House of Strangers FILM NOIR CLASSIC Edward G Robinson

This gripping and highly entertaining film noir, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz ("Somewhere in the Night", "A Letter to Three Wives", "All About Eve", "No Way Out") has three oscar-worthy performances, great music, and superb cinematography. The script has some of the sharpest, hardboiled dialogue of any film from that period. Richard Conte and Susan Hayward were terrific as usual, but the scene-stealer award should go to Edward G. Robinson who gave one of his very best performances. In addition to this movie, throughout the 1940's and 1950's Robinson appeared in numerous film noirs: "Double Indemnity" (1944), "Woman in the Window" (1944), "Scarlet Street" (1945), "The Stranger" (1946), "The Red House" (1947), "All My Sons" (1948), "Key Largo" (1948), "Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (1948), "The Glass Web" (1953), "Black Tuesday" (1954), "Tight Spot" (1955), "Illegal" (1955), and "Seven Thieves" (1960). Max Monetti (Richard Conte) has just been released after spending seven years in jail. Soon it becomes clear to the viewer that Max's three brothers, Joe (Luther Adler), Pietro (Paul Valentine), and Tony (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), are to blame for Max losing seven years of his life. Through a lengthy flashback, the story of Max's downfall is explained. The bank that his three brothers had taken over originally belonged to their intimidating father Gino (Edward G. Robinson), who worked his sons hard and frequently insulted them. The only one Gino treated with kindness was Max, who earned his living as an intelligent but very cynical lawyer. Max had been engaged but was soon involved with another woman, the beautiful Irene Bennett (Susan Hayward). This was only the first in a series of big changes in Max's life. Then it happened. His father was arrested for his illegal financial practices at his bank, and his sons (all except for Max), eager to get back at their father, became the new owners. Throughout the trial Max had been Gino's only supporter, and when things started to look hopeless for his father Max resorted to trying to bribe one of the jurors. Betrayed by one of his brothers who'd tipped the police off, Max is caught and convicted. Meanwhile, his father is found "not guilty" but is virtually a prisoner of his three angry sons who seek revenge for years of verbal abuse from him. Gino fills Max's head with the idea of paying his brothers back after he's released from jail, but before he's free his hate-filled father dies. Only Irene Bennett has the power to stop Max from killing his own brothers, but I won't spoil the ending. "House of Strangers" is definitely a classic noir, but it does have two main flaws: Max (Richard Conte) takes a brutal beating near the end of the movie and it seemed totally unnecessary given the fact that Max had already spent seven years in prison (For Heaven's sake, the man had already suffered enough!). Plus, and I know this may not disappoint all viewers, the bad guys don't get punished, something very rare and unusual for film noir. But flaws aside, this is a very good movie with superb acting from Edward G. Robinson, Richard Conte, and Susan Hayward. It's simply amazing how these three spit out their lines so easily, and the movie itself reminds me a lot of "The Godfather" (which also has Richard Conte). And who would've thought that Robinson could be so convincing playing an Italian?!? Highly recommended.