CROW HOLLOW (1952 Movie) 6 out of 10 stars ⭐ Time to Read: 2:10 min Nice atmospheric, great mystery...

November 06, 2024

CROW HOLLOW (1952 Movie) 6 out of 10 stars ⭐ Time to Read: 2:10 min Nice atmospheric, great mystery...

Nice atmospheric, great mystery...

CROW HOLLOW (1952 Movie) 6 out of 10 stars ⭐ Time to Read: 2:10 min

BASIC PLOT:

Robert (Donald Houston) and Anne (Natasha Parry) have had a magical, whirlwind romance. They met and married within a week, with no regrets.

Robert & Anne

But now the real work begins. Robert is a physician who's residency in London is now over. He's moving back home to set up his practice, and housekeeping with Anne. He lives at an estate called Crow Hollow with his three aunts, and a maid named Willow.

Crow Hollow

Anne is bursting with exuberance about her new life with Robert, until she arrives at his family's Manor House. Crow Hollow is not what she imagined, and neither are the people in it. The aunts are strange, and the atmosphere of the house is off-putting.

Hester

Robert was orphaned young, and raised by his grandfather. Crow Hollow was left to him, on the condition he take care of his three spinster aunts. There's Judith (Esma Cannon), the naturalist, who collects poisonous creatures and plants. There's Opal (Nora Nicholson), who seems to have an odd relationship with Willow (Patricia Owens), the maid. And then there's Hester (Susan Richmond), who seems to be obsessed with soup.

Judith

Anne is not made to feel welcome at Crow Hollow. The smiles are masks, hiding dark machinations, leaving Anne feeling perplexed. Why would they wish her to feel uncomfortable? Robert thinks she is reading too much into the small insinuations, but soon, her fears cannot be ignored. She knows someone is trying to kill her, but who?

WHAT WORKS:

*GREAT LOW BUDGET ATMOSPHERIC For being made in such lean times in the UK, this really shines. They use wide shots of the house, the train, and the cawing of the crows, to provide an erie sense of isolation and dread. There is an air of disquiet and creepiness, which is at the heart of any great atmospheric.

Opal

*THERE ARE PLENTY OF SUSPECTS, AND NO EASY ANSWERS I did not know who the killer was until the reveal, and that is a rarity for me. I usually have everything worked out in the first twenty minutes, but not here. It literally could have been anybody, or everybody, and that is the mark of a quality mystery.

Willow & Anne

*OTHER REVIEWERS THINK THIS WAS SLOW I disagree. It was an hour and ten minutes, it felt more like a ninety minute movie, and that's a compliment. It's a slow burn mystery, with many reveals. I find it so sad these kids have ruined their imagination, and attention span with their stupid devices. I also disagree that this movie is sexist in any way. In one of the last scenes, Robert says his wife is highly intuitive, and he should have listened to her sooner. I find a man admitting he's wrong to be refreshing.

Opal & Willow

*THERE'S SOME BEAUTIFUL FILMMAKING HERE some lovely shots, utilizing a lot out of a little. A credit to the director Michael McCarthy and cinematographer Robert LaPresle.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK:

Robert & Anne

*I KNOW THIS IS BRITISH, BUT THE ROMANCE BETWEEN ROBERT AND ANNE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER Robert (Donald Houston) and Anne (Natasha Parry) have had a whirlwind romance. I believe in such things, but I also believe passion is at the core of these relationships. We only see a hint of fire between these two, and that's a shame. It would have enhanced the story to see more. (I get it's not shown due to the era, and their Britishness).

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:

*I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS TO FANS OF MYSTERIES, to fans of slow burn atmospherics, and to those who enjoy watching a lot being made from a little. It takes real talent to make something this enjoyable on so small a budget, but they succeeded beautifully.

Opal, Hester & Judith

CLOSING NOTES:

*THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LOW BUDGET MOVIE, please keep that in mind before you watch/rate it. Movies from right after the war in the UK, have a much lower budget, and so your expectations should be adjusted.

*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.