Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

utgard14 Gothic melodrama from Universal, adapted from the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel (with significant changes) about the cursed Pyncheon family and one brother framing another for murder. Often included in Universal horror discussions, though it's not a horror film. It does have some nice atmosphere in keeping with that genre, though, particularly given that it shares the same look and feel of the Universal horror films being made around that time.Margaret Lindsay, an often underrated actress who never really hit it big, isn't entirely convincing in the early scenes as the innocent young Hepzibah. She really brings it when the plot moves forward and she becomes older and more jaded. Vincent Price does well in one of his earliest big roles. George Sanders reportedly didn't care for his role or the film but you would never know it by his great turn. Dick Foran holds his own against far more talented co-stars.None of the changes to the novel seem to hurt it, in my opinion. It's a very enjoyable film. Even though it's not a horror movie, I do think it will appeal to people who like those Universal classics. Some nice atmosphere, a good story, and a great cast.

calvinnme This film bears little resemblance to the 19th century Hawthorne novel (which may be a good thing, since nothing happens for about the first two-thirds of the book). On the other hand, this film could have been a whole lot better. Still, it's a decent way to kill 90 minutes.George Sanders gives his usual performance as a pompous scumbag trying to cheat brother Vincent Price out of the family fortune, even though the family is bankrupt. When their father suddenly dies during an argument with Price, Sanders accuses his brother of murder. The jury convicts Price without deliberating. Ah, the good old days of law and order. Decades pass and Price's sentence is commuted, all while his fiancée, played by Margaret Lindsay, has changed from a beautiful girl to a sour old crone, teased by passing teenagers, as she locks herself away in her grief and loneliness. This hasn't attenuated Price's love for her, though.Sanders and Price spend the film trying to out-ham each other, with neither succeeding. Price does get to sing while pretending to play the harpsichord. There is an unnecessary subplot concocted by the screenwriter involving abolition and Sanders making money off the slave trade. I guess somebody felt his character wasn't repulsive enough.Margaret Lindsay is the most persuasive performer in The House of the Seven Gables. While I know that most film fans will be more interested in the participation of George Sanders and Vincent Price as part of the cast, I think it can be argued that this film may well have been the highlight of her career as an actress. She has a dominant role in a class "A" production and neither of her more illustrious male co-stars dwarf her.The only way to see this other than a chance showing on Turner Classic Movies and the rare illicit posting on youtube is the Universal Vault MOD, and it really is quite gorgeous. I'd suggest it if you can afford it.

mark.waltz When two of the screen's top villains go up against each other, it is never clear who will win. In "The Black Cat" (1934) and "The Raven" (1935), it was Karloff and Lugosi, and here, it's Sanders and Price. Bela and Boris never played brothers (how could they?), but in "The House of the Seven Gables", George Sanders and Vincent Price do. They are the descendants of a wealthy man in Salem Massachusatts, cursed for stealing another man's land. That ancestor died clutching his throat with blood tricking out of the side of his mouth. After the decent Vincent Price reminds his brother George Sanders of their somewhat evil family history, the same thing happens to their father, who had just disowned Vincent. Thanks to Sanders' cry of "Murderer! Murderer!", Vincent ends up in prison and his foster sister/lady love Margaret Lindsay somehow inherits the property, kicking George to the curb. She becomes a reclusive spinster, lets the house go to pot, eventually takes in borders, and decides to open a small shop. Years later, Price is scheduled to be released (thanks to Ms. Linday's constant visits to the Governor of Massachusatts), and Linday's broke niece, cousin Phoebe (Nan Wynn) comes to stay with her. Price makes Sanders think he is going balmy, searching for buried treasure that never existed, all the while plotting revenge.Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic Gothic tale of life in one of the original thirteen colonies is an entertaining saga of greed, romance, revenge and justice. It features excellent performances by its two stars, outstanding production design, and an Oscar Nominated Score. Price and Sanders would go on to play many roles both evil and heroic (but always colorful). However, unfortunately, this was their only film together. Ms. Lindsay switches appropriately from soft to sour aimlessly, and Dick Foran (as the decedent of the man who placed the original curse) and Nan Wynn are perfect young lovers. If the world is a circle, then it comes fully together for the Pynchon family as a satisfying conclusion occurs. Price would later re-visit this house a decade later as part of "Tales of Terror" in which another part of the family's saga was told.

billsue5 I must say I was a little disappointed with this movie. It strayed far from the book written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I had to do a term paper in college on this story and thought that by watching the movie I could better understand what Hawthorne was writing about. It is a good thing I read the book first. It would have been much better had they followed the book. They skipped so much of the original story that it barely resembled THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES.