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The House Across the Lake
The House Across the Lake
	American release poster
Directed by	Ken Hughes
Written by	Ken Hughes
Based on	High Wray by Ken Hughes
Produced by	Anthony Hinds
Starring	Alex Nicol; Hillary Brooke ; Susan Stephen
Cinematography	Walter J. Harvey
Edited by	James Needs
Music by	Ivor Slaney
Production; company	Hammer Film Productions
Distributed by	Exclusive Films ; Lippert Pictures (US)
Release date	21 June 1954;
Running time	68 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The House Across the Lake (U.S. title: Heat Wave) is a 1954 British film noir crime film directed and written by Ken Hughes and starring Alex Nicol, Hillary Brooke, Sid James and Susan Stephen.^[1] It was produced as a second feature^[2] by Hammer Films. It was released in the United States by Lippert Pictures .

Plot

An American pulp novelist, Mark Kendrick, meets his rich neighbours across the lake and is soon seduced by beautiful blonde Carol, the wife of Beverly Forrest, despite Beverly treating him as a friend. When Beverly is badly injured by a fall on his boat, Carol fails to persuade Mark to throw him overboard, so Carol does it.

After first refusing to go along with her plan to call it an accident, Mark agrees when Carol tells him that they will meet up again later and live off her dead husband's money. However, after the coroner rules the death an accident, Mark does not hear from her, but the still suspicious CID inspector on the case arranges for Mark to find out that Carol has secretly married another old flame and changed residences. Mark angrily confronts her, but she sneers that she only used him and that there is nothing he can do about it without implicating himself. Mark decides to confess, thinking that, although it will probably mean a prison sentence for him, it will mean the rope for Carol.

Cast

Alex Nicol as Mark Kendrick
Hillary Brooke as Carol Forrest
Sid James as Beverly Forrest
Susan Stephen as Andrea Forrest
Paul Carpenter as Vincent Gordon
Alan Wheatley as Inspector MacLennan
Peter Illing as Harry Stevens
Gordon McLeod as Doctor Emery
Joan Hickson as Mrs. Hardcastle
John Sharp as Mr. Hardcastle
Hugh Dempster as Frank
Monti DeLyle as head waiter

Production

The film was based on the 1952 novel High Wray by Ken Hughes.^[3] It was filmed at Bray Studios.^[4] Nicol and Brooke were the only Americans in the cast, although Brooke played a British character. Her mastery of a "posh" accent caused her to be typecast as British in Hollywood films starting in the 1940s.^[5]^[6]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Yet another vehicle for American stars, with British players in support. Alex Nicol plays adequately as Kendrick, Alan Wheatley gives a neat, incisive performance as the inspector, and the film is well constructed and photographed. Unfortunately, the plot revolves around the fatal charm of Carol Forrest, and Hillary Brooke cannot make this seem credible."^[5]

Picturegoer wrote: "Maybe night life in the Lake District was never like this, but this Americanized version of a luxury-level killing makes elegant entertainment. A British-made film with American stars, it captures the ease and escapism of the smoothest thrillers."^[7]

According to The Independent, "The film was praised by critics, and began Hughes's ascent into more important productions."^[8]

Filmink said "It’s quite a fun movie, reminiscent of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946); one is inclined to wonder if Nicol’s character, a writer under the pump and distracted by lust, was a Hughes self-portrait."^[9]

References

^ "The House Across the Lake". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 82. ISBN 978-1844573196.
^ "Advertisements". The Sphere. Vol. 209, no. 2752. London. 8 November 1952. p. 251.
^ Nepean, Edith (6 March 1954). "Round the British Studios". Picture Show. Vol. 62, no. 1614. London. p. 11.
^ ^a ^b "The House Across the Lake". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 21 (240). London: 105. 1 January 1954. ProQuest 1305815980 – via ProQuest.
^ The House Across the Lake: Assoc. Brit.-Pathe Picture Show. Vol. 62, no. 1630. London. 26 June 1954. p. 10.
^ "The House Across the Lake". Picturegoer. 27: 21. 9 June 1954 – via ProQuest.
^ Vallance, Tom (1 May 2001). "OBITUARY: Ken Hughes: [FOREIGN Edition]". The Independent. p. 6.
^ Vagg, Stephen (14 November 2020). "Ken Hughes Forgotten Auteur". Filmink.