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House of Strangers

Play trailer Poster for House of Strangers 1949 1h 41m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson) has made his fortune banking, but he hasn't done it legally. When the authorities come after him, three of his sons turn their backs on him, angry over how he treated them in the past. Max (Richard Conte), his fourth son, stands by his father during his trial and stays loyal to him even when he is sent to prison. Max plots revenge against his brothers for betraying their father, while his brothers plot their own revenge against him.

Critics Reviews

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Bob Thomas Associated Press 07/25/2019
A hardboiled tale of warfare within an Italian banking family, it is absorbing and powerful. Go to Full Review
Robert Ellis California Eagle 10/30/2019
You leave the movie house feeling like a dog who had a piece of steak dangled in its mouth and yet couldn't quite reach the meat to eat it. Go to Full Review
Laura Clifford Reeling Reviews 07/16/2011
B+
...clearly influential (star Conte even went on to play "The Godfather's" Don Barzini)... Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/21/2005
3/5
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 12/12/2004
B
Superb performances by Conte, Robinson, and Adler lift the ordinary dramatics into loftier territory. Go to Full Review
Andy Klein New Times 11/06/2003
3/5
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Audience Reviews

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T B Jul 20 I’m a big Susan Hayward fan and she’s great in this movie. I wish she would have made more movies. She was an alcoholic but it didn’t take its tow on her for a while. Edward G. Robinson is outstanding in this role as he always is! Great movie and a must see by Richard Conte fans. See more nick s 03/31/2024 Strong characters and a good story. There is a jump back in time early in the movie that took me a few minutes to figure out. The dialogue was good but sometimes a bit stiff. Protagonist is perhaps not all that likeable but that works with the plot. All up entertaining and thoughtful. See more Ashley H @ashleyhobgood87 02/05/2023 House of Strangers is an okay film. It is about Gino Monetti who has made his fortune banking. Edward G. Robinson and Richard Comte give decent performances. The screenplay is a little in places. Joseph L. Mankiewicz did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama. See more william d @acsdoug 06/10/2022 House of Strangers is a good drama, ably directed by Mankiewicz. I just wish that a better actor than Richard Conte was in his major role. See more deke p 05/06/2022 1949! CRIME noir. Italian-American banker Edward G. Robinson all his sons turn against him. RICHARD CONTE stars. SUSAN HAYWARD. Watched much of it again on tv set 5.5.2022. note to self watch again & pay particular attention A-Z. It's good, I'd recommend it. See more 09/06/2018 This is a drama about an Italian-American family centered on the complex dynamics within the family, especially the relationships between the ambitious, domineering father and the sons. Sound familiar? I'd never heard of this film, buying it because it's a Fox Film Noir, but surprisingly enjoyed it immensely. Why this film's banker Monetti family even earns the scorn of the government, which seeks to crush it as in Godfather II. This conflict between love and revenge will satisfy any Godfather fan. The story and acting are powerful, and while Edward G. Robinson's performance didn't receive the acclaim of Brando's, he did win Best Actor at Cannes for the performance. Richard Conte shines equally as favored-son Max, loyal to his father and sworn to revenge against his brothers, and Susan Hayward eclipses Diane Keaton as the son's love interest who just wants to get away. For those interested in Richard Conte's career or just movie trivia, he appears as Don Barzini, rival to Don Corleone in "The Godfather." Also, he must have been in the Rat Pack or at least been a friend of Sinatra's because he appears not only in this quintessential "Ocean's 11," but also in the Chairman of the Board's "Tony Rome" and "Lady in Cement." Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's films are uniformly excellent, with House of Strangers no exception. If you're a fan of either the Godfather saga or any Martin Scorsese/Robert Deniro films such as Goodfellas, check this one out. See more Read all reviews
House of Strangers

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Movie Info

Synopsis Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson) has made his fortune banking, but he hasn't done it legally. When the authorities come after him, three of his sons turn their backs on him, angry over how he treated them in the past. Max (Richard Conte), his fourth son, stands by his father during his trial and stays loyal to him even when he is sent to prison. Max plots revenge against his brothers for betraying their father, while his brothers plot their own revenge against him.
Director
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Producer
Sol C. Siegel
Screenwriter
Philip Yordan
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 1, 1949, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Jun 6, 2006
Runtime
1h 41m