The Uninvited

Hollywood ghost stories were the stuff of comedy until this landmark 1944 haunted-house mystery starring Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey as Roderick and Pamela Fitzgerald, unmarried siblings who buy a beautiful vacant mansion on a coastal cliff in Great Britain—a home where the seller's granddaughter, Stella (Gail Russell), lived until her mother died in a tragic accident years ago. There are unmistakable echoes of Rebecca, but where Hitchcock's film was about a metaphorical haunting, the spirits here are decidedly real. Director Lewis Allen goes for shivers over outright scares, evoking an eerie atmosphere in which candles suddenly extinguish themselves and a woman's wail can be heard emanating from within the spooky dwelling. There's a séance, chilly breezes from nowhere, and gauzy, lovely apparitions—all of which earlier filmmakers had used to comic effect. Employing understated elegance and respectful gravity, Allen builds a powerful personal story around the intrigue of what exactly is behind the haunting. Although not as well known as similar genre films, The Uninvited remains a classic, one that still satisfies with its suggestive images. Re-released on DVD and bowing on Blu-ray, extras include a visual essay, two classic radio adaptations of the film, and a booklet. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)