Crow Hollow (1952)

That was an excellent one.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

I am 70 years of age and my family had our first t.v. (a "Murphy" 12" one channel BBC only) in 1954.I can still remember seeing Nora Nicholson playing her specialised role of a dotty old woman from those days in similar mystery plays.Esma Cannon another eccentric actress was an Australian who I first recognised playing a comic seamstress, "Lill" in the sit-com "The Rag Trade" in the early sixties.The other reviewers have adequately commented on "Crow Hollow" (1952) and I see no reason to dispute their comments nor the official IMDb.com. rating which I would describe as adequate.The screen play writer & director very properly held back the solution of the mystery of who murdered the character maid "Willow" until the last reel; and why our dark brunette, newly married heroine's life had been previously threatened.Yes I too thought it reasonably well acted and I stayed the course to award it an rating of 6/10.

As a suspense film, I thought CROW HOLLOW was a bit lacking. This is a slow, meandering type film that has a good location in a gloomy country house populated by eccentric sisters. The acting is hard to fault and certainly the cast members give solid performances if not outstanding. I would have to lay the blame at the door of screenwriter Vivian Milroy, who didn't seem to have much experience of the mystery genre. The resultant film is plodding although not without merit.Natasha Parry plays the protagonist role in this film. It's a typical part that has a little of REBECCA about it; a new bride moving into an ancestral home where she may or may not be going out of her mind. Parry is a fine choice for lead, she's lovely, fragile, and determined, all in the same breath. As her husband, Donald Houston is less interesting - I've never warmed to him - but there are good roles in support for the fine Melissa Stribling (DRACULA) as the friend and confidant and the delightful Esma Cannon (CARRY ON CRUISING) as the eccentric aunt.CROW HOLLOW does well with a handful of shock sequences, one of which involving a tarantula that was later borrowed by Hammer for their adaptation of HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. However, the mystery aspects of the storyline feel dragged out and I found the ending to be more than a little unbelievable. It's watchable enough, but in a genre crowded with similar movies, CROW HOLLOW doesn't really stand out.

Anne (beautiful Natasha Parry) is on top of the world, she is about to marry Robert Amour (stolid Donald Houston) the man of her dreams - but after only a week's acquaintance, how would she know?? When she meets his dying neighbour at the hospital for all the elderly woman's agitation, the message is clear - keep away from Crow Hollow!! Yes, it is one of those "gloomy old house" mysteries with Parry as a young bride trying to find her way out of a treacherous domestic situation - but if you haven't seen it before, the ending is quite a surprise! Donald Houston seems to sleep walk through his part, it is left up to Parry to carry all the emotions of the film and she does a great job. She goes to Crow Hollow, Robert is definite about that as he'd promised his grandfather that the house would be his, on condition that he makes a home for his three aunts. And what aunts they are - there's Judith (daffy Esma Cannon from "The Rag Trade") with her strange love of spiders, Hester - no nonsense and a strict believer in diet and fussy, house proud Opal. Then there is sulky, uppity Willow (Pat Owens), the maid, only she is more than a maid, she is treated like a petted daughter and her insolence irks Anne ("are you sure this is the latest London fashion, seems a bit dowdy to me"). There is the spider incident where Judith's deadly spider somehow finds itself on Anne's shoulder, then the poison affair where a pot of bracing broth that she is given after being caught in the rain has her fighting for her life!!By now Anne is so demoralized that she decides to leave for London but at the station she meets Diana who tells her what she knows about the family's history and persuades her to return. It all hinges on Willow and her mysterious past - her father was the old gardener but who was her mother?? Unfortunately Anne returns to find Willow has been murdered but seeing she was in Anne's room wearing Anne's dress and new hat, Anne thinks she is safe in assuming that she and not Willow was meant to be the target!!I've read pretty grim things about this movie in a few books but it's definitely not that bad and worth a look.

Talky but well acted English murder mystery that takes place in a large old country estate house. There is some suspense here but it's slow moving. Natasha Parry, who portrays the sweet & innocent new bride, is beautiful & also is a good actress, which is a bonus! Notable for its almost all-female cast. While I watched this film, I thought it was made 1940-1945 (even the hair styles convey this period), so I would have to call it somewhat old fashioned even for its time. Enjoyable, nonetheless.