Ghost Stories

 

The Uninvited (1944)

A brother and sister (Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey) purchase a seaside house only to find it is haunted.  The house has a hidden past that endangers the life of the daughter (Gail Russell) of the last owner, who died falling from a cliff.

Quick Review: Most of the sub-genres of horror have an iconic film, one that is skillfully made and that contains a story whose elements are repeated in a majority of the others, one that sets characteristics of any "monsters."  For vampires it is the 1931 Dracula.  For zombies it is Dawn of the Dead.  For ghost stories, films of hauntings, it is The Uninvited.  If you've seen any of the ghost stories of the last sixty year, you'll recognize the basic structure: the slowly building supernatural activity, the threat to an individual, the search for the secret that created the ghost, and the climax when the heroes confront the ghost with events of the past.  No film has done it better.  It is subtle, but not slow.  The cinematography is superb and the piano piece, "Stella by Starlight" became a hit.  Ray Milland portrays Roderick Fitzgerald with the proper mixture of determination and humor.  It is one of his finest performances.  The supporting cast is also excellent except Gail Russell as Stella, who is acceptable if a bit shrill.  I've commented elsewhere that I am rarely frightened by horror movies.  In fact, I've only  found three frightening.  This is one.

There is no greater failing in the release of DVDs than the neglect of  The Uninvited.  It is the best film not to be placed in that format.  You can still find copies of the VHS tape, but I wouldn't wait as even that is not currently being made.

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