Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

clanciai Joe Mankiewicz's first film as a director is like all his subsequent ones a paragon of clarity and thoroughness, attaching much attention to every detail, while at the same time the actors are generously given free room to reign. Consequently in all his films, all actors appear outstanding, especially in his early ones. His next film was even darker than this one, maybe his deepest dive into the noir genre, "Somewhere in the Night" about the mystery of a lost identity and even more intriguing than this one - here Vincent Price completely dominates the drama by you in suspense as you never can know or even guess what he is up to. He appears as the perfect gentleman, and yet you must suspect that he has terrible secrets to hide, which don't become evident until the very end, as he masks them so well. Gene Tierney is equally good, and they match each other perfectly - just previously they had been together in Otto Preminger's priceless "Laura".The other actors are good as well, especially Walter Huston as the terrible but honest father, while you must observe the young Jessica Tandy entering the scene after Gene Tierney has been married. You can't recognize her, but her performance as a cripple is quite remarkable.Alfred Newman's music is equally perfect, never too intrusive but properly enhancing the Gothic atmosphere whenever it is stressed. Only Glenn Langan as the doctor is a bit simplistic, while the tenants are impressive in every scene. A special tribute to the always admirable Anne Revere as Gene Tierney's wise and hardy mother.

gavin6942 A simple Connecticut farm girl is recruited by a distant relative (Vincent Price), an aristocratic patroon, to be governess to his young daughter in his Hudson Valley mansion.Someone at Fox put together a "Horror Classics Volume 2" set and put this film in it. But does it belong there? Not at all. There is no horror in this film. Maybe there is hint at a family curse or a ghost or something vague, but it really boils down to a wealthy landowner and the farmers who rent from him. I presume the only reason the film made the set was because it stars Vincent Price.Interestingly, Gregory Peck was the first choice for Nicholas Van Ryn. Ernst Lubitsch was to direct, but became ill, pre-production was delayed, and Peck dropped out. This, to me, completely changes the film's aftermath. If Lubitsch would have made a different film, I don't know. But Peck starring might give the film more gravitas, and then it almost certainly would have avoided getting a "horror" label from people who haven't bothered to see it.

dougandwin Have just seen "Dragonwyck" after it had been released 66 years ago, and I found it to be absorbing, brilliantly acted and photographed. Gene Tierney stars as the simple farm girl who is elevated to Lady of the Manor for reasons that she did not comprehend, Vincent Price was superb as the master of Dragonwyck, while those two wonderful people, Walter Huston and Anne Revere, as usual, brilliant. The story by Anya Seton is well-handled, but that is where the frustration comes in-too many people in key roles just disappear from the film without any explanation, e.g. the Master's Daughter, The Housekeeper, the crippled maid,etc. It certainly gives the distinct impression that quite a bit of cutting has been done prior to release, as their part in the story was integral to the plot.

sme_no_densetsu "Dragonwyck", based on the novel by Anya Seton, tells of a naive farm girl who accepts an offer from an aristocratic cousin to act as a governess at Dragonwyck Manor. Once there, however, we find that her benefactor may have ulterior motives.The cast is a pretty good one. Vincent Price's speciality was playing characters like Nicholas Van Ryn. His suavity and seductiveness serves to conceal a malignant nature. Gene Tierney also gives a fine performance, as does Walter Huston as her disciplinarian father.The main problem with the film, though, is the script. Writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's script is well written but I find that the plot just isn't that compelling. Also, some of the mystery shrouded background could have used a little elaboration.Mankiewicz's first-time direction is steady but unspectacular. Meanwhile, the cinematography by three-time Oscar winner Arthur C. Miller and the score by nine-time Oscar winner Alfred Newman effectively establish the film's tone.All things considered, "Dragonwyck" is a perfectly acceptable Gothic thriller. While the story may be a little flat, the film is still worth watching due to some strong performances.