Welcome to Dragonwyck, the American, Hudson River Valley version of "Rebecca's" Mandalay where secrets go way beyond the walls of that driveway with long, tenacious fingers. A suicide centuries before of one of the wives put a curse on the wealthy family now lead by the cool, calm and collected Vincent Price, gentle on the outside but quite sinister on the inside. When it comes to his farmers, he has no intention of giving them the land that their families have been farming for generations, even though their tributes to his ancestors have certainly paid off the land. He believes through entitlement alone, he's obligated to keep it, and with his unattraction to his wife (Vivienne Osborne), he's obviously determined to find a new wife who can produce him a son and heir, and that's where impetuous beauty Gene Tierney comes in.The story focuses on Tierney's exotically named Miranda Wells, a farmer's daughter from Connecticut, a 9:00 girl on a 5:00 farm, determined to find something better than the dirty hands of the farmboys nearby. Parents Walter Huston and Anne Revere are decent, God-fearing Christians who are perplexed by distant relative Price's letter asking for one of their daughters to come to Dragonwyck to be companion to his young daughter (Connie Marshall). Tierney persuades the strict Huston to allow her to go, and gets more than she bargained for. Words of caution from housekeeper Spring Byington aren't enough to warn her against falling in love with Price, and even if its his title and position that she's really interested in, she allows herself to fall under his spell. This continues even after she overhears the farmers confront him at the annual Fourth of July celebration.Lavishly produced and tightly directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, "Dragonwyck" takes the usual Gothic thriller of the European setting and moves it to two of the original American colonies. It's obvious just from the way that Tierney is made up and dressed that she is not meant to be a country girl and that even if it wasn't Dragonwyck, some millionaire's mansion would certainly have her as a resident. As for Price, this is basically the same type of melodrama that he would do much later over at American International in a series of Gothic Edgar Allan Poe tales, and at more than a decade younger in this part than those, he is appropriately cold even when complimenting his bed-ridden wife. The only time he comes alive is when he sees the feisty Tierney telling off some local social snobs and his delight in squiring her around the dance floor even though she's just witnessed him being attacked while demanding tributes from the farmers.Byington's housekeeper is mysterious, but not dire like "Rebecca's" Mrs. Danvers, mixing kindness into her forbidding warnings. Osborne has been made up to look like a living corpse, obviously very unhappy in her marriage and consumed with an unknowing sense of doom. She's also rather cold to daughter Marshall as if knowing that she's not going to be around to see her grow into a young woman. The painting of the wife who committed suicide generations before almost resembles her as if to insinuate that the family curse is about to explode in Price's face. It is obvious that Tierney is the key to which the curse will be unlocked. There are also excellent performances by Huston and Revere, and Henry Morgan is also memorable in a bit as the farmer who vindictively attacks Price, although his motives are certainly understandable. Glenn Langan is the one weak element as the overly noble doctor who pleads the farmer's cases towards Price and is manipulated by Price into treating the ailing Osborne which leads to tragic occurrences.A gripping epic of evil hidden underneath the nobilities' belief that they hold dominion over the poor people around them is a deeply felt drama that grabs you from the moment Tierney grabs the telescope to witness Dragonwyck off in the background, just like Joan Fontaine's first spotting of Mandalay in "Rebecca". There may be some slight unbelievable situations, but for the most part, it really is an intriguing look at sinister intentions disguised by seemingly noble behavior and the destruction to the soul this ultimately causes. It really is Price's show, and he fortunately avoids the over melodramatic line recital that would turn his American International Gothic horror films into unintentional camp.

I've always enjoyed performances by Vincent Price, Gene Tierney and Walter Houston. The movie seemed to be moving along quite well, creating some mystery and lots of suspense. The daughter of the patroon (Vincent Price) seemed to have a few hidden issues, thinking her parents not loving her and in turn, she not able to love them. The new governess, upon her arrival starts to notice strange behavior for ALL the residents of Dragonwyck, consequently being warned by the servant of the house (Spring Byington). Upon the arrival of Jessica Tandy, the crippled lady-in-waiting for the new governess and bride of the patroon, we find out his distaste for deficiencies in humans. In this case a crippled female. This is immediately noticed by Gene Tierney. As she tries in-vain to deal with her husband, she becomes pregnant with his son. The son is born with heart problems, eventually dying soon after birth. The father, Vincent Price, Takes to himself for while. But, as I was enjoying this particular film, I couldn't help but notice the unexplained absence of the patroon's daughter Katrine (Connie Marshall) and that of the role played by Spring Byington. Why is there no seemingly good explanation for these absences? Still, all-in-all, it was entertaining.

Connecticut farm girl (Gene Tierney) goes to live with her wealthy cousin (Vincent Price) and his wife on their estate called Dragonwyck. As is pretty much the standard for people who live on estates in older films, these folks ain't right. The movie's strength lies in its great cast and Gothic ambiance. Vincent Price is good in a role very similar to others he would play in horror films later in his career. Gene Tierney is beautiful and plays her part well. Walter Huston, Anne Revere, Spring Byington, and Jessica Tandy offer solid support. Unfortunately, despite the cast and fine direction from Joseph L. Mankiewicz, it's a rather dull and predictable movie that fails to build any suspense or intrigue. Obviously fans of Price and Tierney will want to check it out for themselves. Gene is certainly gorgeous, so the movie has that going for it.

This movie had EVERYTHING going for it! A dream cast with Gene Tierney, Vincent Price, Walter Huston, Anne Revere, Spring Byington and Jessica Tandy, a great writer and director in Joseph L Mankiewitz, a rich genre - Gothic, bigger than life characters like Edgar Allen Poe and James Fennimore Cooper, a new setting - the Hudson Valley Catskill Mountains, real historical incidents such as rent wars and steamboat races and a KILLER novel - Dragonwyck by Anya Seton. Too bad that they only kept the cast and the writer director. Mankiewitz made this rich book a formula story. Poor farm girl becomes companion to rich man's daughter, falls in love, wife dies, marries rich man, rich man goes mad, rich man dies, fadeout. I am a Hudson Valley girl, I wanted to like it, I tried to like it. I love "book movies", I have shelves full of the novels that have fostered my favorite movies like Now, Voyager, Mildred Pierce, Random Harvest and Stella Dallas. I can see the value in both and be OK with many of the changes that are made for the screen. This,however, took away the beauty of the Valley, the history of the Patroon system, the mystery of why Miranda could love Nicholas (he was a complex, very cultured, intelligent, obsessed with family, tortured soul), Miranda's romance novel induced dreams, Johanna's despair in her marriage and the eerie Cajun influences of Azilde, Nicholas's "lessons" to Miranda in music and literature - gone, the gaiety of New York City's theaters and restaurants in the 1840's - gone, steamboat races up the Hudson - gone.Skip this movie and read the book, you will not be sorry!