The Fall of the House of Usher is a 1950 British horror film directed by Ivan Barnett and starring Gwendoline Watford, Kaye Tendeter and Irving Steen. It is an adaptation of the 1839 short story of the same title by Edgar Allan Poe.
Synopsis
The film uses a framing device set in a Gentlemen's club where one of the members reads to his friends from a copy of Poe's book. A century before, a young man visits a bleak-looking mansion in the English countryside where his friend Lord Roderick Usher lives with his sister Madeline. They are both mysteriously ill and he discovers that they are suffering from a curse brought on them by their father which will cause them both to die shortly, leading to the downfall of the ancient family of Usher.
Production and release
The film was made in Hastings by a low-budget company GIB Films. Ivan Barnett produced the film and also worked as director and cinematographer. The film was made in 1948, but it wasn't released until 1950. It was issued an 'H' Certificate, a rarity at the time, by the British Board of Film Censors. Despite its limited budget the film proved surprisingly successful on its release as a second feature and even topped the bill in some cinemas. It was reissued in 1955 and again in 1961. It may have been an influence on the subsequent development of Hammer Horror.
Cast
Gwendoline Watford as Lady Usher
Kaye Tendeter as Lord Roderick Usher
Irving Steen as Jonathan
Vernon Charles as Dr. Cordwall
Connie Goodwin as Louise
Gavin Lee as The Butler
Keith Lorraine as George
Lucy Pavey as The Hag
Tony Powell-Bristow as Richard
Robert Woolard as Greville
References
Bibliography
Chibnall, Steve & McFarlane, Brian. The British 'B' Film. Palgrave MacMillan, 2009. Harper, Sue. Picturing the Past: The Rise and Fall of the British Costume Film. British Film Institute, 1994.