy due to the fact that it is unbearably boring” [10] . Susan Doll called the film “good work with no frills, based on good acting and strong staged work” [2] , and Patrick Legar called it “a grim picture with ghosts of the past”, which is distinguished by “strong acting and excellent raw material". Lehar believes that "director Joe May maintains a fast pace in this strong film" Universal, "but the film does not reach the status of the classics, which he could possibly have been provided by a stronger director" [11] .
Evaluation of the work of the director and creative team
Doll believes that “if May didn’t reach the height of Asphalt in this film, he nonetheless introduced into his Hollywood films“ strong director presence and visual taste, raising them to a higher level ” [2] . May introduces "some expressionist traits" into the picture, such as the use of shadows and stage settings for the psychological characterization of characters [2] .
Doll also notes that “the three main characters grow older by twenty years in the course of the film, and their aging process is convincingly achieved with the help of makeup developed by the legendary“ Universal ”makeup artist Jack Pierce , famous for his horror films monsters of the“ Universals ”studio of the 1930s years. However, the “actors change the manner of speech and behavior, showing that they have passed into middle age” [2] .
Actor Assessment
The acting game almost unanimously earned high praise. Vincent Price and Margaret Lindsay play in the perfect tradition of sentimental melodrama with sighs and eyes clouded with tears. On the other hand, “ George Sanders is more acceptable in the role of the disgusting Jeffrey, feeling completely at ease” [9] .
Lehar believes that "Price is in a heroic role and Sanders in his usual role as a lost bad guy is both different, and Lindsay is beautifully playing a lively girl who has become an old maid and a recluse" [11] . Doll writes that “young Sanders plays a character with a well-delivered speech, but at the same time a slippery scoundrel, that is, a type of personality, thanks to which he will become a movie star” [2] . Pryce played one of his first major roles in the film, “showing off his acting abilities as a bold and emotional young man who became quiet and depressed after 20 years in prison. After this film, Price’s career went up ” [2] . Margaret Lindsey, who, according to Doll, today is “forgotten by most movie fans, gives an amazing game here in the role of Gefsiba” [2] .
Notes
- ↑ The House of the Seven Gables (1940). Awards (English) . International Movie Database. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Susan Doll. Article. The House of the Seven Gables (1940) (English) . Turner Classic Movies. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Highest Rated Feature Film Director With Joe May (Eng.) . International Movie Database. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ The Invisible Man Returns (1940) (English) . International Movie Database. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Highest Rated Feature Film Titles With George Sanders (English) . International Movie Database. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ George Sanders. Awards (English) . International Movie Database. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Highest Rated Feature Film Titles With Vincent Price (eng.) . International Movie Database. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Highest Rated Feature Film Titles With Margaret Lindsay (Eng.) . International Movie Database. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 BR Crisler. Movie review. The House of the Seven Gables (1940) (English) . The New York Times (15 April 1940). The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Dennis Schwartz. Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic tale about a cursed family (Eng.) . Ozus' World Movie Reviews (October 2, 2011). The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 Patrick Legare. Review (eng.) . AllMovie. The appeal date is January 6, 2016.
Links
- The house of the seven gables on the site IMDB
- The House of the Seven Gables on the Allmovie website
- The House of the Seven Gables on the website of the American Film Institute
- The House of the Seven Gables on Turner Classic Movies