The Fall of the House of Usher (1950)
A traveler arrives at the Usher mansion to visit his old friend, Roderick Usher. Upon arriving, however, he discovers that Roderick and his sister, Madeline, have been afflicted with a mysterious malady: Roderick's senses have become painfully acute, while Madeline has become nearly catatonic. That evening, Roderick tells his guest of an old Usher family curse: any time there has been more than one Usher child, all of the siblings have gone insane and died horrible deaths. As the days wear on, the effects of the curse reach their terrifying climax.
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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place
Sorry, this movie sucks
it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.
Perhaps my best recommendation for this film would be the truly creepy and atmospheric sets used to simulate the Gothic House of Usher; one might consider it the 'Psycho' house on steroids. Beyond that however, the premise of this Edgar Allan Poe tale is executed rather poorly, made somewhat difficult to follow with poor sound quality, especially when the setting transitions to the 'temple' basement where the acoustics really take a hit. The makings of a good story are readily apparent, but the actors perform in a rather stagy manner, and ancillary characters like the family servants pop up and disappear in random fashion. Particularly puzzling was the gentleman named Richard (Tony-Powell Bristow) who showed up long enough to get his foot caught in a bear trap; we never do find out what happened to him. I suppose one is to assume that Lady Madeline (Gwendoline Watford) was a ghost even though some interpretations claim she was 'buried' alive. Brother Roderick's (Kat Tendeter) gunshots apparently had no effect on her, either that or they missed all together. Especially curious to me was why the Usher Mansion burst into flames to close out the tragedy; after all it was made of stone. Curiosity seekers may find this film interesting in some aspects, but don't look for any credibility to the story. The old hag (Lucy Pavey) was a nice touch, but you have to take it on faith that she was the mother of Sir Roderick and Lady Madeline. Apparently they didn't know she was alive and well (in a manner of speaking) in the chamber of horrors known as the temple.
Here is One that will Definitely Separate those that Say They are Movie Fans and those that ARE Film Fanatics. Film Historians, Scholars, and Buffs will No Doubt find this a Curiosity at Least and a Lost and Forgotten Piece of Surreal British Cinema at Best.It Cannot be Denied its Visual Appeal of Gothic, Old Dark House Ambiance. It has the Feel of a Film Made in the Transitional Period between the Silents and Talkies. It is Baroque, Minimal, Dark, Dank and Delirious.There are some Odd and Scary Scenes of Decapitated Heads and a Disfigured Hag. The Makeup reminds of the Silent Era. The Music comes and goes with an Odd Frequency. The Acting ranges from Hammy to downright Effective. The Style anticipates the New Wave, Ed Wood, and Many of TV's Supernatural Series.This is one Strange Sucker. Recommended for those that have Seen the Corman/Price Version so Many Times They Crave a Cleansing of the Palate before They See it Again. Also for the True Film Fan always on the Lookout for something Completely Different. And now...Here it is.
Rough around the edges 40s Brit version of the Usher Poe story has some variable, stagy acting and a rather awkward opening (English gentlemen gathered at a retirement club decide to read a ghoulish story, and choose the Usher story for the night), but the stark, B&W photography centered around a gloomy, darkened manor in the middle of a countryside nowhere is a knockout. Add a crazed ancestor inside a temple soon to be loose with a creepy mask (she wields a mean knife, too) and a potential buried-alive scenario that leads to the one trapped in a coffin entombed to break free with revenge on the mind thanks to a possible poisoning, there are positives to take from this lesser known version of the Poe story. I think with better actors this could have been a real winner, but the presentation (absent the creaky score which is just too choppy) is aesthetically striking enough to perhaps at least offer an alternative to (but not an improvement of) Corman's famous version.A young man visits his "melancholy chum" at his ancestral castle and encounters unexpected horror. He's motivated by Roderick Usher to follow him and his butler (with knowledge of secrets regarding the family the children now alive at the estate couldn't have possibly imagined) to a temple which actually serves as the prison of a mad relative who could prove to be quite homicidal if turned loose on the world. Roderick's sister Madeleine is in love with Roderick's friend, Jonathan, trying to locate him when the butler and Roderick return without him (due to Jonathan walking into a bear trap and being left to face the crazy woman alone). Maddy is inadvertently responsible for the mad woman's release, soon returning home only to fall prey to an abrupt illness that takes her life. When Roderick begins to suspect she didn't die, the guilt torments him into his own mania. Jonathan is party to all of this, with the butler also trying to get involved in the safety of Roderick. It doesn't end well for most of them in this bleak portrait of a family falling to ruins due to sins of the past. The butler insists that burning alive the mad woman's head will relinquish the curse of the Ushers, so Roderick and Jonathan oblige him in the attempt to do so. Well, that doesn't go according to plan. The mad woman in the temple is photographed with grim touches that give her quite a look that coincides well with the morose atmosphere of the castle and rural grounds.It ends with the home struck by lightning, crumbling as Jonathan looks on. He has seen those very close to him destroyed. It is an appropriate conclusion, particularly considering the tragedy that seems destined to envelope the Ushers.
The plot of this curious version of the Poe classic differs considerably from the original story, including a number of plot elements and characters that are not in Poe's story at all. Some of the acting seems almost amateurish at times, and the entire production was clearly carried out on a very small budget. However, where this film excels is in its' sense of creepy atmosphere. Indeed, in that respect it reminded me of Carl Theodore Dryer's 1932 film, "Vampyr". Those who have seen that most peculiar horror film will understand to what I refer. In that film, as well as in this one, style and atmosphere completely dominate character and story to the point where the latter two elements almost cease to matter at all. Both "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "Vampyr" are prime examples of how much a creative director can achieve even without benefit of special effects or a large budget.