Come on is there no one around to comment here? This is one great film.
It's a very disturbing and very original story, with fantastic acting performances by the children, and the ever impressive Bogarde.
It's an overlooked classic.
Now this film deserves a hell of a lot more comments than just one. Anyone?
ok, I'll bite. I wish it was available in DVD or even in VHS. I saw it yars and years ago, and I also own the book. It's pretty good and I'm a big Pamela Franklin fan.
shareHi.
This movie is really great, very atmospheric and creepy.
I remeber that i cought it on cable once or twice when i was younger but it sure made a deep impression on me.
The Children acting where nothing less than amazing; Speaking about children and great acting i recommend
checking out a movie called LEOLO (One of the greatest movies ever made!).
This is one of those movies that permanently imprints on the consciousness, and I mean that in a good way.
shareE mail Turner Classic Movies and ask them to schedule it. That's your best chance of seeing it although bootlegs do pop up on Ebay. Warner's owns this in the US and it may never get a home video release.
shareI LOVE this film!!....my VHS is becoming a little worn...need a DVD release.
Oh, and the George Delerue soundtrack is superb.....childlke AND creepy!
it should be on DVD from SONY soon.
shareWhere in London was this movie filmed? Mark Lester was so cute and Dirk Bogarde great too.
shareI recognise a couple of locations used in this film: The scene where Dirk Bogarde is leading the children through a crowded market is shot in Croydon, in South London. The park where Dirk Bogarde and children go boating is Crystal Palace park, not far from Croydon.
Maybe it's worth explaining the "dinosaur" statues to those who aren't familiar with London: Crystal Palace park was designed in the Victorian era as a pleasure garden filled with statues, fountains lakes, elevated railways and a vast exhibition centre built of steel and glass. One of the lakes was designed as a romantic reconstruction of a prehistoric swamp: The dinosaur statues are of course based on Victorian concepts of what such creatures would have looked like: They resemble giant lizards or mythical creatures more than any species of dinosaur that modern paleontologists would recognise. After the crystal palace itself burnt down in 1936 the other structures in the park were left to slowly decay over the following decades, with renovation work only beginning in the last few years. The park has a strange, gothic atmosphere, ruins and headless statues emerging from the undergrowth. It's a perfect location for this film.
I've no idea where the house is, though I presume it was somewhere in the same area as Crystal Palace and Croydon. It would be fantastic to find the street, but I fear it may no longer exist.
Your information is very interesting. Thanks for that. I loved the look of the street, surely it is still there, maybe not the actual house anymore?, what a pity. I do wish on the credits they would list the filming locations, London is such a vast place, it would be great to be able to visit these places if they did. The park I thought was quite spooky, probably with the time of year it was filmed, but anyway a great film, wish it was out on DVD.
sharethanks for that info--I didn't know where that was & had never been there or even heard of it when I lived in London--added great atmosphere to the film
shareYes, I love this movie! I used to have an original one sheet poster from it. I never should've sold it! I really wish they would release this on DVD. Pam is so great in it! Also in the cast is a young Mark Lester before he was in the film "Oliver!"
shareI would love to see it but TCM USA has never shown this film with Dirk Bogarde or The Fixer.
shareOur Mother's House was shown on Turner Classic Movies channel in Australia on Austar/Foxtel TV in March 2006. It will probably be on again soon. The Fixer was shown a few months ago as well. TCM have obviously been rooting around in their dusty vaults again! Keep them coming TCM!!
shareI've never seen it so I read the book. I also voted on TCM.com that they release the film on DVD. I asked TCM to please broadcast it in the south in the USA. Someone was selling a copy on EBay but the listing was pulled. The price was $30.00. Probably it was copied from TCM. If you got to TCM.com and vote for it to be released on DVD it will help. You can also vote on a whole host of movies to be released on DVD. I have asked on several web sites if there was a copy. Unfortunately the price is to high. Not being familiar with a web site makes me reluctant to give them credit card info.
shareThis film is like, one my earliest childhood memories. One of the eeriest films ever!!
Back in the 70s/80s, lots of today's classic "horror" films were shown on Brazilian TV. As a girl, me and my brother and sisters, would stay awake just to watch them. I guess this is where my love for horror / thrillers comes from.
BTW, here's a nice list of scary films.
http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/gallery/top_50_scary_movies/
When I read it, I just thought "Our Mother's House" is not on the list???? Also, The Omen, The Others and some other great films are missing, and a lot of credit has been given to weaker ones like The Ring.
Anyway, I'd love to have it on DVD. How can we vote for that?
