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House of Numbers (1957 film)

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House of Numbers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRussell Rouse
Screenplay byDon Mankiewicz
Russell Rouse
Based onthe novel House of Numbers
by Jack Finney
Produced byCharles Schnee
StarringJack Palance
Barbara Lang
CinematographyGeorge J. Folsey
Edited byJohn McSweeney Jr.
Music byAndré Previn
Production
company
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • September 12, 1957 (1957-09-12) (United States)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,008,000[1]
Box office$1.1 million[1]

House of Numbers is a 1957 American film noir, based on author Jack Finney's 1957 novel of the same name, starring Jack Palance and Barbara Lang.[2][3]

In the film, Palance plays two similar-looking brothers: Bill and his younger brother Arnie Judlow.[4] Bill is a good citizen, trying to help his ex-professional boxer brother, Arnie, convicted of murder, escape from San Quentin State Prison to return to Arnie's wife, Ruth, played by Lang.[5]

The movie was filmed on location at San Quentin and set in San Quentin and Mill Valley, California, then the home city of author Finney.[6]

Plot

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Arnie Judlow (Jack Palance) is an imprisoned gangster. During a prison visit, Bill Judlow, his law-abiding brother, switches places, allowing himself to be incarcerated as the real criminal walks free. Ruth Judlow (Barbara Lang), wife of one of the Judlow boys, wavers in her loyalties.[7]

Cast

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Reception

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According to MGM records the film earned $500,000 in the US and Canada and $600,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $92,000.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ^ Oliver, Myrna (November 17, 1995). "Jack Finney; Wrote 'The Body Snatchers'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  3. ^ House of Numbers at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
  4. ^ Blum, Daniel (1958). Screen World Vol. 9. Biblo & Tannen. p. 108. ISBN 0-8196-0264-7. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  5. ^ Meli, MaryAlice (August 26, 2008). "Hillsville native details plan for Wayne halfway house". New Castle News. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  6. ^ Spicer, Andrew (2010). Historical dictionary of film noir. Scarecrow Press. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-8108-5960-9. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  7. ^ "House of Numbers (1957) - Russell Rouse | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
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