JohnHowardReid Despite its other defects, at least the costumes in "Hearts in Bondage" were much as we might expect people to wear in the period. The same cannot be said for the clothes worn by Susan Hayward, Debra Paget, Richard Conte and company in "House of Strangers" (1949). It comes as quite a shock halfway through the film to realize a gin mill is actually a speakeasy and that the film is actually set in 1932. You'd never know it from the 1949 wardrobes that are on display throughout the movie's entire running time from 1932 to 1939! Aside from this numbing anachronism, this is a solidly atmospheric noir with Richard Conte in one of his most dramatic and well-rounded roles, and receiving great support from gowned-to-the-hilt Susan Hayward, vitriolic Edward G. Robinson, sleazy Luther Adler and dumb-head, Paul Valentine. Stylishly directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (who has also supplied some neat ripostes and additional dialogue), this film has worn well. In fact it seemed more engrossing on Fox's 10/10 DVD than my recollection of its quality when I saw it on original release.

st-shot Proud stubborn Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson) runs his Little Italy bank his way, in fact he does everything his way including cajoling and humiliating his four adult sons. Working his way from a barber to a bank president he never took time to familiarize himself with rules and codes which soon runs him afoul of the law. Three of the sons see it as an opportunity for revenge while loyal son Max (Richard Conti) calls for a united front. They set Max up on a bribery charge and he goes to jail, the old man is ruined and the brothers take over. Released and having sworn a vendetta against his brothers they debate how to deal with him.In between his Oscar efforts Letter to Three Wives and All About Eve, Joseph Mankiewicz made this little gem about patriarchy and family turmoil where no one ends up unblemished. Pops Monetti is a tyrant to his kids without an ounce of sensitivity and while his three sons decide to let him take the fall it comes after a lifetime of abuse. The good son Max though loyal to his dad is willing to bribe as well as have a touch of the dad's arrogance by expecting girlfriend played by Susan Hayward to be his piece on the side given he is engaged.Robinson is outstanding as the thick headed self-absorbed patriarch who brooks no dissent that leads to his downfall. It is all the world according to him and Robinson brings it across without sympathy as he browbeats all around him, occasionally switching to Italian with flair, his coda "Never forget, never forgive" Conti as Max gives his usual intense clipped performance that matches up perfectly when shredding the brothers over their duty as children or being brought around by Hayward to a new way of thinking. Hayward is also impressive as the self assured, independent, passionate and total opposite of the stifled old world Italian women subject to berating while pledging silent allegiance. It is her goading of Max and his anachronistic principles that help motivate him to action. Luther Adler as vindictive brother Joe balances Conti's strong performance with one of his own in which he is both loathsome and at times sympathetic due to Monetti Sr. browbeating.With its updated Shakespearean overtones (King Lear) baroque setting (The Monetti home) and strong stark performances House of Strangers holds its own most of the way with the two Oscar winners that bookend it.

classicsoncall The film opens with one of those great crowded New York City street scenes that the era was noted for and if you have fond memories of that place and time, this picture will bring you back. I never lived there, nor would I care to, but even as crowded as it appeared here, there still seems to be a nostalgic component to the way the scene came together to evoke a simpler place and time. Very effectively done.Edward G. Robinson has always been a favorite of mine, and it's cool to see him break with the wise guy manner of some of the gangster greats he portrayed in other films. In "House of Strangers" his character is Gino Moretti, patriarch of a dysfunctional banking family who gets pinched for usurious lending practices and other less than honorable schemes at the Monetti Trust and Loan. A decade earlier, Robinson appeared as a boxing promoter in 1937's "Kid Galahad" and it was the first time I saw him exude a peculiar charm speaking in Italian to his mother in the picture. He does it here too, making me wonder if he actually knew the language or just played it well for the role. In any event, he's fairly convincing at it.So even if Robinson's not portraying a gangster here, he's pretty much a gangster at heart in the way he deals with his family. Other than son Max (Richard Conte) who becomes the family lawyer, the remaining three brothers all fall under the thumb of the old man who treats them like menial employees. Personally, I don't know how long I could have put up with 'dumbhead' as a nickname, even if I knew I was going to inherit the family business. One thing I could relate to though was oldest brother Joe's (Luther Adler) salary at sixty five dollars a week. My first boss in the supermarket business was a store manager making sixty dollars a week who asked the owner for a five dollar raise because he needed that much to qualify for a mortgage on his first house! He got it, but he didn't have a Gino Moretti to deal with.Notable performances here by the marvelous Richard Conte who's always a professional, and the icy Susan Hayward who probably could have been toned down a bit to make her more sympathetic as a character. You know, when Max got busted for his attempted tampering of the jury lady, I had a momentary feeling that maybe Irene (Hayward) set him up for the fall. It would have been interesting if the story went in that direction.After all this time I think the story holds up well with good performances all around. The story also injects a number of quick throwaway scenes that say a lot about the characters, like the one where Robinson's character upbraids the bank customer for trying to score 'free ink'. My favorite occurred during the bar scene with Max and Irene, when the bartender came over and dumped the ashtray on the floor. You can't get any more New York attitude than that.

filmalamosa An Italian banker with 4 sons favors 1 son over all. When the Bank gets in trouble all the pent up sibling jealousies run riot.The story is good but a bit moralizing. Also I found the key love match a little unconvincing.The first half lulls you into thinking is this all? allowing the powerful ending of the movie to come as a surprise twist of sorts. The moralizing (A Hollywood staple) wrecks the ending.This is good quality 1949 stuff--ignore the corny dialog that is what audiences expected back then. Good entertainment overall.Recommend.