Dragonwyck (1946)

Review by All Movie Guide
Dragonwyck is a moderately engrossing Gothic thriller that ultimately fails to satisfy completely, largely due to first-time director Joseph L. Mankiewicz attempting to be too faithful to the Anya Seton novel that is the film's source. While it's true that Mankiewicz left out some key sections of the novel (including real-life events such as the burning of the Henry Clay steamship and the protagonist's role in the Astor Place riots), he unwisely tried to include too many social and historical details. These work well in a literary setting but are much harder to pull off onscreen, and in this case, they merely get in the way of what is, at heart, just a simple little potboiler. Had Mankiewicz concentrated more on the melodramatic and Gothic aspects, the film would have had considerably more impact. Mankiewicz is also somewhat hampered by Gene Tierney, whose is adequate in a role that requires more. Fortunately, Vincent Price provides the kind of bravura turn that this kind of piece demands, and there's some solid support from Walter Huston, Anne Revere, and a sprightly Jessica Tandy. Dragonwyck is sometimes unfocused and not as effective as it could have been, but it's a nice, lesser-known alternative to the more readily available Rebecca, Jane Eyre, or House of the Seven Gables. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide