Movie Review by Lynne Campisi-Thomas
"They call them the haunted shores, these stretches of Devonshire and Cornwall and Ireland which rear up against the westward ocean. Mists gather here...and sea fog...and eerie stories..." ~ quote by Roderick Fitzgerald, The Uninvited
There is an old classic and scary movie that I watch every Halloween. It is called "The Uninvited".
It is done in black and white and is set in the old seacoast town of Devonshire, England. A brother and sister - Roderick and Pamela Fitzgerald - are vacationing and while walking their dog one day, they stumble upon an old mansion situated on the cliffs by the sea. It is a beautiful, yet eerie house. As they approach the mysterious and intriguing dwelling, their dog chases a squirrel through an open window of the house.
Roderick (played by the dignified Ray Milland) and Pamela (played by Ruth Hussey) enter through the front door, albeit a bit reluctantly, in pursuit of their dog. The house seems to be empty and abandoned but Pamela is intrigued and wants to further explore this captivating old house. She is already plotting a way to live there.
In a spooky moment, the dog starts barking at the foot of the large, winding staircase - where it appears there is nothing there to bark at... The brother and sister dismiss it; however, it the foreshadowing of what is yet to come.
Pamela convinces Roderick to look into the possibility of buying the house and moving from their London flat to live there permanently. She sees it as the perfect setting for her brother to compose his music.
When the pair discover the house (called Windward) is for sale, they make an appointment to meet the owner. The owner is an elderly gentleman named Commander Beech (played by Donald Crisp) who seems quite reluctant to sell the house because of the unsettling history of this old house by the sea. Pamela, who is so enchanted with Winward, is adamant and persistent about buying it. They finally agree on a very attractive price and the house is theirs.
Commander Beech's granddaughter Stella (played by Gail Russell) is very upset when she finds out that Windward has been sold as she is unmistakably and emotionally attached to the house. Stella is a beautiful, young woman who had been raised at Windward until the age of three, at which time her mother, Mary, committed suicide. It is clear that Stella's grandfather does not want Stella to be around the house because of the disturbing events of her mother's death. But something keeps drawing her there time and time again. Even at night, she is inexplicably compelled to go to the house with its haunting and alluring mystery.
At first, Pamela settles into the house on her own. Roderick joins her later, accompanied by Stella, with whom he has now become infatuated. That evening, as they are getting ready to retire to bed, Pamela is about to confide something in her brother but then hesitates and tells him it can wait until morning.
As darkness envelops the house. suddenly the sorrowful sound of a crying woman can be heard throughout the mansion halls. Roderick hurries out into the hallway to investigate, where he meets his sister. She tells him that she has heard this sound before and that it happens every night just around the same time. Pamela tells him there is no use trying to find the source - there is nothing there - and assures him that the mournful cries will end by dawn.
The stage is now set for the perfect haunted house movie!
The next day the siblings visit Commander Beech and tell him of the strange happenings at night in Windward and he asks them if they want their money back. They do not; they simply want to understand the history of the house and what took place there. They are told that Windward was a gift he gave to his daughter, Mary Meredith, after she married. Mary lived there with her husband, who was a painter. Everything was wonderful for the couple until a young woman by the name of Carmel arrived to model for Mr. Meredith.
Roderick and Pamela soon come to believe that the house is haunted by the malevolent spirit of Mary Meredith and that she is looking for her daughter, Stella. They discover that Mary's death may not have been by suicide, but by murder - all part of a dark and scandalous love triangle.
Enter the creepy and frightening Miss Holloway (played to a tee by Cornelia Otis Skinner) to the story and the plot thickens. Does Ms. Holloway hold the answers to all the puzzles of Windward's ghostly past? Can Roderick and Pamela solve the mystery and keep Stella safe from harm, while ridding Windward of the evil that seems to lurk there?
"The Uninvited" is a classic horror movie complete with haunting music, subtle lighting and things that go bump in the night...bringing an eerie chill to every scene. There is a refined beauty to the genre of the classic horror film and I highly recommend you rent this one to see for yourself.
Turn down the lamps, light some candles, grab your popcorn and settle in for a spooky and gratifying night at the movies with "The Uninvited".
Lynnie's rating: 5 bowls of popcorn
Lizzie's Rating: 5 bowls of popcorn
"They call them the haunted shores, these stretches of Devonshire and Cornwall and Ireland which rear up against the westward ocean. Mists gather here...and sea fog...and eerie stories..." ~ quote by Roderick Fitzgerald, The Uninvited
There is an old classic and scary movie that I watch every Halloween. It is called "The Uninvited".
