The Fall of the House of Usher (1942)
*** (out of 4)
Director Curtis Harrington made this nine minute short when he was around sixteen years old and fans of his will certainly want to check it out. The film is a pretty good adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe story has John (Robert Macleay) goes to visit Roderick Usher (Harrington) and finds out the shocking secret he is hiding. THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER had been filmed countless times in the silent era and of course throughout the sound era including the best version with Vincent Price. This short certainly isn't ground-breaking or a masterpiece but if you're a fan of Harrington then you'll enjoy seeing where the director got his start. Technically speaking there are some nice touches throughout the picture and I especially liked the burning of the castle. Yes, the effect was obvious but I still enjoyed how it was done.
