Until last night I hadn't seen this movie since being 9 years old in 1947. At that time it scared the hell out of me --- particular the ice house scene, etched forever in memory -- although THE RED HOUSE is not a horror movie. Looking at it again after 60 years it's still a winner.
However scary there's almost no violence, but instead it relies on the natural fright of living near a forbidden woods and the haunted RED HOUSE. The evil lies entirely in the mind of the old man (Edward G. Robinson) and the guilt from some long-ago crime. Lon McAlister plays the young man who enters the scene and other youngsters are played by Rory Calhoun and Julie London who later became stars.
It's easy to understand how the dark, forbidden woods affected me as a young child; but I doubt it would be so well received by today's kids. For one thing, they don't play outside much, let alone exploring in a dark woods or haunted house. Secondly, the woods was most likely torn down. My own woods --- circa 1947 -- had a stream, a swamp, a genuine haunted house, a pig's skeleton, and a road leading to nowhere. Today it's all gone; replaced by Holy Cross Hospital, part of the Washington Beltway, 40 new houses --- paradise swallowed up by progress. Nothing remains for today's kids.
The Red House is now in DVD. It's good; see it!
However scary there's almost no violence, but instead it relies on the natural fright of living near a forbidden woods and the haunted RED HOUSE. The evil lies entirely in the mind of the old man (Edward G. Robinson) and the guilt from some long-ago crime. Lon McAlister plays the young man who enters the scene and other youngsters are played by Rory Calhoun and Julie London who later became stars.
It's easy to understand how the dark, forbidden woods affected me as a young child; but I doubt it would be so well received by today's kids. For one thing, they don't play outside much, let alone exploring in a dark woods or haunted house. Secondly, the woods was most likely torn down. My own woods --- circa 1947 -- had a stream, a swamp, a genuine haunted house, a pig's skeleton, and a road leading to nowhere. Today it's all gone; replaced by Holy Cross Hospital, part of the Washington Beltway, 40 new houses --- paradise swallowed up by progress. Nothing remains for today's kids.
The Red House is now in DVD. It's good; see it!