The Uninvited (1944) (DVD)

Starring: Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp, Gail Russell
Director: Lewis Allen
Running Time: 95 mins
Certificate: PG
Release Date: October 29th 2012

The Uninvited makes a welcome appearance on DVD – not the remake of the excellent Tale Of Two Sisters, but the stunning but much forgotten classic 1944 ghost story starring Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey.

The Uninvited is a spooky tale set in Cornwall. Roderick Fitzgerald (Milland) and his sister Pamela (Hussey) stumble across a deserted mansion on a clifftop that they immediately fall in love with it, although they have an odd sense about one of the rooms. They hunt down the owners and buy it for £1200 (if only we could buy them at that price now!!). After this, things start to go bump in the night, gradually building up momentum as the daughter of a  woman who died at the house starts visiting the mansion.

The plot unfolds well. It’s well scripted and crafted, and the chemistry between Milland and Hussey works well. As brother and sister the humour and relationship are well balanced as they try to get to the bottom of the hauntings at Windward Mansion. Similar to Hitchcock’s Rebecca (released in 1940), the mansion has sweeping spiral staircases, high ceilings and shadowy corners, allowing the tension to build as the black and white cinematography can be used to full effect.

One of the stand out performances is Gail Russell as Stella Meredith, who plays the confused and traumatised daughter of the previous owner of Windward. As she learns about her past and experiences the ghostly shenanigans in the house, she shows passion, confusion and vulnerability. It is also interesting that Gail tragically died at the age of 36 due to liver damage through alcohol abuse. The other stand out is Cornelia Otis Skinner as Miss Holloway, who hams it up as a Mrs Danvers type character.

Overall Verdict: The Uninvited should be given a larger audience and hopefully this well-deserved DVD release will do it. The film itself is fun and interesting, and while it’s nearly 70 years old and the actors speak with clipped British accents, this film has been applauded by critics and filmmakers alike, including Scorcese, who revere it as one of the best ghost films ever done.

Reviewer: Stephen Sclater