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Date Posted: 18:35:24 02/09/09 Mon
Author: Tim
Subject: The House of the Seven Gables (1940)

I recently watched this one again for the first time in a long time, and found it did not disappoint. Adapted from the 19th century Nathaniel Hawthorne novel, it tells the story of the Pyncheons, a family with a dark and storied past.

In the 17th century a Pyncheon ancestor falsely accused Matthew Maule, a simple carpenter, of witchcraft. Maule was convicted, and uttered a curse upon his accuser right before he was hanged. The Maule curse settled upon the Pyncheon family and its home Seven Gables, built on the very land where Maule was hanged.

In 1828 New England the ambitious young musician Clifford Pyncheon (Vincent Price) wishes to sell Seven Gables, but his greedy brother Jaffrey Pyncheon (George Sanders) strongly objects. During the growing feud their father dies, and Jaffrey falsely accuses Clifford of murdering him. Clifford is sent to prison, while the lovely Hepzibah Pyncheon (Margaret Lindsay) patiently waits for his release at the dark and shuttered Seven Gables. Twenty years later Clifford's sentence is commuted and he returns home.

One of the most memorable sequences is the tense buildup to Clifford's return to Seven Gables and Hepzibah. The acting throughout the film is superb. The atmosphere is gloomy and gothic, a perfect match for the story. Alan Napier has a nice role as a the local mail carrier, and Nan Grey is fine as the pretty young Phoebe Pyncheon. Dick Foran plays a descendant of the 17th century Matthew Maule.

Tim

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Replies:

[> Re: The House of the Seven Gables (1940) -- Rick, 04:37:33 02/12/09 Thu [1]

Excellent film and ironic that Universal won't put out on DVD, where they did on VHS about 10 years ago.





Rick


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