Grade: C+
Synopsis: A young farm girl’s (Gene Tierney) distant cousin (Vincent Price) invites her to live in his gothic mansion as a companion for his young daughter.
Though Vincent Price didn’t know it at the time, Dragonwyck was something of a warm-up for the gothic horror films he would later become synonymous with. While this film is certainly a step up from most of those later movies, it will likely remind many of Price’s Edgar Allen Poe adaptations with Roger Corman, particularly House of Usher (1960).
Dragonwyck also marked the directorial debut of writer Joseph L. Mankeiwicz, who would go on to direct such great films as All About Eve (1950), People Will Talk (1951), and Sleuth (1972).
Here, Mankeiwicz delivers a well-produced, atmospheric piece featuring a surprisingly strong supporting cast including Walter Huston as lead Gene Tierney’s bible-thumping father, and Jessica Tandy, in only her sixth credited film. Indeed, the supporting cast overshadows Tierney herself, who seems a little too artificial in the role.
That said, Dragonwyck is definitely worth a look for fans of Vincent Price. While some will undoubtedly consider this a poor man’s Rebecca (1940), Price’s performance makes it worthwhile. Incredibly, Gregory Peck was rumored as the first choice for Price’s role, but allegedly dropped out when original director Ernst Lubitsch fell ill and had to be replaced.
