Mel Dinelli

In 1949, at Republic Pictures, Fritz Lang (self-proclaimed "master of the unusual") created House by the river, a shocking and mordant thriller of passion and murder. Boasting an ingenious script by Spiral staircase scribe Mel Dinelli and evocative photography by Edward Cronjager (I wake up screaming), House ... is an underrated American "Grand Guignol" that transcends its modest origins and affirms Lang's genius.

To please a lady: A former war hero and midget car racer meets his match with a beautiful independent reporter who blames his reckless tactics for an accidental racing death. Jeopardy: The Stilwins are on vacation to an isolated beach in Mexico. Walking on a deserted jetty, Doug Stilwin gets his leg trapped under one of the logs. All attempts to move the log are futile and Helen Stilwin takes the car to get help. However, an escaped criminal kidnaps...