PS: I lived in Croydon, but never knew part of the film had been shot there!!!!
I'm ready to listen. Are you ready to think?
Hi Marise_loureiro, the film showed on TCM, US last October 5th but I missed it. What about you? I never saw it. I am looking forward for TCM to show the film again. To answer your question of how to request the film to air, please see below. BTW, I see you are from Brazil. I am from Uruguay. When I was a child I also liked to stay up late to watch scary films. I´ve seen The Omen and the two continuation films, I enjoyed them all very much. I liked The Others too.
STEPS to request for the film to air on TCM:
1. www.tcm.com
2. Then you write the movie´s name on the empty database bar.
3. Click on the title of the film once it appears on the Search Results.
4. Click on the VOTE arrow for the film to be released on DVD.
This is the direct webpage to the film in TCM: http://www.tcmdb.com/title/title.jsp?stid=927
" I hate you so much I think I'm going to die from it. Darling...," Rita Hayworth: Gilda
Hey Irma! We were practically neighbours then!
What's with TV these days? No more late night horror as when we were growing up!
Anyway, I'm at this very moment downloading this film using a p2p programme, along with many others I want to see again (or for the first time!!) but can't find here in Brazil.
I saw The Innocent (based on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw) yesterday and absolutely loved it!! I'm dying to watch Our Mother's House again and hope you can catch it soon, as it's REALLY worth it.
Cheers
I'm ready to listen. Are you ready to think?
Hey marise. The Innocents is one of my alltime favorites. I'd say it's my 2nd favorite horror movie ever, and I'm a huge horror buff. I would love to find Our Mother's House. If it's anywhere near as good as The Innocents I'm sure I will love it!
http://pages.suddenlink.net/capkronos/golden_hatchet_awards.htm
Hey capkronos!
Well, I wouldn't classify Our Mother's House as horror. I mean, not the kind that makes you jump. It's more like an overwhelming building of tension involving 7 children and how they deal with their mother's death (hope you don't think this a spoiler, as it's actually the basis of the film). What both films have in common is the actress Pamela Franklin and kids doing a great job out of acting. If you're her fan, I sugget you also check The Legend of Hell House.
I definitely believe you should watch OMH. As a bonus, there's the always incredible Dirk Bogarde. :)
Now, you made me curious. What would be your number 1 horror film?
I'm ready to listen. Are you ready to think?
Good news -- TCM (America)will air Our Mother's House on October 5, 2006 at 3:00 PST.
share[deleted]
But was Liz Taylor really in it?
shareThis was on TMC last night and it was the first time I have seen it. The acting was superb, especially the children. I recognized Phoebe Nicholls, who played Gertie, from Brideshead Revisited, although she was very young when she made Our Mother's House. One question: where did the children go at the end of the movie? With no money, nothing? Excellent movie, wish I had taped it. I wish they had buried Dear PaPa and had gotten help from their wealthy next door movie. Would have spoiled the ending, though.
shareIt has one of those open endings, where you draw your own conclusions. Maybe they had a relative they could go to, or perhaps they just went to the authorities......anyway, I'm glad it ended that way, made it more mysterious.
shareSomehow, I thought they were going to go tell the doctor at the end of the road. We never see him, but his presence is sort of felt as an "authority" in their little world. Hubert thinks about him a lot, and pauses at his gate when the burden of keeping all the secrets is getting to him. As they were getting ready to leave, they were talking about what they were going to say: "Mother is dead, and she's been dead for a long time." "That's right." And Gertie asks if she can tell her teacher now. So it sounded to me as if they had a plan and some place they meant to go.
Flat, drab passion meanders across the screen!
How/where did you see the film?
It will air on TCM US on November 12, 2014
[deleted]
Believe it or not, I first saw this film in daylight commercial television in New York! I found it absolutely hypnotic——talk about atmosphere!
The children are all unforgettable, particularly Mark Lester of =Oliver= fame. He shines as a kind of visionary. How do child actors sometimes get things so right?
I've only seen this film once and I loved it. I wish I could see it again.
It is one of those movies that leaves a deep and lasting impression in your psyche.
"Look after yourself,seeing that's what you're best at!"
[deleted]
I saw this film at 7:30am on TCM and loved it - original and bizare - I also felt very nostalgic for the era (I was aged 7 when this film was made) and identified with the children, who acted brillaintly. I remember men like Charlie Hook. I would love to get a copy on DVD and will follow your link to lobby TCM. Glad to have found this website as I love film and mean to swat up on Jack Clayon - tomorrow morning I hope to visit the National Film Photography and Television Museum in Bradford West Yorkshire England -
share