Guest in the House - Anne Baxter

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Satan in Skirts" )

directed by John Brahm
USA 1944

Six years before entering film history in the title role of All About Eve – as duplicitous, back-stabbing ingenue Eve Harrington – Ann Baxter took a trial run in John Brahm's Guest in the House. Her character proves to be even more spiteful, that of a malingering but controlling waif in whose mouth a pat of butter would stay as hard and cold as her supposedly bum ticker.

Under the care of her young and smitten doctor, Ann arrives in the home of his extended family somewhere on the New England coast (high cliffs, crashing waves) for a recuperative summer. Once settled in the guest room, she takes to her bed and her phonograph on which she plays – shades again of All About Eve – `Liebestraum' over and over. She also sends her doting doctor packing, having set her snood for his older, married artist brother Ralph Bellamy. And then she calculatedly proceeds to tyrannize the entire household, sending away seriatim the domestic help (Margaret Hamilton and Percy Kilbride), Bellamy's live-in model, and, ultimately, Bellamy's wife (Ruth Warrick) and young daughter.

Excerpt of review from Bill McVicar at imdb.com located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: 8 December 1944 (USA)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Alpha Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:36:27
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.57 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	Dolby Digital Mono (English)
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Alpha Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Bonus trailers for titles from Alpha New Cinema • Alpha Video DVD Catalog DVD Release Date: December 27th, 2005 Keep Case Chapters 6

Comments

Guest in the House, also known as Satan in Skirts, is what would become Anne Baxter's a test run for Eve Harrington in All About Eve - a seemingly innocent ingénue that is using manipulation and betrayal to get to her means. The impressive cast of characters include Ralph Bellamy (Blind Alley), Aline MacMahon (Heat Lighting), Ruth Warrick (Citizen Kane) and Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz).

Unfortunately, all existing home video versions of this film are edited by about 20 (or 17) minutes. There were clearly two jump cuts that can be spotted, but maybe more. One occurs right after print damage of capture # 1. when Ruth Warrick's character marches up the stairs. I'm not sure if these cuts were made for Satan in Skirts reissue, but the print is title "Guest in the House", although any studio credits in front of the picture are missing. This is standard poor transfer from Alpha, as can be expected, with poor contrast, interlacing and chroma evident in some scenes. The sound is also rather poor. No extras are included. It's unfortunate, that so far this is the only option to see this picture. Note that most Amazon listing erroneously list running time of 121 minutes, taken from IMDb page.

- Gregory Meshman

DVD Menus