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The House of the Seven Gables (1940)
Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel with some loose change and a "Cent Shop"
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The 1940 film "The House of the Seven Gables" is based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's famous 1851 novel
of the same title about the Pyncheon family of Salem, Massachusetts, their house, and a horrible curse.
One scene early in the film shows a customer paying a storekeeper some loose change.
Later one of the Pyncheon family members opens a "Cent Shop" or small store in her house which
causes a scandal among the more conservative gentry.
The film is set in Salem, Massachusetts and starts with a prologue describing the Pyncheon family history.
The time is first 1828 and then 1848.
Some small prop coins appear as loose change.
1. Title
The film starts with a prologue describing the setting:
FOREWORD
In the middle of the 17th Century in New England, there lived one Colonel Jaffrey Pyncheon,
a powerful leader of the Colonial Government.
In order to acquire a valuable piece of land, Pyncheon coldbloodedly accused its owner,
a simple carpenter named Matthew Maule, of practicing Witchcraft.
The innocent man was promptly condemned to hang.
From the scaffold Matthew Maule had hurled this curse:
"God hath given him blood to drink!"
Colonel Pyncheon defiantly built his mansion on the dead man's ground.
On the day of its completion he was found dead in his new library ... blood trickling from his mouth.
His descendants lived on at Seven Gables.
Succeeding generations of villagers clung to the belief that "Maule's Curse"
Two brothers, Jaffrey and Clifford Pincheon, live with their father Gerald Pincheon and their cousin Hepzibah.
Clifford is a musician and composer and he and Hepzibah are lovers who plan to marry.
Jaffrey is solely motivated by greed.
2. Jaffrey and Colonel Pyncheon
Jaffrey resembles the portrait of his ancestor and shares his wicked character.
3. Clifford Pyncheon
Clifford is a musician and composer.
An astrolabe sits in the background, these devices were used in ship navigation, astronomy, and astrology.
Jaffrey believes that there is a old grant deed of land hidden in the house, along with a fortune in gold.
4. Jaffrey searching
Jaffrey finds a map of the grant.
5. Land Grant map
The map mentions King Charles II of England. Unfortunatly Jaffrey can not find the grant itself.
Several townspeople are shown in scenes of ordinary life.
One person pays a shopkeeper with some loose change.
6. Coins
A view of the coins which are film studio "prop" cons.
7. Coins
Another view of the coins.
The family has lost a lot of money and creditors plan to take the house.
Clifford, Jaffrey, and their father Gerald argue about selling the house first.
Gerald then asks Clifford to supply some money to save the house, when Clifford refuses
Gerald suffers some kind of stroke and dies.
Jaffrey accuses Clifford of killing their father and Clifford is convicted of murder.
8. Clifford sentenced
Clifford is sentenced to life in prison.
The family attorney, Philip Barton, visits the house with the father's will.
He informs Jaffrey that the father deeded the house to Phoebe Pincheon several months ago
to foil creditors.
9. The House of the Seven Gables
Phoebe was Clifford's fiancee and hates Jaffrey for what he did and she promptly throws him
out of the house. She then closes the windows and begins life as a recluse.
The years pass by and now it is 1848 in witch-haunted Salem.
In the state prison, Matthew, an "abolitionist" or anti-slavery proponent, arrives for a ten day
sentence for causing a riot. He is lodged with Clifford.
10. Clifford meets Matthew
Matthew introduces himself as Matthew Maule, a descendant of the original Matthew Maule,
and the two men become friends.
Hepzibah has run short of money and is now renting rooms in the house.
Matthew, using the name Matthew Holgrave, rents a room and operates a photography studio.
11. Matthew at work
Matthew develops a photograph of Jaffrey Pincheon and mentions that Jaffrey is now a wealthy man.
Matthew is a member of the Anti-Slave committee, an abolitionist organization.
12. The Anti-Slave committee
Matthew, second from the left, and Deacon Foster, in the center, discuss business.
Deacon Foster serves as the group's treasurer and holds $5,000 in funds.
Hepzibah opens a store in the house known as "Cent Shop."
13. Pyncheon Cent Shop
This type of store sells low-priced items. Such a place would have cents, large cents at the time.
A United States Large Cent:
14. United States Large Cent 1848
Large cents were minted from 1793 to 1857.
Back to the film:
Attorney Barton arrives at the house with news for the family.
Also now living with Hepzibah is another cousin, Phoebe, who is running the Cent Shop.
15. Matthew, Phoebe, Hepzibah, Attorney Barton, Jaffrey
The new governor has commuted Clifford's sentence and he is coming home.
16. Clifford returns
Clifford moves into his old room which Hepzibah has kept ready for him for twenty years.
Matthew and Phoebe have become friends.
17. Photographing Phoebe
Matthew notes that an exposure can be done in four minutes whereas it took thirty minutes before.
Deacon Foster has given the abolitionist society $5,000 to Jaffrey to invest and now the Deacon
has been asked for the money by the national group.
The local newspapers have printed stories that Clifford now believes in the hidden gold stories
and has been searching the house for it.
Newspaper headline:
Since his release from the State Penitentiary where Clifford Pyncheon spent
the last twenty years, persistent rumors come to us that he utilized his time
studying old documents which prove that a fortune in gold is hidden in the old house...
Meanwhile Deacon Foster goes to see Jaffrey about his investment.
18. Deacon Foster pleads for help
Jaffrey not only puts off Foster with excuses but tells him he invested the money to finance
a slave trading enterprise.
Jaffrey has been trying to get the house from Hepzibah by having Clifford sent to an asylum.
Jaffrey visits the house followed by Deacon Foster who again demands his money.
When Jaffrey refuses again Foster goes into another room and shoots himself.
Hearing the shot, Hepzibah accuses Jaffrey of murder.
Members of the abolitionist society have found out about Jaffrey and the lost funds.
19. Jaffrey faces the end
Clifford offers Jaffrey the house if Jaffrey will sign an admission that he falsely accused
Clifford of murder twenty years ago.
20. Jaffrey hands over the admission
He then grabs his throat and collapses to the floor.
21. A horrible sight
Maule's ancient curse is fulfilled.
22. A double wedding
Clifford and Hepzibah marry along with Matthew and Phoebe.
23. For Sale
Cast, Directors, Writers:
George Sanders as Jaffrey Pyncheon
Vincent Price as Clifford Pyncheon
Margaret Lindsay as Hepzibah Pyncheon
Dick Foran as Matthew Maule (also known as Holgrave)
Nan Grey as Phoebe Pyncheon
Cecil Kellaway as Philip Barton (the attorney)
Miles Mander as Deacon Arnold Foster
Director: Joe May
Writers: Lester Cole, Nathaniel Hawthorne (novel)
Vincent Price as Clifford Pyncheon
Margaret Lindsay as Hepzibah Pyncheon
Dick Foran as Matthew Maule (also known as Holgrave)
Nan Grey as Phoebe Pyncheon
Cecil Kellaway as Philip Barton (the attorney)
Miles Mander as Deacon Arnold Foster
Writers: Lester Cole, Nathaniel Hawthorne (novel)
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