Woodyanders Composer Roderick Fitzgerald (a fine and engaging performance by Ray Milland) and his spunky sister Pamela (a solid and appealing portrayal by Ruth Hussey) purchase a palatial house located on a cliff by the sea for a pittance. However, said abode turns out to be haunted. Director Lewis Allen relates the complex and absorbing story at a steady pace, grounds the fantastic premise in a believable everyday reality, takes time to flesh out the characters, and expertly crafts a supremely spooky atmosphere. Moreover, Allen takes an admirably subtle and understated approach to the supernatural aspects of the plot, with such things as flowers that suddenly wilt in a cold clammy room and ghostly weeping happening in the dead of night proving to be much more frightening and unnerving than your standard array of cheap jump-out-at-you scares. The intricate and intelligent script by Dodie Smith and Frank Partos offers a pleasing blend of humor, romance, and mystery. The uniformly sound acting by the tip-top cast helps a lot, with especially stand-out contributions from Gail Russell as the sweet, but fragile Stella Meredith, Donald Crisp as Stella's stern and protective father Commander Beech, and Cornelia Otis Skinner as the sinister Miss Holloway. Kudos are also in order for Victor Young's lush orchestral score and Charles Lang's sumptuous black and white cinematography. Classy and well crafted, this film deserves its classic status.

Leofwine_draca THE UNINVITED is one of the most well-regarded ghost stories of the 1940s, although seen today it's a rather genteel effort and certainly not frightening, unlike towering movies of the genre such as THE HAUNTING. This one sees a jovial Ray Milland moving into a beachfront property, only to discover that it's already occupied. It's a sedate and subtle affair, with the supernatural horror limited to just a couple of mildly effective SFX scenes, but it does have plenty of atmosphere and an intriguing murder mystery back story to keep it going. Milland proves a warm and kindly presence this early on in his career (as opposed to his turns a decade later in the likes of DIAL M FOR MURDER) but the emphasis is very much on the female presence, both real and (is it?) imaginated. Silent film star Donald Crisp plays an imposing role in support, and there are some nice indoor visuals here which reminded me of those in THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE.

Dollphase 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 !

tomsview 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.