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Drama thriller

The House of the Seven Gables (1940): Cast & Plot

The House of the Seven Gables (1940) movie poster

The House of the Seven Gables is a 1940 drama thriller directed by Joe May, starring Vincent Price as Clifford Pyncheon, George Sanders and Dick Foran. It runs 1 hour 29 minutes.

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The House of the Seven Gables (1940) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 29m (89 min)
Director
Joe May
Genres
Drama , Thriller
Original language
English
Studio
Universal Pictures
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The House of the Seven Gables About?

The premise of The House of the Seven Gables without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In 1828 the impoverished Pyncheon family battles over the ancestral Seven Gables mansion. Jaffrey Pyncheon secures the house by having his brother Clifford falsely convicted of murder. Clifford’s devoted fiancée Hepzibah endures twenty years of his imprisonment, while Clifford and his former cellmate, abolitionist Matthew, plot a scheme that could change their fortunes.

The House of the Seven Gables Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • death
  • judge
  • coroner
  • guilty verdict
  • photographer
  • breakfast
  • sorrow
  • box camera
  • pub
  • cellar
  • year 1828
  • lawyer
+38 more
  • singing
  • pianist
  • musical composition
  • kiss
  • kissing cousins
  • attic
  • land grant
  • gossip
  • candlelight
  • blonde woman
  • gothic drama
  • fiance fiancee relationship
  • horse and carriage
  • marriage between cousins
  • cousins in love
  • dark family history
  • dark family secret
  • harpsichord
  • accidental death
  • falling and hitting one's head
  • betrayed by brother
  • false accusation of murder
  • innocent person arrested
  • heiress
  • prison cellmate
  • shuttered window
  • commuted sentence
  • family curse
  • underground railroad
  • assumed name
  • gaslighting
  • villain's comeuppance
  • family fortune
  • fortune hunter
  • framed for murder
  • based on the novel of the same name
  • bankruptcy
  • foreword
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Cast & crew

The House of the Seven Gables Cast & Characters

Vincent Price leads the cast as Clifford Pyncheon, with George Sanders as Jaffrey Pyncheon and Dick Foran as Matthew Maule. Directed by Joe May; 36 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The House of the Seven Gables

· 32 more
Show all 36 cast members
From the director

More from Joe May

More films directed by Joe May: Johnny Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, You’re Not So Tough, The Invisible Man Returns and Confession.

Full filmography
Plot

The House of the Seven Gables Plot Summary

What happens in The House of the Seven Gables from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In the late 17th century, Colonel Jaffrey Pyncheon [George Sanders] falsely accuses a poor carpenter, Matthew Maule [Dick Foran], of witchcraft. Maule is hanged, and Jaffrey seizes his land to build the opulent Pyncheon house. The act seeds a curse—Maule’s curse—that haunts the family for 160 years, filling the halls with fear and whispers of a long shadow over every generation.

Full summary

The whole story of The House of the Seven Gables, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

The House of the Seven Gables Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The House of the Seven Gables.

The House of the Seven Gables - Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The House of the Seven Gables?

9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 9

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered

Which actor portrays Colonel Jaffrey Pyncheon in the film?
Details

The House of the Seven Gables Also Known As

7 alternative titles, including “A Casa das Sete Torres” and “La casa dei sette camini”.

Also known as
  • A Casa das Sete Torres
  • La casa dei sette camini
  • La Chambre des sept pignons
  • A titkok kastélya
  • 七个尖角的阁楼
  • Siete torres
  • Дом о семи фронтонах

Seen The House of the Seven Gables?
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Movies Like The House of the Seven Gables

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including House of Seven Belles, The House of Fear and House by the River.

FAQ

The House of the Seven Gables FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The House of the Seven Gables, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The House of the Seven Gables?

The House of the Seven Gables runs 1 hour 29 minutes (89 minutes).

When was The House of the Seven Gables released?

The House of the Seven Gables was released on February 29, 1940.

Who directed The House of the Seven Gables?

The House of the Seven Gables was directed by Joe May.

More films by Joe May

Who is in the cast of The House of the Seven Gables?

The House of the Seven Gables stars Vincent Price as Clifford Pyncheon, George Sanders as Jaffrey Pyncheon and Dick Foran as Matthew Maule, among 36 credited actors.

Does The House of the Seven Gables have a post-credit scene?

No. The House of the Seven Gables has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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