The Uninvited begins simply: Siblings Rick and Pamela (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) come upon a lovely oceanfront house on their vacation and buy it to escape the demands of London life. It even has a charming name, Windward, and a quaint touch: no electricity. Of course, things go awry from there, slowly but surely: a dog that won’t climb the stairs, strange weeping sounds, a room that depresses anyone who enters. This film is an eerie, perfect choice for Halloween, not just because of its pleasures as a ghost story, but because it has these three added delights:
1. Candy—the Visual Kind
You spend most of the film gazing at these attractive siblings:
Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey as the Fitzgeralds
One would think that pleasure would be enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, but this is Halloween, and it’s all about gorging. No worries. The Uninvited delivers: just wait till this knockout fills the screen:
Gail Russell
The beauty, Stella (Gail Russell), is the granddaughter of the owner; she disapproves of the home purchase since she believes her mother, who died in a cliff fall, haunts it. But she warms to the couple, especially to Rick, who quickly sets about flirting with her. (Who wouldn’t?)
2. Genuinely Likeable Characters
Most scary stories feature interchangeable victims. If we know their names—Sarah, Dan, Rob, Susan—we don’t know them for long, and the characters quickly become The Screaming Guy or The Girl Pushed Down the Stairs or the Cheerleader Covered in Blood. While we may not wish them ill, we certainly don’t know them well enough to worry when Casper turns out to be a not-so-friendly ghost.
Rick and Pamela, in contrast to these stick-figure characters, are laid back, witty, fun. They are a gutsy pair, unlikely to fall prey to fears or believe in haunted happenings. After being told former tenants complained of “disturbances,” Rick quips, “What was the trouble…Ladies carrying their heads under their arms?”
The two like to tease each other, like most siblings. To convince her brother they should take the house, Pamela points out that if they live there instead of the city, he could work on his composing. He protests, of course, “My poor lunatic sister. I happen to have a job.” She replies in equally supportive sibling fashion: “Yes, and what a job. Going to concerts and telling your readers how bad the music was….Chuck it…It isn’t as if you’re even a good music critic.”
3. A Human Conspirator: A Haunted House with an Ally?
It’s clear the ghostly house has it in for Stella, and much of the film portrays the siblings’ efforts to discover the story behind the hauntings, the reason for all the eerie sounds, dying flowers, dog phobias, temperature shifts, and occasional apparitions (the special effects are surprisingly good). Once they understand the story, the siblings believe they can save the girl from the increasingly hostile house—and, of course, make it a bit more hospitable for themselves. (After all, it’s putting a great dent in their parties, making it highly unlikely they’ll be the popular pair they were back home.)
A ghostly party crasher
Soon the siblings suspect there may be a live human abetting the house’s murderous impulses, and among all the shifty possibilities, the person who begins to emerge as the frontrunner seems disturbingly sane—except for his/her desire to help the house kill Stella, of course.
If you’re not yet convinced by my reasons, read the excellent review that led me to buy the film in the first place. The author, the blogger Self-Styled Siren, even draws a cool parallel between the film’s apparitions and the terrifying ones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. What could be a better recommendation?
Not surprisingly, a lot of classic film buffs I know tend to shy away from the scary stuff. You make a great case for them to take a second look at The Uninvited. Ray and Ruth are at the top of their games, like a ghost-busting Nick and Nora Charles. Plus it has some truly spine-tingling moments for folks like me who enjoy well-done suspense.
I read an article in a recent issue of Filmfax about poor Gail Russell’s experience on the set. She was never comfortable in front of the cameras, and on this, her first major film, she had very bad nerves and had difficulties getting through her lines. Fortunately, Milland was very understanding and compassionate and helped her get through.
They do have a Thin Man vibe (right down to her Myrna Loy haircut). I’d heard that Russell struggled through it, but didn’t know that Milland was so helpful. Makes me like him even better:) Thank you! Here’s hoping we can get more converts to the film:) Leah
Oh, this is a great sell! I have wanted to watch this for YEARS, but it was hard to find on DVD/blu-ray… until Criterion saved us all! I think I’ll have to make this year the year I finally treat myself to watching it—for all the reasons you’ve highlighted above.
It’s worth it! I love movies that succeed as ghost stories and as just stories period–and I’ve only scratched the surface. So much fun to watch.
Leah
This is one of the first classic movies my mom showed me and my sister when we were kids. I had an odd crush on Ruth Hussey, one I still can’t explain except for a continuing predilection for lanky brunettes. I think this film’s even better than The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, another film I saw a lot of as a kid. It also reminds me of Sarah Water’s book The Little Stranger, something worth checking out.
I don’t think that’s too hard to figure out, as she looks a lot like one of your favorites, Myrna Loy, don’t you think?:) I’ve never read that book. Thanks for the rec! I like the Ghost and Mrs. Muir, mainly because having George Sanders AND Rex Harrison in one film is wonderful. And, of course, there’s Gene Tierney (though I like her much better in Leave Her to Heaven).
A great example of the old-fashioned “spine tingle” horror film. I think the movies lost a lot when they decided that blood and guts was what made a film scary.
Isn’t that the truth? I also think they lost track of pacing (with few exceptions). You almost need to be bored for a bit and thus lulled into comfort to truly be scared by the frightening moments. The nonstop action is strangely boring or (if it’s worth watching) camp.