Star Trek III's T'Lar In a Very Different Role

Leonard Nimoy begged, pleaded, cajoled and finally convinced Dame Judith Anderson to play the Vulcan High Priestess T'Lar in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. He could think of no other actress for the role but the Australian grande dame of the stage, revered for her portrayals of Medea and Lady Macbeth. She also played the fearsome Mrs. Danvers in the Alfred Hitchcock film Rebecca, earning an Oscar nomination for her riveting turn. This spring, anyone interested in catching another remarkable performance by Anderson will have his or her chance, as The Red House, a 1947 noir drama, will be released on Blu-ray by The Film Detective, distributed by Allied Vaughn.

Anderson plays Ellen, the spinster sister of Peter (Edward G. Robinson), a disabled farmer. Together, they have raised Meg (Allene Roberts) as their own child on their reclusive homestead. Now a teen, Meg persuades her friend Nath (Lon McCallister) to come by each day to help with her chores. When Nath insists on using a backwoods shortcut home one day, Pete cautions him against doing so, speaking of ominous screams in the night and terrors that lie within a mysterious, abandoned red house on the outskirts of his property.  Curious, Nath and Meg – who has growing feelings for Nath, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Tibby (Julie London) – ignore Pete’s warning and explore.  And that's when the trouble really starts.
The Red House Blu-ray, boasting transferred 35mm archival film elements, will be available on March 29. It will cost $14.99. Visit Amazon.com to preorder. 

Anderson passed away on January 3, 1992, at the age of 94.