The infamous poe tale is retold in this short, which uses various visual effects. The fall of the house of usher 1928 american film movie. Working in 1928, when film was still partially an open frontier, the theoristfilmmaker retained only the most essential elements of poes story, concentrating all his energy on creating atmosphere. The fall of the house of usher is a 1928 film from france, directed by jean epstein, with a screenplay cowritten by epstein and a young luis bunuel. The first american film avantgarde, 19191945 makes the argument that the fall of the house of usher is relatively underdiscussed because watson and webber moved in literary circles and so coverage of the film was confined to literary rather than motion picture press.
Rodericks senses have become painfully acute, while madeline has become nearly catatonic. American avantgarde cinema arose in the 1920s when inspired amateurs schooled in other arts turned to film. Horror films started as high art with the cabinet of dr. The movie was codirected by james sibley watson and melville webber, and starred herbert stern, hildegarde watson, and melville webber. The fall of the house of usher is a short silent horror film adaptation of the 1839 short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe.
The fall of the house of usher film amerika 1928 usage on ko. It is a silent movie, with a run time of just thirteen minutes, and offers an interesting interpretation of the story. The fall of the house of usher v 1928 film complet. House of usher also known as the fall of the house of usher and the mysterious house of usher is a 1960 american horror film directed by roger corman and written by richard matheson from the short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. Using slow motion, superimpressions, and weird camera angles, this cinematic experiment is by epstein. This abstract video shows the adaptation of the poe story the fall of the house of usher. This silent film was the second released in 1928 with the title the fall of. Using slow motion, superimpressions, and weird camera angles, this cinematic experiment is.
Media in category the fall of the house of usher 1928 american film the following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total. While this films depiction of ushers obsessive madness borders on the impressionistic, with many beautifully composed shots, epsteins film is more a literal adaptation of the edgar allan poe story than was james watson and melville webbers decidedly abstract and expressionistic american film version, the fall of the house of usher. It is a silent movie, with a run time of just thirteen minutes, and offers an. There was a popular american wave of haunted house movies in the 20s, the kind derived from stage plays where someone was killing off. It is one of two movies made in 1928 with the same title. The fall of the house of usher 1928, usa film tv tropes. The fall of the house of usher 1928 is a short silent horror film adaptation of the short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. The traveler rushes from the house before it falls down. Watson and webbers 1928 version of the fall of the house of usher is a landmark in american avantgarde film. With jean debucourt, marguerite gance, charles lamy, fournezgoffard. First published in burtons gentlemans magazine in september of 1839, it is a masterful gothic short story about a sinister house and its woebegotten. The great hall in jean epsteins the fall of the house of usher is one.
Famed film director luis bunuel worked on this film with epstein, and also worked as assistant director on epsteins film mauprat 1926. The fall of the house of usher 1928, france film tv. The film similarly conflates the two men and the twin siblings and destabilizes the house of usher both as physical building and family tree. Roderick usher summons his friend to his crumbling old mansion in the remote countryside. The fall of the house of usher is a 1928 french horror film directed by jean epstein, one of several films based on the 1839 gothic short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. It tells the story of a brother and sister who live under a family curse. Season before last, a majority of our voting members selected the french avantgarde programme menilmontant, the smiling madame. Epstein seems to focus less on the mechanics of the. The fall of the house of usher 1928, france film tv tropes. The portrait seems to be draining the life out of madeline, slowly leading to her death. The film emphasizes sadness above scares, but the deep sense of longing for the dead makes for a disconcerting experience. A man wearing a top hat arrives at the titular house of roderick and madeline usher although their names are not mentioned in the short, which has no title cards.
Source image dvd treasures from american film archives related articles. James sibley watson jr and melville webbers 1928 short film of edgar allan poes the fall of the house of usher, with a soundtrack by colin z. And i find it amusing in a charming and good way to see madeline looking as if shes come in from a. The movie was codirected by james sibley watson and melville webber, and starred herbert stern, hildegarde watson, and melville webber who also wrote the screenplay. The owner of this website is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon properties including, but not limited to,,, or. Poes classic tale turned into 1928 avant garde film, scripted by e. The fall of the house of usher was released in 1928 and was directed by james sibley watson and melville webber. The fall of the house of usher wikimili, the best wikipedia. Source image dvd treasures from american film archives related.
The fall of the house of usher 1928 american film usage on es. Watson and webbers the fall of the house of usher 1928. The fall of the house of usher 1928 american film the fall of the house of usher 1928 french film, directed by jean epstein. American cinema had utterly embraced the german aesthetic, down to hiring away some of their brightest luminaries. The fall of the house of usher 1928 american film wikipedia. By the way, epstein released his own version of the fall of the house of usher in 1928 but it was released late in the year and i think it highly unlikely that watson and webber would have had a chance to view it before making this picture.
