The Uninvited (1944)

Too much of everything

Let's be realistic.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This is one you don't want to miss. I waited a long time for this movie to be available on DVD, and it was well worth the wait. The only other black and white haunted house movie that even comes close is House on Haunted Hill, starring Vincent Price. For a more contemporary haunted house movie I recommend The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliff. Scary !

Considered the First Real Haunted House Movie, that isn't Played for Laughs. Horror Film Historians can Trace the Lineage Back to this Well Received and Popular Ghost Story and Sight this as the Archetype, complete with Flickering Candles, Swirling Etherical Entities, and Ouija Board Encounters.The Atmospheric Lensing of Charles Lang was Nominated for an Oscar. Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, and Gail Russell Headline, but are Supported with a Great Cast of Character Actors that Bring to Life some Creepy and Eccentric Odd-Balls.Donald Crisp as "Grandfather", Cornelia Otis Skinner as a "Spiritualist" and Off-Her-Rocker New Age Type (that most read Lesbian), and Charles Napier as a "Country Doctor" who lends an Atypical 'Open Mind" to the Paranormal.It is also Against Type for Hollywood to give Credence to the Intervention of the After-Life that isn't Completely Judaeo-Christian Dogma. With all of that, it is a Film of Importance.The Story is Intellectually Complicated and one Needs to Pay Attention to get all of the Ramifications of the Plot and for a Clear Understanding of the Third Act.The Movie does have its Detractors that say it is too Comedic and Aloof at times, and Fails to Scare. But these, mostly Modern Oriented Folks, are in the Minority. It Holds Up quite well and has its Share of Spooky Scenes. The Dark Frame is Consistently Foreboding and Gail Russell's "Far Away Eyes" are something to Behold.

SYNOPSIS: A moderately well-off Londoner (Ray Milland) and his sister (Ruth Hussey) buy an old house, perched near the dangerous edge of a cliff on the Cornish coast. Although they are soon made aware that the house is haunted by a ghost, they fail to realize the ghost's particular animosity towards a sensitive young woman (Gail Russell) who lives nearby. NOTES: Charles Lang was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Black-and-White Photography, but lost to Joseph LaShelle's Laura.COMMENT: Just as well the photography is so wonderfully atmospheric, because the script now seems a little strained and doesn't quite add up to the shock impact it originally had on audiences in 1944. Too many ghost stories have intervened. The humor too (some of it contributed by producer Charles Brackett) fails to jell at times. Perhaps the modern setting is also a drawback. Maybe "The Uninvited" would have survived more effectively as a period piece. As it stands, the writers are forced to utilize a haunted house which, while it is connected to the electricity supply, has no electric lights—a mystery for which they proffer no explanation whatever. We watch all these people running around with lamps, whilst Ray Milland listens to the radio and makes regular telephone calls. In this sort of caper, automobiles look anachronistic. Furthermore, Ray Milland, competent actor though he is, fails to measure up here as a romantic hero. Whilst he's certainly quite pleasant to watch, his performance lacks the polish that all the other players, particularly Cornelia Otis Skinner (an unforgettable villainess), Gail Russell (who skillfully projects an enchanting vulnerability), Donald Crisp (a particularly well-rounded performance) and Ruth Hussey (beautifully efficient) bring to their roles.Lewis Allen's direction is professionally competent, but lacks the imaginative vigor that transforms mere entertainment into a masterpiece. In fact, he throws most of the burden for carrying the artistic effectiveness of the film on to the photographer, the set designer, the music composer and the special effects technicians. These men all render superlative work. The music score in fact is one of Victor Young's most memorable. It's hard to believe it wasn't even nominated for an Academy Award. Who remembers some of the nominated scores like Frederic Rich's "Jack London" or Edward Paul's "Up in Mabel's Room" today?

I have always admired the sumptuous look of this film. These days, with the special effects available, the ghosts in the story would be awesome, but this 70-year old film didn't really need all that, it works just fine on every level.The film has a haunting quality, but that also has a lot to do with the stars, all of them gone now.Rick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland) and his sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey) buy a large house on a clifftop in Cornwall. They soon discover that it is haunted, and it's all to do with the previous owners, Commander Beech (Donald Crisp) and his granddaughter Stella Meredith (Gail Russell). In fact Stella is the focus of all the ghostly intentions, and in the end we find out why.The story is set in 1937 in Cornwall, but it was made in Hollywood at the height of WW2. It was created on sound stages married with location footage along the Californian coast. Its slightly unreal look adds to the atmosphere.The film has fascinating stars including Gail Russell in her third film. She was one the most tragic stars of them all. She died at 36, the same age as Marilyn Monroe. She had a look that captivated audiences from the moment she hit the screen and when you see how luminous she is in this film, its hard to believe her life had already begun its downward spiral caused by paralysing stage fright, depression and alcoholism.The tragedy of her life has haunted more than one writer, and in the most recent biography, "Fallen Star", author Glen Ochoa details her lifelong fear of facing crowds and the unblinking eye of the movie camera. Knowing this gives an insight into her performance in "The Uninvited", which was edited together from short takes. In a way, her hesitancy underlined the vulnerability of Stella Meredith.Another fascinating actor was the striking Cornelius Otis Skinner as Miss Holloway whose obsessive devotion to Stella's dead mother had subtext written all over it."The Uninvited" is a testimony to the talents of Paramount's art department; I love those scenes of the house sitting on the headland with the crashing waves below. Along with moody black and white photography, Victor Young contributed a rich score with a famous main theme."The Uninvited' is still scary, but also has touches of wit with an ending that rivals the "The Sixth Sense" for surprise value.