In "House by the River," unsuccessful writer Stephen Byrne attempts to sexually assault his servant Emily Gaunt while his wife, Marjorie, is away. In the struggle, he accidentally strangles Emily. At that moment, Stephen's crippled brother, John Byrne, happens to arrive, and Stephen convinces him to help dispose of the body to prevent a scandal, as Marjorie may be pregnant. The naive and well-meaning John assists Stephen in dumping Emily’s body in the river near their home. Stephen then attempts to use Emily's disappearance to blame her and promote his book. When the body is discovered by the police, all the evidence points to John, making him the prime suspect for Emily's murder. Cast: - Louis Hayward as Stephen Byrne - Jane Wyatt as Marjorie Byrne - Lee Bowman as John Byrne - Dorothy Patrick as Emily Gaunt - Ann Shoemaker as Mrs. Ambrose - Jody Gilbert as Flora Bantam - Peter Brocco as Harry, Coroner - Howland Chamberlain as District Attorney - Margaret Seddon as Mrs. Whittaker (Party Guest) - Sarah Padden as Mrs. Beach - Kathleen Freeman as Effie Ferguson (Party Guest) - Will Wright as Inspector Sarten - Leslie Kimmell as Mr. Gaunt - Effie Laird as Mrs. Gaunt Runtime: 88 minutes