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The House on Telegraph Hill
(1951),
Director: Robert Wise, rated Approved
Shame is the
mistress of this house and betrayal its master!
  Starring:
Richard Basehart, Valentina Cortese, William Lundigan, Fay
Baker, Gordon Gebert, Steven Geray, Herb Butterfield, John
Burton, Katherine Meskill, Mario Siletti, Kei Thin Chung
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
- good
"Is there something
going on in that funny little head of yours - something you're
keeping from me?" – Alan Spender
Why watch this? This
very good noir mystery has nice plot twists along the way.
Plot Summary:
After surviving a Nazi concentration camp, a Polish
woman assumes the identity of a deceased friend to emigrate to
San Francisco and reunite with the woman's young son. She
marries the boy's wealthy trustee and moves into their mansion
on Telegraph Hill, believing she has secured a better life.
However, her new life turns into a nightmare when she suspects
her new husband is conspiring against her to claim a large
inheritance.
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Dad's Preview:
This creative plot starts in a concentration camp, then quickly
takes us to San Francisco. As is the case with many noir films,
each character has secrets that qualify them to be thieves or
even murders. This film has plenty of secrets, and a lot of good
old lies and greed to go around. Italian actress Valentina
Cortese is great as the Holocaust survivor, and I was also
impressed with Richard Basehart, as the estate's caretaker - it
really is hard to figure out his motives. The suspense
builds quite nicely to an tense final scene worth remembering. |
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Robert Bassler;
Twentieth Century-Fox |
