Dragonwyck

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Dragonwyck
Original film poster
Directed by	Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Produced by	Darryl F. Zanuck Ernst Lubitsch
Written by	Joseph L. Mankiewicz Anya Seton (novel)
Starring	Gene Tierney Walter Huston Vincent Price Glenn Langan Anne Revere Spring Byington Harry Morgan Jessica Tandy
Music by	Alfred Newman
Cinematography	Arthur C. Miller
Editing by	Dorothy Spencer
Distributed by	Twentieth Century-Fox
Release date(s)	10 April 1946
Running time	103 min
Country	USA
Language	English
IMDb profile

Dragonwyck is a 1946 period drama film made by Twentieth Century-Fox. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and Ernst Lubitsch from a screenplay by Mankiewicz, based on the novel by Anya Seton. The music score was by Alfred Newman and the cinematography by Arthur C. Miller.

The film stars Gene Tierney, Walter Huston and Vincent Price, with Glenn Langan, Anne Revere, Spring Byington, Harry Morgan and Jessica Tandy.

[edit] Plot

Farmer's daughter Miranda Wells (Gene Tierney) is brought up by her strait-laced low-church parents, Ephraim (Walter Huston) and Abigail (Anne Revere), dreaming of her rich distant cousin, Nicholas Van Ryn (Vincent Price) and his immense gothic house, Dragonwyck Manor. In 1844 she is invited by her dark, autocratic and charming atheistic cousin, to live in his mansion as companion to his daughter. Arriving in high hopes, Miranda finds the Van Ryns a bit strange. The parents barely know daughter Katrine; Nicholas faces a revolt of his tenant farmers; the servants hint darkly of curses and visitations. As she watches the dark secrets of the house unfold, she becomes more aware of selfishness, desire, and insanity while becoming more involved with Nicholas. The closer Miranda grows to the community and the Van Ryns, the more she wishes she had never come to Dragonwyck. How or why does Nicholas's wife, Johanna die? Can Dr. Jeff Turner help Miranda? And what does Nicholas really do up in his tower room?

[edit] Production notes

Gregory Peck was the first choice for Nicholas Van Ryn. Ernest Lubitsch was to direct, but became ill in pre-production was delayed, Peck dropped out.