| The House in the Square | |
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American theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Roy Ward Baker |
| Produced by | Sol C. Siegel |
| Written by | John L. Balderston (play) Ranald MacDougall |
| Starring | Tyrone Power Ann Blyth |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | December 7, 1951 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The House in the Square, also titled I'll Never Forget You (US) and Man of Two Worlds, is a 1951 science fiction film about an American atomic scientist who is transported to the 18th century, where he falls in love. It starred Tyrone Power and Ann Blyth. It was adapted from the play Berkeley Square by John L. Balderston, which was also the basis of the 1933 film Berkeley Square.
It used a similar technique as The Wizard of Oz, presenting the opening and closing sequences in black-and-white, and the rest of the film in Technicolor.
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Peter Standish is an American atomic scientist who is working in a nuclear laboratory in London. His co-worker Roger Forsyth, who is worrying about Peter's lack of social activities, takes him to a house in Berkeley Square he inherited. It is there where Peter announces his wishes of living in the 18th century among the high-class family Petigrew he has studied the last years. Because of a wonder during a lightning, he is brought back to 1784, where he has switched bodies with the first Peter Standish, the American cousin of the Petigrews who, according to history, will soon romance and marry Kate Petigrew.
Peter falls for Kate, but he is more interested in her sister Helen, whom he has never found any records from. The next few days, Peter makes several bad impressions on the family by using modern day language and revealing information he could not have known if he actually grew up in the 18th century. Helen, however, is the only one not suspicious of Peter's presence and falls in love with him as well. Peter admits to her that the 18th century is not what he thought it would be. The narrow-minded people, the poverty and the dirt irritate him. Furthermore, he admits that he is from the future and shows Helen his hidden laboratory in the basement with modern inventions.
Rather than being afraid, Helen becomes even more interested in Peter. They are romanced, despite Peter's awareness that he has to marry Kate in order to not change history. Helen begs him not to say things which makes him look odd and that night, at a formal party, Peter tries to impress the famous Duchess of Devonshire, but he accidentally talks about her as if he is talking about her legacy, which makes her afraid. Kate is fed up with Peter and announces that she will not marry him. Rather than trying to court her somehow, Peter is drawn to Helen, who is interested on finding out more about the future.
Things start to look bad for Peter when his laboratory is uncovered. He is committed to the Bethlem Royal Hospital. Before being brought away, he rushes to Helen's room, where she places a crux ansata in order to remind him of her love for him. While being taken away, lighting strikes again and Peter is back in present life. There, Forsyth tells him he has been acting like a mad man for the past two weeks. Peter is shocked when he meets Forsyth's sister Martha, who looks a lot like Helen. He is escorted by her to a graveyard, where he finds out Helen died shortly after Peter was taken away.
The film went into production in January 1945, with Gregory Peck and Maureen O'Hara in the lead roles.[1] The project, however, was shelved and eventually abandoned, before it was taken up in 1950. On July 13, 1950, Tyrone Power was announced in the lead role.[2] French actress Micheline Presle was originally set to co-star, but she dropped out in March 1951 due to illness.[1] Constance Smith shortly stepped in as her replacement, but producer Darryl F. Zanuck decided she was not experienced enough and replaced her with Ann Blyth.[1]
Initially, Jean Simmons was approached to co-star next to Power.[1]
The film was released on DVD as part of the Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection on July 29, 2008.
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