Hangman's House (1928)

For continuity, all discussion
please post here:-
Duke's Movies- Hangman's House

INFORMATION FROM IMDb

Plot Summary
As "Hanging Judge" James O'Brien approaches death,
he prepares for his daughter's welfare by arranging
her marriage to the wealthy John Darcy, whom she despises.
Meanwhile, an exiled patriot named Hogan returns
to Ireland to kill the man who caused his sister's suicide.
That man is Darcy.
Written by Jim Beaver

Full Cast
Victor McLaglen .... Citizen Denis Hogan
June Collyer .... Connaught 'Conn' O'Brien
Earle Foxe .... John D'Arcy
Larry Kent .... Dermot McDermot
Hobart Bosworth .... Lord Chief Justice James O'Brien:
Joseph Burke .... Neddy Joe, Dermot's Servant (uncredited)
Mary Gordon .... The Woman at Hogan's Hideout (uncredited)
Eric Mayne .... Colonel Of Legionnaires (uncredited)
Jack Pennick .... Man bringing Dermot to Hogan (uncredited)
Belle Stoddard .... Anne McDermott (uncredited)
Duke Morrison .... Horse Race Spectator/Condemned Man in Flashback (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Malcolm Stuart Boylan titles
Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne (novel) (as Donn Byrne)
Philip Klein adaptation
Willard Mack uncredited
Marion Orth

Original Music
Tim Curran

Cinematography
George Schneiderman

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Philip Ford .... assistant director (uncredited)

Other crew
William Fox .... presenter

Trivia
Set in Ireland and notable today as the movie,
in which John Wayne was first clearly visible.
It is now known that this was indeed
the first visible apperance of Duke in a John Ford movie,
however its is now considered that Duke
first visible appearance was in
the Ham Hamillton Comedy.
Careful Please
released earlier in the year of 1926.

Filming Locations
Unknown

For continuity, all discussion
please post here:-
Duke's Movies- Hangman's House

Hangman's House is a 1928 romantic drama genre silent film
set in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, directed by John Ford (uncredited)
with inter-titles written by Malcolm Stuart Boylan.
It is based on a novel by Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne.
It was adapted by Philip Klein with scenarios by Marion Orth.
The film is also notable for containing the first confirmed appearance
by John Wayne in a John Ford film.

Set in Ireland and notable today as the movie,
in which John Wayne was first clearly visible.
It is now known that this was indeed
the first visible apperance of Duke in a John Ford movie,
however its is now considered that Duke
first visible appearance was in
the Ham Hamillton Comedy.
Careful Please
released earlier in the year of 1926.

In Hangman's House he is a spectator at the steeplechase.
He knocks the fence down and leads
the other spectators toward the winning horse.

Duke is seen:-

5 mins
into the movie, in silhouette, Duke is seen
standing on the gallows, awaiting execution.
Although the scene is just a few seconds long,
it is clear from the victims stature that it is him.

26 mins
Duke is seen in a head shot
as another victim, in the tortured judges mind
as he greets death.

38 mins
Duke is clearly seen, in four quick shots,
that total 10 seconds.
In the most shown clip of Duke's participation,
he seen at the horse race,
pounding on the fence until he finally crashes through it!

User Review

Quote

"Such a little place, to be so greatly loved"
9 July 2009 | by Steffi_P (Ruritania)

Hangman's House is one of a number of sentimental slices of rural European life to come out of Fox Studios in the late-silent era. This time round the focus is on dear old Ireland, and so who better to produce and direct than renowned blarney-merchant John Ford? Ford's approach to this one is very uncluttered, in that there are none of the improvised comedy diversions that decorated (or bogged down) many of his features. This is perhaps not surprising, since the story and characters being as they are, Ford probably saw no need to inject any further twee "oirishness". Ford's directness is helpful, because the plot is a bit of a muddle as it is. It's not entirely clear whose story we are supposed to be following, as equal weight (albeit different emphasis) is given to three different arcs. Ford probably didn't regard this as a problem though – for him the main character is simply the Irish people, and he photographs each individual as if they were the protagonist.

Ford's economy of expression is much in evidence. A typical Ford shot is the introductory one of Hobart Bosworth, he of the eponymous house. In the centre of the frame we see the man as he is now, elderly and frail. The portrait on the wall behind him shows us what he was, whereas the flames that underline the image hint symbolically at where he may soon end up. This is not to say Ford's shot compositions were overly complicated. For most of the picture he uses simple, delicate arrangements that focus us on the important elements. This is often achieved with soft-focus photography, which also adds to the sweet, romantic look of the images.

One of the characteristics of the late-silent period is the freeing up of the camera, with pictures such as Sunrise having the lens whiz about all over the shop. By contrast Ford wisely limits himself in this respect, and there are only two significant camera moves in the whole of Hangman's House. The first is at the end of the opening scene, a version of the much-imitated pull-back-across-a-long-table shot that was originally done in 1925 Valentino vehicle The Eagle. This is mirrored towards the end with a dolly in on villainous Earle Fox. Besides these examples the camera is "invisible", in that it only moves to follow an actor or an action. Ford would maintain this pattern of camera movement throughout his career, throwing in just one or two noticeable moves per pictures to draw attention to a key moment.

It's a pity the auteurists focused so much on Ford's "themes", because they draw attention away from his restrained and to-the-point command of cinematic technique. To be honest, there is far more going on on that front than there is in the story of Hangman's House, which is clichéd, unfocused and above all boring. Ford's tender shot compositions for the intimate scenes compensate for the so-so acting, and his imaginative coverage of the horse race provides us with a rousing mid-film high point. But pretty though the imagery may be, Ford's pictures of this period were not very interesting. He is one filmmaker whose style would be revitalised by the coming of sound.

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