Horror

The Fall of the House of Usher

A traveler arrives at the Usher mansion to visit his old friend, Roderick Usher. Upon arriving, however, he discovers that Roderick and his sister, Madeline, have been afflicted with a mysterious malady: Roderick's senses have become painfully acute, while Madeline has become nearly catatonic. That evening, Roderick tells his guest of an old Usher family curse: any time there has been more than one Usher child, all of the siblings have gone insane and died horrible deaths. As the days wear on, the effects of the curse reach their terrifying climax.

Release Date : 1950-06-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : VigilantG.I.B.

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lady Usher

Original Name : Gwen Watford

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lord Roderick Usher

Original Name : Kaye Tendeter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jonathan

Original Name : Irving Steen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Cordwall

Original Name : Vernon Charles

Gender : Male

Character Name : Louise

Original Name : Connie Goodwin

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Hag

Original Name : Lucy Pavey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Greville

Original Name : Robert Woollard

Gender : Male

Character Name : George

Original Name : Keith Lorraine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Richard

Original Name : Tony Powell-Bristow

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-12-27

This is a bit wooden, to be honest... The budget was clearly stretched by the bar bill from the opening, introductory, sequence in the gentleman's club where one of the group starts to read this story from a compendium of Poe stories. We are quickly transferred to the sinister mansion in which the "Usher" siblings - "Lord Roderick" (Kaye Tendeter) and "Lady Madeleine" (Gwen Watford) abide. "Jonathan" (Irving Steen) arrives at the house to visit his friend and discovers that both have been afflicted by strange maladies that their doctor can only explain by suggesting "Jonathan" leave, and leave quickly... What ensues is not the best story Poe ever wrote, and this depiction is truly static. The staging is theatrical in the most third rate "rep" of fashions: lines are delivered as if being individually cued, the photography is almost as stilted and the overall pace of the film - though not entirely devoid of peril and aided well by eerie scenarios and a great storm sequence at the end, just flows like treacle. Like many stories from this author, there isn't a conclusion as such, just an ending - but in this case, sadly, it couldn't really come quick enough.