Semi OT: DRAGONWYCK (1946)

[Gothick]

Over the holiday weekend, I finally had time to watch DRAGONWYCK (1946), which I had checked out of the library on DVD. Co-starring Vincent Price and Gene Tierney, this movie was based on a novel by Anya Seton. It was considered to be a kind of follow-up to REBECCA (1940), but the 1946 film was set in the 1840s and included material about the feudalistic patroon landholding system in the Hudson Valley (and made reference to the events that led to the system's ultimate demise).

I was surprised at how much like DS the movie seemed. The titular mansion (which is seen in various shots that are obviously paintings) actually does look somewhat like Lyndhurst, but the resemblances to our show have more to do with mood, dialogue, story elements, and atmosphere. The lead ingenue, played by Gene Tierney, has dialogue in an early scene about wanting to meet "people I've never met, places I've never seen" that seemed to foreshadow a certain young governess's thoughts as she boarded a train to Collinsport, Maine in 1966.

Apparently there were some heavy script cuts both during and immediately after filming. Two of the most interesting characters, a creepily mocking housekeeper (named Magda!) played by Spring Byington, and the disturbed daughter of the Patroon of Dargonwyck, simply disappear about two-thirds of the way through the picture, without any explanation.

If you scroll down here, a film buff mentions the influence of DRAGONWYCK on DS.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/a-few-words-about-%E2%84%A2-dragonwyck.272533/

The movie seems to be shown somewhat regularly on TCM.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I've often seen that the movie is on and want to see it, but I never seem to get around to it. But now I'll definitely make more of an effort. 

[Gothick]

One thought that I had was that the original concept of Roger (as outlined in the Art Wallace story bible, the "Shadows on the Wall" material) might have been based on Nicholas van Rijn (pronounced van Ryan), the Vincent Price character in DRAGONWYCK.

There's also a ghost who is heard singing and playing the harpsichord from the old music room of the house, an unhappy bride who is said to have put a curse on the family... so many scenes made me think "this is a movie for DARK SHADOWS fans."

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Now you've got me really regretting that I haven't seen the movie yet...

[Uncle Roger]

I saw it on local TV years ago. Principally because Dyan Cannon name checked it in The Last of Sheila. When the James Coburn character is missing after the experience at the monastery, she quips: Maybe he's still wandering around Dragonwyck.

[Philippe Cordier]

I'm surprised that you guys haven't seen "Dragonwyck" before. As mentioned, it is shown on Turner Classic Movies every couple of years, which is where I've seen it, though I've always seemed to miss the beginning. It is a good movie and with broader appeal, I think, than many other "supernatural" movies. I don't actually remember it in much detail. It looks like it's only available on BlueRay. I hate it when they do that. I was going to say, Anya Seton, didn't she write "Black Beauty," but then I remembered that was Anna Sewell.

[Gothick]

Hi Philippe, the complete film was available on you tube when I checked last month. I got the disc out of the library because it was available from there and I generally prefer watching things on disc--it looks much better and sounds much better.

Best, Gothick