House of Strangers

Artful introduction of top-billed Edward G. Robinson as Gino Monetti (we’ve seen his portrait earlier, at the family-owned Manhattan bank), with Richard Conte as just-paroled son Max, visiting the vacant family home, and playing some Verdi, Joseph L. Mankiewicz directing, Luther Adler the elder son, in House Of Strangers, 1949.

Having jumped back in time at least seven years, to when Manhattan Italian banker Gino Monetti (Edward G. Robinson) lived, we see the first meeting of Susan Hayward as Irene and Richard Conte as his son and in-house lawyer Max, Paul Valentine as the younger brother and security guard, in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s House Of Strangers, 1949.

Susan Hayward, not yet identified as Irene, enters the uptown apartment where we’ve just seen Richard Conte, as newly paroled Max Monetti, arrive, after facing off with his brothers at their family-owned Lower Manhattan bank, and their first encounter, in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s House Of Strangers, 1949.

From producer Sol Siegel and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, opening with legit Little Italy location shots, Richard Conte on what looks like Mulberry St., entering the Monetti Loan & Trust, where we learn he’s Max, released from prison, visiting Joseph (Luther Adler) and brothers Pietro and Tony (Paul Valentine, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), in House Of Strangers, 1949.