"The Red House" tries very hard to combine two genres with little success. On one level it's a typical teen romance with all the usual lover's quarrels and petty jealousies. On the other hand it's a psychological suspense a la "Rebecca" or "Spellbound" but lacking the genius of Hitchcock.
There's not enough red herrings or other diversions for a good suspense movie. The film moves so slowly, you can't help but guess the "secret" long before the end. The teen romance angle had more potential with Rory Calhoun, Allene Roberts and a very sultry Julie London in the cast, but Calhoun and London don't get enough screen time to keep you interested.
Although I usually love Edward G. Robinson, the lack of real suspense in the film drained his performance of much of it's power. Judith Anderson does a good job playing against type, but it's not enough to save this turgid cluster gaggle.
There's not enough red herrings or other diversions for a good suspense movie. The film moves so slowly, you can't help but guess the "secret" long before the end. The teen romance angle had more potential with Rory Calhoun, Allene Roberts and a very sultry Julie London in the cast, but Calhoun and London don't get enough screen time to keep you interested.
Although I usually love Edward G. Robinson, the lack of real suspense in the film drained his performance of much of it's power. Judith Anderson does a good job playing against type, but it's not enough to save this turgid cluster gaggle.