cinema history class (crescendo)

UPDATE: As originally posted, this said that the part of the mother was originally meant for Rita Hayworth. I meant Joan Crawford. This has been corrected below. 

Session: Music, Madmen and Monsters, Week 3
Movie: Crescendo (1970)
Directed by Alan Gibson

As always, there may be spoilers here. And the trailer may be NSFW and/or NSFL

Plot:
A young, beautiful graduate student studying music history is invited to stay with a reclusive family as she studies the work of its dead patriarch. She doesn't know what she's getting into. Hilarity ensues.

Reaction:

Early on, I figured I had this plot figured out. And I sat back pleased with myself, knowing how everything would unfold. And, while I was on the right track, the movie had some interesting surprises for me. I like that. And I liked the way it played out. The actual plot was much more interesting than what I was expecting.

Keith noted that the role of family matriarch was, at one point, going to go to Joan Crawford. Production delays prevented that, which is a shame, since It would have likely been a better movie with her powerful presence. As it is it was kind of rudderless, which detracted.

Ethan saw a kind of House of Usher dynamic in the plot, and I have to admit I hadn't noticed it until he mentioned it.

Ratings:

Me: 7.5
Christina: 7.8
Ethan: 7
Sean: 1 out of 4