House of Strangers (1949)
Max Monetti is consumed with vengeance against his brothers after their betrayal of his father Gino. But after remembering his past, especially his relationship with Irene Bennett, Max realizes that his father had caused all the tension within the family and makes peace with his brothers. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Written By: Philip Yordan, Jerome Weidman
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Richard Conte, Susan Hayward, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Luther Adler, Paul Valentine
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Where to Stream
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House of Strangers belongs to 11 collections
1. Film Noir (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 55 stars)
2. They Shoot Pictures 250 Quintessential Noir Films (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 38 stars)
3. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (public: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
4. The Obscure, the Forgotten, and the Unloved (public: moderated by MMAlpha - 14 stars)
5. Films available in HD (public: moderated by kubricksucks - 12 stars)
6. 1,000 Noir Films: They Shot Dark Pictures, Didn't They? (public: moderated by lisa- - 9 stars)
7. Best of Classic Old Hollywood (pre-70s) (public: moderated by 90sCoffee - 6 stars)
8. Remade (public: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 4 stars)
9. Cannes 1949 Official Selection (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 2 stars)
10. FOX Film Noir (public: moderated by iceblox)
11. King Lear (Shakespeare) (public: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer)
Browse the full list of collections
| Date | User | Rating | |
| May 02 |  |
wetwillies | 70 19% |
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Viewed March 25, 2022. This hinges on a patently ridiculous performance from Edward G. Robinson, who’s going full Super Mario World as the family’s patriarch (for reference, he’s introduced singing opera in the bath, then asking someone to “scrub-a” his back), and some of Mankiewicz’s stylistic choices are awkward. Consequently, the film doesn’t quite cohere, but there are passages of it that are full-on noir and quite exceptional.
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| Nov 14, 2021 | PUNQ | 70 96% |
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Felt the ending was a cop out, but there was so much to love about this troubled family dynamic. First off, Edward G. Robinson was really superb as the father. Classic big mouth manipulator who always has to have it his way. Richard Conte was real strong as the independent son being betrayed by his other brothers. Great role for him. If only the ending had been as hot blooded as the rest of the story...
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| May 08, 2019 |  |
hotsake | 65 61% |
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Its an engaging story and gets pretty tense in some scenes. The acting was a bit over the top and I felt that the pacing was a bit off.
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| Jul 28, 2016 |  |
glumpy_99 | 94 88% |
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Shattering family drama masquerading as noir, highlighted by Robinson's forceful and powerful performance as the venal patriarch, though performances all down the line are beautifully executed - Mankiewicz's subtle directorial touches maintain a low-key tension for all of the family drama scenes, before ramping things up for the intense climax; a forced happy-ish ending takes the bloom somewhat off the rose. Seeds of GODFATHER influence abound (including alumni Conte in the lead!)
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| Oct 24, 2015 |  |
ITBSPodcast | 100 0% |
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"...too many people talking..."
http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/02/episode-48-mankiewicz-before-eve-1946.html
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| Nov 26, 2012 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 87 87% |
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Conte and Robinson are excellent and Hayward is great noir lady. But the real strength is in the relationships. The father son relationships full of love and hate, the brotherly trust turning to bitterness, the cultural and generational gaps between old world and new world, between honour and the law. The structure, too, takes away the tension and intrigue and replaces it with curiosity and mixed sympathies to great effect.
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| Mar 13, 2010 |  |
MartinTeller | 56 12% |
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There are some noir elements, but they're pretty sparse. It's mostly just your average family melodrama. Second problem: Robinson plays a ridiculous caricature. He-a talk-a like dis! It's really painful. Third problem: Richard Conte. His character is all over the place. You feel like you're supposed to be rooting for him, but he's kind of a dick. I enjoyed the basic plot and the bitter tone, and there were some fine examples of nice framing... otherwise I was disappointed.
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| Average Percentile 58.96% from 86 Ratings |  |