It is done in black and white and is set in the old seacoast town of Devonshire, England. A brother and sister - Roderick and Pamela Fitzgerald - are vacationing and while walking their dog one day, they stumble upon an old mansion situated on the cliffs by the sea. It is a beautiful, yet eerie house. As they approach the mysterious and intriguing dwelling, their dog chases a squirrel through an open window of the house.
Roderick (played by the dignified Ray Milland) and Pamela (played by Ruth Hussey) enter through the front door, albeit a bit reluctantly, in pursuit of their dog. The house seems to be empty and abandoned but Pamela is intrigued and wants to further explore this captivating old house. She is already plotting a way to live there.
In a spooky moment, the dog starts barking at the foot of the large, winding staircase - where it appears there is nothing there to bark at... The brother and sister dismiss it; however, it the foreshadowing of what is yet to come.
Pamela convinces Roderick to look into the possibility of buying the house and moving from their London flat to live there permanently. She sees it as the perfect setting for her brother to compose his music.
When the pair discover the house (called Windward) is for sale, they make an appointment to meet the owner. The owner is an elderly gentleman named Commander Beech (played by Donald Crisp) who seems quite reluctant to sell the house because of the unsettling history of this old house by the sea. Pamela, who is so enchanted with Winward, is adamant and persistent about buying it. They finally agree on a very attractive price and the house is theirs.
Commander Beech's granddaughter Stella (played by Gail Russell) is very upset when she finds out that Windward has been sold as she is unmistakably and emotionally attached to the house. Stella is a beautiful, young woman who had been raised at Windward until the age of three, at which time her mother, Mary, committed suicide. It is clear that Stella's grandfather does not want Stella to be around the house because of the disturbing events of her mother's death. But something keeps drawing her there time and time again. Even at night, she is inexplicably compelled to go to the house with its haunting and alluring mystery.
At first, Pamela settles into the house on her own. Roderick joins her later, accompanied by Stella, with whom he has now become infatuated. That evening, as they are getting ready to retire to bed, Pamela is about to confide something in her brother but then hesitates and tells him it can wait until morning.
As darkness envelops the house. suddenly the sorrowful sound of a crying woman can be heard throughout the mansion halls. Roderick hurries out into the hallway to investigate, where he meets his sister. She tells him that she has heard this sound before and that it happens every night just around the same time. Pamela tells him there is no use trying to find the source - there is nothing there - and assures him that the mournful cries will end by dawn.
The stage is now set for the perfect haunted house movie!
The next day the siblings visit Commander Beech and tell him of the strange happenings at night in Windward and he asks them if they want their money back. They do not; they simply want to understand the history of the house and what took place there. They are told that Windward was a gift he gave to his daughter, Mary Meredith, after she married. Mary lived there with her husband, who was a painter. Everything was wonderful for the couple until a young woman by the name of Carmel arrived to model for Mr. Meredith.
Roderick and Pamela soon come to believe that the house is haunted by the malevolent spirit of Mary Meredith and that she is looking for her daughter, Stella. They discover that Mary's death may not have been by suicide, but by murder - all part of a dark and scandalous love triangle.
Enter the creepy and frightening Miss Holloway (played to a tee by Cornelia Otis Skinner) to the story and the plot thickens. Does Ms. Holloway hold the answers to all the puzzles of Windward's ghostly past? Can Roderick and Pamela solve the mystery and keep Stella safe from harm, while ridding Windward of the evil that seems to lurk there?
"The Uninvited" is a classic horror movie complete with haunting music, subtle lighting and things that go bump in the night...bringing an eerie chill to every scene. There is a refined beauty to the genre of the classic horror film and I highly recommend you rent this one to see for yourself.
Turn down the lamps, light some candles, grab your popcorn and settle in for a spooky and gratifying night at the movies with "The Uninvited".
Lynnie's rating: 5 bowls of popcorn
Lizzie's Rating: 5 bowls of popcorn
2 comments:
Ooooh Lynnie - Love "The Uninvited"! Wonderful imagery and music and suspenseful, creepy moments...thanks for sharing the great description of this classic tale of a haunting.
Yes, Lizzie it is my favorite and I will probably watch on Halloween weekend again!
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