La casa vengadora

It seems unusual for a story with a poltergeist character to be set in the modern era (1960) but the story is convincing and the narrative is helped by the effective and restrained performances of the main characters. The music seems strangely reminiscent of Bernard Hermann's Vertigo score in places; in others of that used in the One Step Beyond TV series; surely a coincidence since the latter was produced at around the same time as this film.

(1960) The House in Marsh Road THRILLER

Adapted from the novel by Laurence Meynell that has alcoholic and struggling writer, David Linton (Tony Wright) and Jean Linton (Patricia Dainton) almost down on their last pound, until she received a letter she has inherited her aunt's lodger. And during the arrival of the longtime housekeeper, Mrs. O'Brien ( Anita Sharp Bolster) she informs Jean the the lodger itself is haunted by a ghost she named after her late husband, Patrick but it's actually just a poltergeist. David of course scoffs at the notion, and becomes more motivated to sell it even though his wife Jean is becoming more accustomed to owning something she knows belongs to her. And upon David employing the services of a typist, Valerie Stockley (Sandra Dorne) he becomes more infatuated with her with a conspiracy to do away with his wife as they have something in common both their love for money and a free ride.

Missing from David Pirie's filmography in 'A Heritage of Horror' (1973) despite Pirie praising director Montgomery Tully's oeuvre overall as seeming "to be impressively consistent both in style and content". This overlooked little gem anticipating 'The Night of the Eagle' resembles a Chabrol marital drama produced by Val Lewton, as a poltergeist intervenes in a serious marital spat between Tony Wright & Patricia Dainton; with Sandra Dorne as the peroxide blonde Other Woman.

Recommended.

I enjoyed this unusual B movie, it's basically 75% domestic murder story, 25% supernatural thriller. Jean inherits a house, moves her drunken no good partner David in, and he meets someone else, a voluptuous blonde, Valerie Stockley. Valerie persuades David to kill his wife, but Jean is protected by a poltergheist, wonderfully named Patrick by the potty Irish maid Mrs O'Brien.

It's unusual to say the least, I can't think of many supernatural murder mysteries, but it works. Patricia Bainton appeared in some cracking films in the 50's and 60's, my favourite being The Third Alibi, and once again she's pretty good. Sandra Dorne is pretty fabulous it has to be said.

I'm struggling to believe it was made in 1960, it looks like it was should in the forties, production values are pretty poor, although the fire is pretty well done.

This nicely scary little ghost story is pretty straight-forward = in plot. A husband with a sexy mistress is trying to murder his wife, and a protect= ive (family-owned) poltergeist blocks him at every attempt. But the brief summary fails to convey some fine performances and lovely atmospherics t= hat rise above what is basically a "B" - level thriller. The women take act= ing honors -- Sandra Dorne is probably at her most-enticing ripeness as the buxom blonde divorcée who lures David Linton to his doom, and she pani= cs beautifully when trapped with her lover in the doomed house; Patricia Dainton is convincing, too, as the long-suffering wife of the promiscuou= s David. Third, for comic relief, Anita Sharp-Bolster is hilarious as the Irish housekeeper, who complains about "Patrick," whom she's named after her husband "because she never sees him" either! The black and white photography is moody and penetrating, as is the haunting music of John Veale (though it gets too loud and overrides the dialogue once or twice.= ) A hard-to-find video is available from several U.S. sources, both as "Invisible Creature" and "The House in Marsh Road."