the uninvited: ghosts like us

I love old black and white movies, especially mysteries and horror movies. I was watching one of my all-time favorites, The Uninvited, a ghost story starring Ray Milland recently (it's a really superior film - I highly recommend it if you've never seen it) and I started to wonder where the idea for the movie had come from. Was it an original screenplay? A short story? A novel? A quick internet search revealed that the film, directed by English director Lewis Allen was based on a 1941 novel written by Irish author Dorothy Macardle. If I had these idle thoughts a few years ago I would have been out of luck, as the book had long been out of print. But luckily The Uninvited, or as it was originally titled in Britain, Uneasy Freehold, is now available in a reprint paperback, and even luckier, it is also a great ghost story in print.

Siblings Pamela and Roddy Fitzgerald (Ruth Hussey and Ray Milland) suspect they might not be alone in their new home

Brother and sister Roderick (Roddy, played by Ray Milland in the film) and Pamela Fitzgerald (played by Rich Hussey in the film) are on their way back to London from Devon (Cornwall in the film) when they are drawn to an old, abandoned house on the side of a cliff. The house is in great condition and unbelievably inexpensive. The pair decide to buy it and leave the city for the country. They soon discover the reason why it's a bargain. The house, called "Cliff's End," has a reputation for strange sounds and occurrences. The siblings try to unravel the history of the house and soon discover it may be centered around their lovely neighbor, Stella Meredith (Gail Russell in the film).

Trying to contact their uninvited guest

The film version definitely streamlined some of the characters (most notably, Dr. Scott), but it is as subtle and full of dread as its source. What struck me the most was how people talked to one another. People were just so much more polite and refined in their language. There is nothing stuffy about how these characters speak, they come across as very real people, they're just . . . more willing to listen to one another? The book is good at presenting how the average person might deal with a supernatural experience, and what it might really mean when you've sunk all your savings into a haunted house.
The Uninvitedhas compassion for its protagonists and even its ghosts. A great read.

This post also appears on Cannonball Read 11

favorite movie #55 and art in film: The big clock/no way out

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #55 - The Big Clock (1948)/No Way Out (1987) - The Big Clock is an interesting blend of comedy and film noir. The comedy comes mainly from hero Ray Milland, who can never help but be charming, and Elsa Lanchester, who puts in a wonderful comic turn as an eccentric artist. Milland plays George Stroud, a New York editor who works for megalomaniac publisher Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton). Stroud befriends Pauline York (Rita Johnson), Janoth's mistress, who is fed up with his controlling ways. After a madcap night of drinking and complaining about the boss, Stroud leaves York's apartment as Janoth arrives - the jealous Janoth only sees a man's silhouette, but he is still enraged, and in a fit of passion kills York. The rest of the film has Janoth and his right-hand man Hagen (George Macready) tasking Stroud with finding this mystery man so that they can pin the crime on him. As Stroud leads the investigation he has to stay one step ahead at every moment, fearful that he will be recognized as the man in question. Directed by John Farrow, the film is beautifully shot in black and white, with modern furniture and settings, especially the Janoth Publications enormous clock that ticks away,  possibly ticking away Stroud's future and freedom. Art by Lanchester's character is used cleverly both as clues to the crime and for comic effect.

Art by Boris Grisson

Hagen (George Macready) tries to cover up for his boss

Stroud hides out inside the clock

The Big Clock was remade in 1987 as No Way Out. The setting was changed to Washington, D.C., and the emphasis was less on murder mystery and more as a political thriller/romance. Kevin Costner stars as Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell, who is introduced to the Secretary of Defense, David Brice (Gene Hackman) by a college friend (Will Patton) at an inaugural ball. At the same event he meets Susan Atwell (Sean Young). The two begin an intense, passionate affair, but Farrell soon learns that Susan is also the mistress of a powerful man ... guess who? After seeing a shadowy male figure leave Susan's home, a jealous Brice accidentally kills her, and as in The Big Clock, Farrell is put in charge of the investigation to find the "real" killer. The rest of the film takes place in the claustrophobic halls and offices of the Pentagon, as Farrell tries to avoid capture while proving that Brice is the true culprit. No Way Out is not as stylish as The Big Clock, but it is fast-paced and exciting, and Costner and Young are very sexy in their scenes together. The political setting also provides the filmmakers with some additional twists and turns featuring a Russian spy subplot.

Both films are great to watch and favorites when I'm in the mood for a paranoid thriller.

favorite movie #11: the uninvited

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #11 - The Uninvited (1944) - Cornwall, a ghost (or two), romance, lovely music ("Stella By Starlight") murder, and a beautiful haunted house just purchased by Ray Milland and his sister Ruth Hussey all add up to a wonderful, atmospheric film.

I ♥ noir

Ray Milland in Ministry of Fear

these are a few of my favorite things . . .

Ray Milland, Gail Russell, ouija boards, the coast of Cornwall and ghosts in The Uninvited . . .