The Fall of the House of Usher is a 1950 British horror film directed by Ivan Barnett and starring Gwen Watford in her film debut, Kaye Tendeter and Irving Steen.[2] The screenplay was by Dorothy Catt and Kenneth Thompson, adapted from the 1839 short story of the same title by Edgar Allan Poe.
| The Fall of the House of Usher | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Opening titles | |
| Directed by | Ivan Barnett |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Ivan Barnett |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Ivan Barnett |
| Music by | W.L. Trytel |
Production company | GIB Films |
| Distributed by | Vigilant Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe film uses a framing device set in a gentlemen's club where one of the members reads to his friends from a copy of Poe's book.
A century before, a young man visits a bleak-looking mansion in the English countryside where his friend Lord Roderick Usher lives with his sister Lady Madeline. They are both mysteriously ill and he discovers that they are suffering from a curse caused by their father which will lead to them both dying shortly, resulting in the downfall and end of the ancient family of Usher.
Cast
edit- Gwen Watford as Lady Madeline Usher (credited as Gwendoline Watford)
- Kaye Tendeter as Lord Roderick Usher
- Irving Steen as Jonathan
- Vernon Charles as Dr. Cordwall
- Connie Goodwin as Louise
- Gavin Lee as the butler
- Keith Lorraine as George
- Lucy Pavey as the hag
- Tony Powell-Bristow as Richard
- Robert Woolard as Greville
Production and release
editThe film was made in Hastings by a low-budget company GIB Films. Ivan Barnett produced the film and also worked as director and cinematographer. The film was made in 1948,[3] but it was not released until 1950. It was issued an 'H' Certificate, a rarity at the time, by the British Board of Film Censors. Despite its limited budget the film proved surprisingly successful on its release as a second feature and even topped the bill in some cinemas.[4] It was reissued in 1955 and again in 1961.[5] It may have been an influence on the subsequent development of Hammer Horror.[6]
References
edit- ^ Harper p. 232
- ^ "The Fall of the House of Usher". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 322. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
- ^ Chibnall & McFarlane p. 210
- ^ Harper p. 232
- ^ Chibnall & McFarlane p. 210
Bibliography
edit- Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. The British 'B' Film. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009.
- Harper, Sue. Picturing the Past: The Rise and Fall of the British Costume Film. British Film Institute, 1994.
External links
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