Secret Beyond the Door (Lang, 1948)

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Kristoffer4 · #1 Post by **Kristoffer4** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:23 pm

Saw some time ago that Paramount is releasing this but I can't find it anymore! The release date was in June.

Anyone know the release date?

#2 Post by **kinjitsu** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:38 pm

Kristoffer4 wrote:Saw some time ago that Paramount is releasning this but I can't find it anymore! The release date was in June
Anyone know the release date?

According to DVD Times it's scheduled for May 16.

Gregory · #3 Post by **Gregory** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:28 pm

The delay or cancellation, whichever it is, is discussed here. I don't know why Secret Beyond the Door and Letter From and Unknown Woman would both be cancelled, so I'm thinking a normal delay is the more likely explanation.

otis · #4 Post by **otis** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:41 pm

Just watched Secret Beyond the Door on a knackered old VHS: what a beautiful, barmy, dreamy thing it is! The voiceovers structuring all sorts of visual jumping about (slightly reminiscent of Arkadin), the ever magical ability to charge objects with emotion, Cortez's gorgeous atmospheric studio photography, Lang's unusually mobile camera, the wonderful fusion of pure hokum and pure poetry. And it's bloody scary! This needs to be out on DVD soon (I know there's the Wild Side).

4LOM · #5 Post by **4LOM** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:08 am

davidhare wrote:It's been reported elsewhere a few weeks ago that ALL the scheduled Reubplic titles have been indefinitely postponed by Paramount. Seems to be a rights issue, but I'm not certain.

From the HomeTheaterForum:

I recently met A Paramount Home Video executive recently on a flight from LA to Chicago. I asked her what happened to the great catalog classic titles and she said that they are more interested in TV and films and special editions of classic films like "Grease" and "Heaven Can Wait". She said that they have only 11 catalogs titles for 2007.
I asked about the Republic titles and she said that Paramount found out that they did not have the rights to their film library: only the Republic TV library.
She said that Lions Gate would eventually release the theatrical titles from Republic.
I asked about "Love With the Proper Stranger" Samson and Delilah" "Ace in the Hole", "Summer and Smoke" and she said that "used" to be on their release list. She did say she thought "The Conformist" might be coming soon.
She was very excited about REDS and it would be released in HD simultaneously. I mentiooned that DAYS OF HEAVEN would be a great HD title. her response was that they had more important flms to release in HD like AEON FLUX.
I suggested doing something like Warners DVD decision...and she thought that would be a great idea because they really don't know what the public wants.
It was a very disappointing conversation for me and was the last nail in the coffin for Paramount releasing older classic films. Very sad!

Andre Jurieu · #6 Post by **Andre Jurieu** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 11:35 am

4LOM wrote:
I mentiooned that DAYS OF HEAVEN would be a great HD title. her response was that they had more important flms to release in HD like AEON FLUX.

"Important"??? Surely she actually meant to use the word "crappy."

Lino · #7 Post by **Lino** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 11:42 am

4LOM wrote:Paramount (...) they really don't know what the public wants.

Maybe if they'd try using the internet it would help...

Derek Estes · #8 Post by **Derek Estes** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 1:09 pm

Will The Quiet Man ever be saved?! Paramount has got to get it's act together. I guess it may be a good thing Universal owns the Paramount back catalog. I guess the silent Paramount are going to languish, unless they decide to licence more films to Kino, or better yet Criterion.

tryavna · #9 Post by **tryavna** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 3:22 pm

Derek Estes wrote:I guess it may be a good thing Universal owns the Paramount back catalog.

Wow! I never thought I'd ever hear somebody say that, but considering what we've been seeing/hearing from Paramount lately, I'm inclined to agree with you. Having seen the recent commercials for the DVD release of AEON FLUX, it boggles my mind that anyone could label that an "important" release. (To be honest, I didn't even know that movie existed. It must have quickly slipped out of theaters with its tail between its legs.)

