tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post2151222977300995817..comments2024-03-28T10:31:55.774-07:00Comments on The Passing Tramp: My 12 Favorite Country House Horror Haunts in Film, from the Thirties to the Sixties, Part 1The Passing Tramphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-6636351464519443922019-01-23T02:25:49.019-08:002019-01-23T02:25:49.019-08:00https://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-12...https://thepassingtramp.blogspot.com/2019/01/my-12-favorite-country-house-horror.html?showComment=1548239105598#c4363743864334731200The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-67468728129700177812019-01-22T01:54:21.809-08:002019-01-22T01:54:21.809-08:00Just posted Mrs. B.!Just posted Mrs. B.!The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-71252694800504529652019-01-20T06:40:36.915-08:002019-01-20T06:40:36.915-08:00Wonderful list, but where is part 2?Wonderful list, but where is part 2?Mrs. Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00202817882464935243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-33839207919535181742018-12-07T01:14:23.762-08:002018-12-07T01:14:23.762-08:00Thank you! Enjoy those you haven't seen yet!Thank you! Enjoy those you haven't seen yet!The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-45289248524478238612018-12-06T13:29:40.991-08:002018-12-06T13:29:40.991-08:00Wow, I have seen allbut Dragonwyck. Good choices.Wow, I have seen allbut Dragonwyck. Good choices.Ken Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08207803092348071005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-89855196602543825012018-11-01T18:24:27.031-07:002018-11-01T18:24:27.031-07:00Although I've heard of several,of these, I'...Although I've heard of several,of these, I've only seen Rebecca. Your wealth of observations and insider insights are making itch to track down the entire list. Thanks!Laurie Loewensteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09472034573717556437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-2286934524630588382018-11-01T04:02:47.573-07:002018-11-01T04:02:47.573-07:00The bad guy being more memorable than the putative...The bad guy being more memorable than the putative hero is typical Mankiewicz. From Addison DeWitt to Diello to Cecil Fox to name just a few, the most "iconic" characters in his movies are made of the same cloth: aristocratic, haughty, decadent and sharp-tongued fellows who love to manipulate people. Van Rijn can be seen as a successful trial run and it's odd that Mankiewicz and Price never teamed up again. I agree he deserved an Oscar nomination for this role. His pre-horror period may have been his best in artistic terms. Xavierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05702919450638993709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-70793417296700740662018-11-01T03:48:02.467-07:002018-11-01T03:48:02.467-07:00Fonda lost to... Jimmy Stewart in The Philadelphia...Fonda lost to... Jimmy Stewart in The Philadelphia Story. <br /><br />Now I'm a big Stewart fan and he certainly deserved a statuette but I doubt even he himself regarded this as his finest performance. His win is all the more puzzling as the shortlist was an extremely strong one, with nearly everyone nominated deserving to win. I guess it's another instance of a strong competition splitting the vote in favour of a dark horse (I'm looking at you, Judy Holliday and Adrian Brody!) or that the Academy wanted to make amends for Stewart not winning the previous year for his star-making and arguably superior turn in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It may also be that Stewart's award was for his whole 1940 output (and he certainly had a great year, with The Mortal Storm and The Shop Around the Corner) or if one is more cynically inclined that the Academy felt honouring Tom Joad or even worse Adenoid Hynkel was too risky. Xavierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05702919450638993709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-48012075057379528942018-10-31T15:15:07.251-07:002018-10-31T15:15:07.251-07:00Yes, Dead of Night has some freaking scary moments...Yes, Dead of Night has some freaking scary moments. Indeed! Definitely feels modern. I think it’s oop in the US now, a shame. <br /><br />I like Gene Tierney in Heaven, especially the boat scene which is so chilling, but the whole trial device just doesn’t work for me and Price is wasted. Laura yes is totally awesome. Judith Anderson in it too! And Dana Andrews and Clifton Webb. Can’t get better!The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-58569359797832662062018-10-31T15:09:15.088-07:002018-10-31T15:09:15.088-07:00The male hero in Dragonwyck is sooo dull. Good do...The male hero in Dragonwyck is sooo dull. Good doesn’t have to mean dull, but boy did it here.<br /><br />One reason I like Dragonwyck so much is I feel it’s the showcase role Price really deserved. He should have been Oscar nominated, I don’t think he ever even got an honorary award.The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-19946854441876939902018-10-31T15:07:28.789-07:002018-10-31T15:07:28.789-07:00I've seen three of these as well. Dead of Nigh...I've seen three of these as well. <i>Dead of Night</i> is a true keeper. The Michael Redgrave segment and the framing story are both marvelously creepy. Both pretty influential as well, I'd say.