New Picture

The Red House (Sol Lesser; United Artists) is a melodrama with a number of differences--most of them to the good. Its story is at once more out-of-the-ordinary and more true-to-life than most.

It is a happy demonstration of the advantages of backgrounding a story with real outdoors rather than studio sets. And it features three screen newcomers who are practically certain to be heard from.

New chore boy, Nath Storm (Lon McCallister), learns from his wooden-legged employer (Edward G. Robinson) that the deserted Red House near the farm is strictly taboo. So are the deep woods that surround it. No reasons are given, beyond Farmer Robinson's obvious terror. Nath and the farmer's adopted child (Allene Roberts), thus forbidden, cannot resist trying to find out what it's all about. They are variously hindered by Nath's lush sweetheart (Julie London) and her sinister spare-time boy friend (Rory Calhoun). Their quest for the core of the farmer's terror results, first of all, in some effectively staged ghost fear: Nath's exploration of the dark, wind-lashed, screaming woods. As the youngsters keep exploring, they are warned off by bullets. When Farmer Robinson's sister (Judith Anderson) is killed, his mind goes to pieces and so, to some extent, does an otherwise good movie. But in the course of his mental crackup, Robinson does explain why the door of the Red House should have stayed shut.

The man chiefly responsible for this thriller's good qualities is evidently Delmer Daves, who wrote the script, found and imaginatively used the excellent back-country locations, and directed some remarkably fresh scenes of adolescent love and rebellion. Veterans Robinson and Anderson are rock-solid in their roles until Mr. Robinson is required to go too melodramatically bats. Lon McCallister, 23, whose nascent film career (Stage Door

Canteen, Home in Indiana] was interrupted by the war, shows up as one of Hollywood's most unaffected and likable juveniles. Three young unknowns, intelligently entrusted with important roles, prove themselves more than worthy. The new faces, which are likely to be familiar ones soon:

P: Allene Roberts, 17, was found working at Hollywood's "Stage 8" television theater. Her chief assets: a lovely, sensitive face; an already subtle skill at timing; a gentle but conspicuous talent. P: Julie London, "discovered" by Agent Sue Carol running a Hollywood store elevator (which studio publicists claim had also been previously operated by Susan Peters and Jane Russell). Her chief asset : she vigorously communicates just about all the oomph a teen-ager decently could.

P: Rory Calhoun, 24, under contract to David 0. Selznick for two years, is an ex-lumberjack, an ex-boxer. He was "discovered" on a riding ranch. His chief asset: he suggests a younger, more dangerous Victor Mature.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.