Narshty · #10 Post by **Narshty** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 3:38 pm

Somebody somewhere wrote:I asked about the Republic titles and she said that Paramount found out that they did not have the rights to their film library: only the Republic TV library.
She said that Lions Gate would eventually release the theatrical titles from Republic.

If what's posted above turns out to be true, and if Lions Gate takes over Image as it seems hellbent on doing, that means Criterion might get their mitts on some of these. Oh, just imagine Criterion editions of The Quiet Man, Letter from an Unknown Woman, Johnny Guitar and more.

Derek Estes · #11 Post by **Derek Estes** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 3:42 pm

Narshty wrote: Oh, just imagine Criterion editions of The Quiet Man, Letter from an Unknown Woman, Johnny Guitar and more.

I don't know if I should dare dream of anything so wholly desirable.

BusterK. · #12 Post by **BusterK.** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:23 pm

Just watched the Wild Side vidéo edition of Secret Beyond the door. And to my knowledge, it's the only dvd edition of this masterpiece. A very decent presentation overall.

I was really fascinated by this movie. Its subversive use of psychoanalysis, the deep-black photography (by Stanley Cortez) and performance by Joan Bennett makes it a must-see.

Can anyone recommend other similar psychoanalysis-themed Noirs?

Belmondo · #13 Post by **Belmondo** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:37 pm

BusterK. wrote:Just watched the Wild Side vidéo edition of Secret Beyond the door. And to my knowledge, it's the only dvd edition of this masterpiece. A very decent presentation overall.

I was really fascinated by this movie. Its subversive use of psychoanalysis, the deep-black photography (by Stanley Cortez) and performance by Joan Bennett makes it a must-see.

Can anyone recommend other similar psychoanalysis-themed Noirs?

Otto Preminger's WHIRLPOOL from 1949 has a psychoanalysis theme. It also has Gene Tierney (good) and a plot (bad).

Gordon · #14 Post by **Gordon** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:00 am

More psychoanalysis-themed Noirs:

Fingers at the Window (1942, Charles Lederer)
Conflict (1945, Curtis Bernhardt)
Possessed (1947, Curtis Bernhardt)
High Wall (1947, Curtis Bernhardt)
The Locket (1946, John Brahm)
Shock (1946, Alfred Werker)

Darth Lavender · #15 Post by **Darth Lavender** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:07 pm

The Seventh Veil comes to mind (not sure if it's on DVD)
Saw it several years ago; seem to remember it being about a pianist having her hands damaged (and the associated psychological damage,) with Herbert Lom trying to cure her through hypnosis (and James Mason as her cousin and possible love-interest.))

Felix · #16 Post by **Felix** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 3:03 pm

BusterK. wrote:Just watched the Wild Side vidéo edition of Secret Beyond the door. And to my knowledge, it's the only dvd edition of this masterpiece. A very decent presentation overall.

Removable subs or not?

BusterK. · #17 Post by **BusterK.** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:48 pm

BusterK. wrote:Otto Preminger's WHIRLPOOL from 1949 has a psychoanalysis theme. It also has Gene Tierney (good) and a plot (bad).

I really enjoyed Whirpool! Great performances by the leads, and YES, the plot does make sense. But of course, if you're sceptical about hypnosis, you'll never "dig" it.

Felix wrote:Removable subs or not?

Yes, the subs are removable (at least in my computer).

#18 Post by **domino harvey** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:50 am

I just saw this and wow, the kid in this one is creepy, like a sullen real-life Howdy Doody
Was disappointed in the film though, Whirlpool would do a similar story much better a year later, and the film is surprisingly creaky for a Lang pic. It felt like Lang probably had this taken out of his hands in the editing room at parts so I don't place the blame on him, but much of the film is either too on the nose or over-elliptical. Bennett's great as always but she doesn't have much to play against in Redgrave.

