Dragonwyck (1946)

71% of users liked it
(488 ratings)

Years before he became the leading star in horror movies, Vincent Price starred in this gothic thriller based on the best-selling novel by Anya Seton. Nicholas Van Ryn (Vincent Price) is a wealthy feudal heir of Dutch ancestry living in New York's Hudson Valley in the 1840s. Nicholas has come to… More Years before he became the leading star in horror movies, Vincent Price starred in this gothic thriller based on the best-selling novel by Anya Seton. Nicholas Van Ryn (Vincent Price) is a wealthy feudal heir of Dutch ancestry living in New York's Hudson Valley in the 1840s. Nicholas has come to hate his wife because she has been unable to give him a son; their only child is a daughter he doesn't care for. Miranda Wells (Gene Tierney), a distant relative of the Van Ryns, comes to live at their estate and work as an au pair girl; Nicholas becomes infatuated with her and eventually poisons his wife so they can marry. However, while Miranda gives birth to a son, the boy is sickly and does not live to adulthood. Nicholas begins to slip into insanity, moving to the attic of his mansion and drowning his sorrows in drugs. A distraught Miranda seeks the counsel of the local physician, Dr. Jeff Turner (Glenn Langan); Dr. Turner falls in love with Miranda, and he eventually discovers that Nicholas killed his first wife to be with her, and that Miranda might be next on the madman's list. Dragonwyck was the directorial debut of screenwriter and producer Joseph L. Mankiewicz. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Written By: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Anya Seton
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 10, 1946 Wide
On DVD: Sep 9, 2008

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Eerie Gothic thriller.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

This is one of my all time favourite movies! I know some people don't think it's that great, but personally I love it. I read the book afterward, it's even better than the film, but the movie's got Vincent Price, so I watch it over and over again. If you're… More
This is one of my all time favourite movies! I know some people don't think it's that great, but personally I love it. I read the book afterward, it's even better than the film, but the movie's got Vincent Price, so I watch it over and over again. If you're a fan of his, you need to see his performance in this movie.
Stella D

overwrought gothic worth it for vincent price's fun performance as the aristocratic and megalomaniacal master. can u say ott?
William S

An extremely derivative (very much a poor man's Jane Eyre) and particularly over-ripe, gothic melodrama that has been around a little too long and is beginning to smell rather too pungently for it's own good. Tierney and a steller cast of great character actors (Walter… More
An extremely derivative (very much a poor man's Jane Eyre) and particularly over-ripe, gothic melodrama that has been around a little too long and is beginning to smell rather too pungently for it's own good. Tierney and a steller cast of great character actors (Walter Huston, Anne Revere, Jessica Tandy, Harry Morgan, Spring Byington and Price at his hammyest) are all wasted and/or shuffle about looking suitably bored and glumly spouting ludicrous dialoguel. Hard going but it does have it's moments. I've always wondered as well, WHAT happens to the child?? And why is it that no-one seems to know or care what happens to her??
jay n

Weird atmospheric chiller, very dark for a '46 studio movie.
Luke B

A classic gothic tale of a bizarre family that live in a mansion and the young woman who goes to live with them. Price is exceptional, charming, pleasant and at the same time rather chilling. Tierney is perfect as the naive young girl that falls for him but when the role requires her… More
A classic gothic tale of a bizarre family that live in a mansion and the young woman who goes to live with them. Price is exceptional, charming, pleasant and at the same time rather chilling. Tierney is perfect as the naive young girl that falls for him but when the role requires her to be slightly stronger she doesn't hit all the right notes. A wonderful dark build up is let down by a rushed second half but the production design and the battles of religion and madness hold interest and make this a riveting film.

Cast

            Gene Tierney as Miranda Wells

            Spring Byington as Magda

            Walter Huston as Ephraim Wells

            Scott Elliott as Tom Wells

            Vincent Price as Nicholas Van Ryn

            Ruth Ford as Cornelia Van Borden

            Glenn Langan as Dr. Jeff Turner

            Keith Hitchcock as Mr. MacNabb

            Anne Revere as Abigail Wells

            Jessica Tandy as Peggy O'Malley

            Boyd Irwin as Tompkins

            Connie Marshall as Katrina Van Ryn

            Trudy Marshall as Elizabeth Van Borden

            Henry Morgan as Bleecker

            Jane Nigh as Tabitha Wells

            Vivienne Osborne as Johanna Van Ryn

            Francis Pierlot as Dr. Brown

            Reinhold Schünzel as Count De Grenier

            Maya Van Horn as Countess De Grenier

            Gertrude Astor as Nurse

            Arthur Ayleswofth as Farmer

            Shelby Bacon as Black Boy Dancers on Boat Deck

            Trevor Bardette as Farmer

            William Carter as Man

            Clancy Cooper as Farmer

            Tom Fadden as Farmer

            George Ford
            
            Ted Jordan
            
            Robert Malcolm Young
            
            Tom Martin as Servant

            Addison Richards as Farmer

            Mickey Roth as Nathaniel

            Larry Steers
            
            Grady Sutton as Astor House clerk

            Nanette Vallon as French Countess

            Elizabeth Williams as Dowager

            Douglas Wood as Mayor

            Virginia Lindley as Helena

            Ruth Cherrington
            
            Harry Humphrey
            
            Steve Olsen as Vendor

            Wally Dean
            
            Nestor Eristoff
            
            Betty Fairfax as Mrs. MacNab

            Al Winters
            
            Harry Morgan
            
See full cast