Never Trust Your Brother

 They’ll Steal Your Stuff and Pin A Murder On You

 House By The River (1950) – Stephen Byrne has whined and connived his way out of problems his entire life.  His brother John has rescued him time and again.  But when Stephen kills the maid when she resists his advances, things swing quickly out of control.  Lies and betrayal lead both men and Stephen’s wife into a possible trial for murder.

Directed by Fritz Lang

Starring Louis Hayward, Lee Bowman, Jane Wyatt

Why I Liked It – Even on a tight budget, Lang brings all the tension you could want.

There is nothing like stumbling into a jewel of a movie that you don’t know.  Despite the limited budget at Republic Pictures, the director crafts a suspenseful movie about murder, madness, and betrayal.

The director was my first surprise.  When I think of Fritz Lang, I think of “Metropolis” and not much other than that.  Which is silly given that I’ve reviewed (and loved) both 1931’s “M”, and 1945’s “Scarlet Street.”  Each one of them comes with the same intensity that you’ll find here.  There’s always the distinctive visual influence of his background in German Expressionism, with its dark, moody lighting.  It is perfect for this movie.

Stephen Byrne (Hayward) is a down on his luck writer who lives at the edge of a river near the ocean.  Because of that location, when the tide comes in, trees and other garbage that had floated downstream are pushed back up the river.  The cycle repeats itself almost endlessly, much to the annoyance of his matronly neighbor. Byrne is a strange, moody man and his marriage to Marjorie (Wyatt) is strained.  They employ a pretty blonde maid named Emily (Dorothy Patrick), and Stephen’s gaze lingers.  One night he accosts her after her bath and pressures her for sexual favors. (It is 1950, so by modern standards it’s pretty low key stuff.  But the intent is clear.)  When she screams, Byrne covers her mouth, suffocating her.  The death was certainly an accident, but he knows that won’t help.  When his “crippled” brother John (Bowman) arrives, Stephen recruits to help cover it all up.  John’s handicap shows itself in a limp that is never explained.  We also discover that this is an ongoing pattern for the brothers.  Stephen is often in trouble and persuades his brother to cover for him.

As the story progresses, we see what a manipulative narcissist Stephen is.  He’s always gotten what he wants, but this time, the events are so huge that we see him slipping away into insanity.  Louis Hayward plays the role with skill, never falling into melodramatic scene chewing.  His quiet assurance, touched with madness, is chilling to watch.

Other than Jane Wyatt, who played June Anderson on the television classic “Father Knows Best”, and as Spock’s mother Amanda in “Star Trek”, the cast is unknown to me.  I’m sure I’ve seen them here and there in smaller roles, but they carry the load without a hitch here.  Lang places them in almost constant shadow, and they seem uncomfortable in the scenes of ordinary daylight.  The result is all the suspense and tension you’d want in this story.

Beyond the limitations of the day, both technically and storytelling, I don’t find much to complain about this one.  What a wonderful surprise in an unknown treasure.

“House On The River” is available to stream for free on Plex and Kanopy.

Rating – **** Recommended

FYI – This trailer is spoiler city.