Jack Phillips · #19 Post by **Jack Phillips** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:10 am

domino harvey wrote:I just saw this and wow, the kid in this one is creepy, like a sullen real-life Howdy Doody
Was disappointed in the film though, Whirlpool would do a similar story much better a year later, and the film is surprisingly creaky for a Lang pic. It felt like Lang probably had this taken out of his hands in the editing room at parts so I don't place the blame on him, but much of the film is either too on the nose or over-elliptical. Bennett's great as always but she doesn't have much to play against in Redgrave.

Some of Stanley Cortez's compositions are really lovely though and look forward to things in Night of the Hunter.

#20 Post by **domino harvey** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 2:47 am

davidhare wrote:(Has any other Lang picture looked this gorgeous!)

My favorite Lang, the Blue Gardenia.
But I agree, the film was sumptuous to look at. I haven't written off the film, but compared to the impact of a film like the above or Woman in the Window, this arrived below expectations.
And speaking of Renoir's Woman, while I liked that film, the American Renoir I love is Swamp Water, so my tastes probably run esoteric as it is.

HerrSchreck · #21 Post by **HerrSchreck** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 3:21 am

BusterK. wrote:
BusterK. wrote:Otto Preminger's WHIRLPOOL from 1949 has a psychoanalysis theme. It also has Gene Tierney (good) and a plot (bad).
I really enjoyed Whirpool! Great performances by the leads, and YES, the plot does make sense. But of course, if you're sceptical about hypnosis, you'll never "dig" it.

Felix wrote:Removable subs or not?
Yes, the subs are removable (at least in my computer).

If BusterK is still lurking around, another psychoanalysis tinged noir, and a must see on any terms, is the great Nightmare Alley.

davebert · #22 Post by **davebert** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:01 pm

Ah yes, that was a great psycho-noir. Kinda makes me wish I'd ever taken in a real genu-ine freak show as a kid, hopefully with its own traveling geek...

tartarlamb · #23 Post by **tartarlamb** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:33 pm

I'm not sure this picture adds up. If Redgrave's house is meant to be the architecture of his mental interior, why did I instead feel imprisoned by the structure of Bennett's voiceover? Lang's portrayals of marriage are typically fascinating, and maybe the gothic drones in that Usher style mansion were emblems of states in their relationship, rather than Redgrave or Bennett's mental states. But I couldn't figure it out. The narrative is too fractured and manic to make heads and tails of. I can't help but feel that it should have been cut better.

I loved, loved, loved Anne Revere as the sister.

By the way, does anyone know if the ending in this film is the same as in the source material? What an insane twist for a Bluebeard story.

SpoilerShow

Who knew that Bluebeard was really a lovable guy that just needed a therapist? And that meticulously premeditated attempted murder isn't sufficient grounds for considering a separation from your spouse?

dad1153 · #24 Post by **dad1153** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:01 pm

Caught this on TCM-HD a few months back and saved on the DVR. Fritz does the Hollywood melodrama/thriller mechanisms justice and twists them with just enough personal touches (cinematography, music and camera composition are all aces) that, despite the disappointing ending (the payoff doesn't match the slow burn of a build-up that is the entire narrative), I enjoyed the ride because it was fun to hang out with these troubled well-to-do characters. Joan Bennett's inner-monologue of self-doubt about the things she thinks may or may not anger the man he just met and married (restrained performance from Michael Redgrave until his decent tour-de-force in the final act), along with the latter revelations of Mark's obsessions with 'collecting rooms,' are both dated but revealing glimpses about the protagonists' damaged psyche. Barbara O'Neill and Paul Cavanagh give creepy little supporting performances but it's Lang's total control of sight/sound/emotion that is the movie's real star. Again though, crap ending (spoiled by TV's "Dexter" I guess).

Secret Beyond the Door (Lang, 1948)

Secret Beyond the Door (Lang, 1948)

Re: Secret Beyond the Door (Lang, 1948)

Re: Secret Beyond the Door (Lang, 1948)