House by the River (1950)

Directed by legendary filmmaker Fritz Lang, House by the River is a moody, psychological film noir steeped in Victorian atmosphere and moral decay. Released by Republic Pictures, the film stars Louis Hayward, Lee Bowman, and Jane Wyatt, and is based on the 1920 novel by A.P. Herbert. Though lesser known among Lang’s American works, it’s a haunting tale of murder, manipulation, and artistic madness.

Plot Summary
Set in turn-of-the-century America, the story follows Stephen Byrne (Louis Hayward), a wealthy but struggling novelist who lives with his wife Marjorie (Jane Wyatt) in a stately home by the river. One night, in a drunken haze, Stephen makes an unwanted advance on their maid Emily Gaunt—and when she screams, he kills her.

Stephen enlists his brother John (Lee Bowman), a physically impaired and morally upright man, to help dispose of the body. They stuff Emily into a sack and dump it in the river. But when the sack resurfaces, suspicion falls on John, whose initials are on the bag. Stephen, meanwhile, exploits the tragedy to fuel his writing career, crafting a novel based on the crime and reveling in the attention.

As guilt and paranoia mount, Stephen’s descent accelerates, culminating in a violent confrontation and a surreal, symbolic death—entangled in a curtain that seems to embody the ghost of Emily.

Cast Highlights

Louis Hayward as Stephen Byrne
Jane Wyatt as Marjorie Byrne
Lee Bowman as John Byrne
Dorothy Patrick as Emily Gaunt
Jody Gilbert, Ann Shoemaker, and Peter Brocco in supporting roles

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

Fritz Lang originally wanted a Black actress to play Emily Gaunt, but producers refused
Kathleen Freeman earned her first credited film role here, launching a career with nearly 300 screen appearances
The film was initially proposed as a lavish Twentieth Century Fox production starring Cary Grant and Rex Harrison, with Otto Preminger directing—but was ultimately made on a low budget by Republic Pictures
Jody Gilbert, usually cast in bit parts, has a major supporting role as Flora Bantam, the servant girl

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