<br /><br />I haven't seen <i>Dragonwyck</i> yet but now I want to. Price and Gene Tierney seemed to work together a lot. <i>Leave Her to Heaven</i> looked great but it felt a little overcooked to me. Nothing bad to say about <i>Laura</i>, though.<br />Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06590397694589547524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-91730088709794305802018-10-31T15:06:22.490-07:002018-10-31T15:06:22.490-07:00Who beat Fonda, I will have to check. At least Ol...Who beat Fonda, I will have to check. At least Olivier did get an Oscar, Anderson never did. I was wondering how Rebecca managed only to win one tech award besides best picture, and I guess you explained it. Of course Fonda had to wait until he was near death to get one!<br /><br />Great story about Rebecca. I agree with France on Dragonwyck!The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-39130979313536920602018-10-31T15:00:52.382-07:002018-10-31T15:00:52.382-07:00Yeah, I agree it’s really Cat and the Canary that ...Yeah, I agree it’s really Cat and the Canary that got the old dark house ball rolling and The Bat, but I was thinking of those more as murder mysteries. You’re right I may be cheating with Rebecca, but it really does feel l8ke a ghost story at times!<br /><br />Ah, yes, Shirley Jackson....The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-91005797472149285312018-10-31T14:57:55.293-07:002018-10-31T14:57:55.293-07:00I love Dame Judith. I was thrilled when she poppe...I love Dame Judith. I was thrilled when she popped up in The Search for Spock in the 1980s, lol. I was an odd teenager, I guess!The Passing Tramphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09830680639601570152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-30126723491808247632018-10-31T14:02:30.887-07:002018-10-31T14:02:30.887-07:00I'm not a fan of Dragonwyck at all despite Vin...I'm not a fan of <i>Dragonwyck</i> at all despite Vincent Price's commanding presence. The other movies I've seen multiple times they're all so good. THE OLD DARK HOUSE is amazingly faithful to the novel I was surprised to see considering what Whale did with Frankenstein when he got his hands on it. To me, <i>Rebecca</i>, really doesn't fit in this category as it's about sinister influences and the power of memory and there's nothing supernatural in the movie at all. The haunting, as it were, is all psychological. Splitting hairs, I guess...<br /><br />I might add the original silent version of THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1927) though perhaps it's more of a murder mystery. Very creepy at times and some iconic imagery that will be "borrowed" repeatedly in countless old dark house movies that follow in its wake.<br /><br />Interested to see what the other half of your list will include. I'm guessing that famous Shirley Jackson novel turned movie will turn up.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-11874586458409449782018-10-31T12:30:06.083-07:002018-10-31T12:30:06.083-07:00I've seen three of these and agree, particular...I've seen three of these and agree, particularly on "Rebecca" and "The Uninvited." Both terrific films. It's been a long time since I've seen "The Spiral Staircase," but it was definitely suspenseful, as I recall. Of the remaining three, the only one that appeals to me is "Dragonwyck," so I'll have to look for a copy of that. <br /><br />Judith Anderson won an Emmy for playing Lady Macbeth opposite Olivier. I haven't looked to see if it's available on YouTube, but I'm sure she nailed the part. She is brilliantly creepy as Mrs. Danvers, and I simply can't imagine anyone else in the part.Miranda Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18214710626330587150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-137677673775151256.post-64736877551157138232018-10-31T09:48:17.556-07:002018-10-31T09:48:17.556-07:00Nice selection! I have seen them all and all would...Nice selection! I have seen them all and all would make my own list if I were to do one. Kudos in particular for the inclusion of Dragonwyck, a personal favourite and Vincent Price's finest hour in my opinion. It may not be that famous in the Anglosphere but French critics rank it highly, and rightly so - Mankiewicz has always been popular in France than in his own country despite his Oscar wins. <br /><br /><i>"How did Judith Anderson not win, ugh."</i><br /><br />Well, she had the bad luck to compete the same year as Jane Darwell... who was actually a lead and ought to have been nominated in that category (not enough star power I guess at a time when you couldn't win an award without it) The Oscars are always frustrating to some extent, but the 1941 ones are some of the most outrageous, with at least two flagrant injustices - Fonda and Anderson - of which only one was ultimately repaired, not to mention Rebecca winning because the Academy didn't have the guts to give Best Picture to The Grapes of Wrath. <br /><br />One final anecdote, which would probably make Hitchcock chuckle. An acquaintance of mine - admittedly an elderly and very impressionable lady - saw Rebecca some years ago and it gave her a sleepless night! Not mince a feat for a nearly centenarian "ghost story without a ghost"! :) Xavierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05702919450638993709noreply@blogger.com