House by the River (1950)

In the secluded world of Stephen Byrne, an unsuccessful writer, lurks a sinister secret. One fateful day, while his wife, Marjorie Byrne, is away, he attempts to force himself upon their servant, Emily Gaunt, leading to an accidental, yet fatal, strangulation. His physically impaired brother, John Byrne, stumbles upon the horror just in time, getting ensnared in Stephen's desperate scheme to dispose of the body and avoid a scandal for Marjorie, who is carrying their child. In a grim twist, the naive and virtuous John assists his brother in casting Emily's lifeless body into the nearby river. As the disappearance of Emily stirs the quiet town, Stephen manipulates the situation, using it to both deflect suspicion and fuel the promotion of his book. However, when Emily's body surfaces, the mounting evidence points alarmingly towards John, pushing him under the harsh spotlight of suspicion. As the police close in, John finds himself the prime murder suspect in this dark tale of deception, betrayal, and familial bonds.

House by the River is a crime movie featuring Louis Hayward.

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