Robert Wise was one of the greatest directors in history, but in my humble opinion he always remained somewhat underrated. Sure, he eventually got rewarded with Oscars for the widely acclaimed and commercially successful blockbusters "Sound of Music" and "West Side Story", but he made SO many more and such better movies than those.
One thing's for sure and inarguable, and that is that Wise was the most all-around and multifaceted filmmakers ever. He covered practically every genre that exists, from grisly low-budgeted horror to hi-tech advanced Science-Fiction; from sober Film-Noir to flamboyant musicals. Even more admirable, Wise was perfectly able to switch between completely opposite genres as well. In one and the same year, 1951, he helmed the monumental and gigantic Sci-Fi landmark "The Day the Earth Stood Still" as well as this modest but compelling and tense Film-Noir effort "The House on Telegraph Hill". Totally different, both excellent!
The fascinating plot, based on a novel by Dana Lyon, begins near the end of WWII in the Nazi concentration camp of Belsen. Two Polish friends, Karin and Victoria, desperately try to survive the harrowing living conditions at the camp, because Karin can emigrate to the US - more specifically to her aunt Sophie in San Francisco, where she already sent her young son to - and she promises Victoria she can come along. Alas, Karin dies a few days before their release, and Victoria sees no other solution than taking over her friend's identity. Once in America, she learns that also Aunt Sophie passed away, but she can stay at her house - on Telegraph Hill - with Alan Spender; - the custodian of "her" son Christopher who has fallen in love with her. Victoria finds it increasingly difficult to conceal she isn't the boy's real mother, but she loves him and wants to protect him. Protection also seems very necessary, as she begins to suspect that her husband intends to murder her and Christopher to inherit Aunt Sophie's fortune.
The script of "The House on Telegraph Hill" is convoluted and probably a little bit far-fetched, but it remains fascinating to follow and there isn't a dull moment throughout the entire film. Richard Basehart and Valentina Cortese are excellent as the leads, but the story also features a few intriguing supportive characters, like the mysterious nanny Margaret (Fay Baker). There isn't a lot of action, unfortunately, except for one sequence in which a sabotaged car uncontrollably races through the distinct San Franciscan streets. The accident does end rather implausibly, I must add, as I don't think you'd walk away from that unharmed. The climax is nail-bitingly tense and displays what a truly masterclass director Robert Wise, in fact, was.
One thing's for sure and inarguable, and that is that Wise was the most all-around and multifaceted filmmakers ever. He covered practically every genre that exists, from grisly low-budgeted horror to hi-tech advanced Science-Fiction; from sober Film-Noir to flamboyant musicals. Even more admirable, Wise was perfectly able to switch between completely opposite genres as well. In one and the same year, 1951, he helmed the monumental and gigantic Sci-Fi landmark "The Day the Earth Stood Still" as well as this modest but compelling and tense Film-Noir effort "The House on Telegraph Hill". Totally different, both excellent!
The fascinating plot, based on a novel by Dana Lyon, begins near the end of WWII in the Nazi concentration camp of Belsen. Two Polish friends, Karin and Victoria, desperately try to survive the harrowing living conditions at the camp, because Karin can emigrate to the US - more specifically to her aunt Sophie in San Francisco, where she already sent her young son to - and she promises Victoria she can come along. Alas, Karin dies a few days before their release, and Victoria sees no other solution than taking over her friend's identity. Once in America, she learns that also Aunt Sophie passed away, but she can stay at her house - on Telegraph Hill - with Alan Spender; - the custodian of "her" son Christopher who has fallen in love with her. Victoria finds it increasingly difficult to conceal she isn't the boy's real mother, but she loves him and wants to protect him. Protection also seems very necessary, as she begins to suspect that her husband intends to murder her and Christopher to inherit Aunt Sophie's fortune.
The script of "The House on Telegraph Hill" is convoluted and probably a little bit far-fetched, but it remains fascinating to follow and there isn't a dull moment throughout the entire film. Richard Basehart and Valentina Cortese are excellent as the leads, but the story also features a few intriguing supportive characters, like the mysterious nanny Margaret (Fay Baker). There isn't a lot of action, unfortunately, except for one sequence in which a sabotaged car uncontrollably races through the distinct San Franciscan streets. The accident does end rather implausibly, I must add, as I don't think you'd walk away from that unharmed. The climax is nail-bitingly tense and displays what a truly masterclass director Robert Wise, in fact, was.