The Strange Door (1951)

Interesting facts

The Strange Door is a 1951 American Universal Pictures horror film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Charles Laughton, Boris Karloff, Sally Forrest and Richard Stapley. The screenplay is based on the short story "The Sire de Maletroit's Door" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Production

The film, described as Universal's reentry into the horror genre, was initially announced as The Door, a title that remained during production. The film is based on "The Sire De Malétroits Door" by Robert Louis Stevenson, a short story initially published in Temple Bar magazine in 1878.

Director Joseph Pevney later stated to Weaver that he did not know why he directed The Strange Door, stating: "I was a new director and I was assigned movies in those days and they told me, 'This is what you're gonna do.' I'd do three or four pictures a year, when I started. But as I stayed with the studio and people got to know me ... I was able to turn things down."

Charles Laughton was paid $25,000 for his role in the film. Sally Forrest, who plays Blanche de Maletroit, was on loan from MGM. Robert Douglas, who had played numerous villains in Universal films, was first considered for the role of Corbeau.

The Strange Door was scheduled for 18 days of production. Filming began on May 15, 1951 and ended on June 5.

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