The fall of the house of usher 1928 public domain movies. Feb 15, 20 watson and webbers 1928 version of the fall of the house of usher is a landmark in american avantgarde film. Hardly any capture the creeping melancholy of poes work, and jean epsteins the fall of the house of usher is the exception that proves the rule. As the visitors stay at the mansion continues, the effects of. Tweet one of the first feature length horror films, this very loose adaptation of edgar allen poes famous story sees a visitor charles lamy gradually uncovering the secrets of an isolated. It is supposedly based on edgar allan poes story the fall of the house of usher written in 1839. The fall of the house of usher 1928 is a short silent horror film adaptation of the 1839 short story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe.
The following is a short discussion of the film and of how i approached writing the soundtrack. Psychadelic at times, this unusual and memorable movie version of poes the fall of the house of usher has some creative details, and although it is one of the more obscure versions of the story, it offers a distinctive look at a couple of its many interesting aspects. In 2000, the national film preservation foundation issued a 4disk boxed dvd containing this movie with a music score, and running minutes. It is not to be confused with the american short film the fall of the house of usher also made in 1928, directed by james sibley watson and melville webber. Among the most effective of all silent horror, the fall of the house of usher channels poes own overwhelming melancholy. The fall of the house of usher may refer to two 1928 films. All day i had been riding on horseback through country with little life or beauty. The fall of the house of usher 1928 national film preservation. At last, the fall of the house of usher makes a discreet appearance in the dvd market. The fall of the house of usher france, 1928 was jean epsteins first film with his own production group and probably his bestknown work. The transfer is fine for a film of this vintage, except for patches of white specks that look like some kind of authoring flaw, as they crop up in. The fall of the house of usher 1928 rotten tomatoes. You can find out more about the fall of the house of usher at a passion for horror. A traveller arrives at the usher mansion to find that the sibling inhabitants, roderick and madeline usher, are living under a mysterious family curse.
The fall of the house of usher is a short silent horror film adaptation of the short. The fall of the house of usher 1928 french film wikipedia. A visually masterful film that very much retains its power today, the fall of the house of usher introduced many of the tropes of the horror genre. All day entertainments dvd of the fall of the house of usher is sourced from a preserved 35mm master print. The fall of the house of usher by scott simmon from the national film preservation foundation nfpf treasures of the american archives dvd program notes, by permission of nfpf and scott simmon american avantgarde cinema arose in the 1920s when inspired amateurs schooled in other arts turned to film the fall of the house of usher is. The film was the first of eight cormanpoe feature films. House of usher film wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. The fall of the house of usher 1928 a traveller arrives at the usher mansion to find that the sibling inhabitants, roderick and madeline usher, are living under a mysterious family curse. The obsessive images are collapsing staircases and floating coffins.
It is an adaptation of the famous story the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe. Apr 21, 2012 james sibley watson jr and melville webbers 1928 short film of edgar allan poes the fall of the house of usher, with a soundtrack by colin z. Fall of the house of usher, the 1928 out of 4 while this thing is missing the wonderful vincent price performance it does manage to outshine the corman film with its use of brilliant visual effects, which are quite remarkable considering when this was made. Allan visits the sinister usher family mansion, where his friend roderick is painting a portrait of his sickly wife madeline. The fall of the house of usher regarder des films avec soustitres francais gratuitement. House of usher because neither had read it in years and so would. The fall of the house of usher is a 1928 american minute short film dramatizing the story by edgar allan poe. The fall of the house of usher 1928 american film the fall of the house of usher 1928 french film, directed by jean epstein wikimedia foundation.
I watched the other 1928 adaptation of this poe story, a french film directed by jean epstein. Soundtracking the fall of the house of usher 1928 by. This silent film was the second released in 1928 with the title the fall of the house of usher. The fall of the house of usher silent film and live music. I discovered it in 2011 while looking for a silent film that would be a suitable subject for my first attempts in writing a soundtrack. The fall of the house of usher is a 1928 american minute short film dramatizing the story by edgar allan poe a man wearing a top hat arrives at the titular house of roderick and madeline usher although their names are not mentioned in the short, which has no title cards. The fall of the house of usher 1928 directed by james sibley. The fall of the house of usher 1928 directed by james. As the visitors stay at the mansion continues, the effects of the curse reach their terrifying climax. The fall of the house of usher, made in 1928, the last great year of silent films, was based on a poe story that is more atmosphere than plot, anyway. With luis bunuel as assistant director, jean epstein directed the fall of the house of usher in 1928. Soundtracking the fall of the house of usher 1928 by colin.
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