Year of Release: 1946Country of Origin: USA
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Cast: Gene Tierney, Walter Huston, Vincent Price
Plot outline: A farm girl signs on as governess in a gloomy mansion (IMDb).
Based upon the bestselling novel “Dragonwyck” by Anya Seton, this is Joseph L. Mankiewicz’ directorial debut. Originally to be directed by Ernest Lubitsch, he fell ill and Mankiewicz, who wrote the adaptation, was offered the director's chair. The chemistry between Gene Tierney and Vincent Price had already been proven solid twice before in Laura by Otto Preminger in 1944 and in Leave Her to Heaven by John Stahl in 1945, for which Tierney got an Oscar nomination. It is not really a Mankiewicz, or for that matter a Lubitsch, type of movie, being a somewhat ordinary gothic romantic drama, but Mankiewicz takes full advantage of his leading actors, even though one can argue, that Tierney perhaps is miscast, even though she plays her naivety brilliantly. On the other hand, Price is superb as the mad Dutch aristocrat, who hates his wife for not giving him a son, and blames Miranda for the death of his newborn son. The result is a haunting classic gothic tale and a must-see for all lovers of Tierney, Price and Mankiewicz. (HS)
My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars
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