The Woman in the House

For the miniseries, see The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window.

The Woman in the House
Directed by	Sammy Lee
Written by	Warner Law
Story by	John Nesbitt
Starring	Ann Richards
Production company	MGM
Release date	9 May 1942 (1942-05-09)
Running time	11 mins
Country	United States
Language	English

The Woman in the House is a 1942 short feature from MGM about an Englishwoman who becomes a recluse for forty years. It was the first American role for Australian film star Ann Richards and led to her being signed to a long term contract by MGM.[1]

Premise

After the death of her fiancee, a woman develops fear of people and refuses to leave her house until a Nazi air raid happens.

Cast

• Ann Richards as Catherine Starr
• Mark Daniels as Doctor
• Peter Cushing

Production

Richards arrived in the US in early 1942, having left Australia just after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She knew writer Carl Dudley who had written It Isn't Done, Richards' first movie. Through Dudley Richards met producers and agent Leland Hayward which led to her casting in this film. She was given the stage name "Ann Richards" which she kept for the rest of her American career.[1][2]

The movie was part of a series of shorts made by MGM called John Nesbitt's Passing Parade. During production the film was known as Fear.[3][4][5]

Reception

Variety called the film a "Compact dramatic skit... Aside from the unusual character of 'the yam. it sinks home the point that 'service to others is the best cure for fear,'... Ranks high on the list of John Nesbitt dramatic pieces. Ann Richards, in femme lead, does a nice Job."[6]

References

1. Tom Vallance, 'Ann Richards: actress vivid in 'best friend' roles', The Independent, 4 Sept 2006
2. "Sydney girl wins Metro film role". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. III, no. 14. New South Wales, Australia. 15 February 1942. p. 24. Retrieved 21 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "Here's hot news from all studios!". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 28 February 1942. p. 12 Section: The Movie World. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
4. "M-G-M STARS AUSTRALIAN GIRL". The Inverell Times. New South Wales, Australia. 11 June 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 21 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "SHIRLEY ANN -- NOW ANN -- RICHARDS ON HER WAY". Smith's Weekly. Vol. XXIV, no. 44. New South Wales, Australia. 2 January 1943. p. 19. Retrieved 21 March 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "This Week's New Shorts". Variety. 20 May 1942. p. 3.

External links

• The Woman in the House at IMDb