Gaslight (1940)

Twenty years after the murder of Alice Barlow, her house is finally occupied again. However, the husband of the couple who have moved in has a secret which he will do anything to keep hidden.

Director:

Thorold Dickinson

Writers:

Patrick Hamilton (from the stage play by), A.R. Rawlinson (screenplay)

Stars:

Anton Walbrook, Diana Wynyard, Frank Pettingell

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anton Walbrook	...	Paul Mallen
Diana Wynyard	...	Bella Mallen
Frank Pettingell	...	Rough
Cathleen Cordell	...	Nancy
Robert Newton	...	Ullswater
Jimmy Hanley	...	Cobb
Minnie Rayner	...	Elizabeth
Marie Wright	...	Alice Barlow
Aubrey Dexter	...	House Agent
Mary Hinton	...	Lady Winterbourne
Angus Morrison	...	Pianist
Jack Barty	...	Chairman of Music Hall
The Darmora Ballet	...	Dancers

Storyline

Twenty years ago, old Mrs. Barlow was killed in her home at 12, Pimlico Square for her priceless rubies. The murderer searched the whole house without finding them, then disappeared. The house has been empty since then, but now Paul and Bella Mallen move into the apartment. Bella Mallen suffers from forgetfulness and nervousness - at least that is what her husband tells her. An elderly horse wrangler, B.G. Rough worked as a policeman twenty years ago and still remembers the unsolved case. He notices that Mr. Mallen looks just like Louis Barre, Mrs. Barlow's nephew. And why does Mr. Mallen mysteriously leave every night just to go into the apartment next door, no. 14?

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Plot Keywords:

gaslight | punch and judy | gaslighting | pianist | f rated | 

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Taglines:

A melodrama of a strange love!

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Murder in Thornton Square

Filming Locations:

D&P Studios, Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British National Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On December 8, 1945 Textron Theatre produced a 30 minute radio version of the original play by Patrick Hamilton and adapted by Robert Cenadella. It was for the CBS program, "Textron Theatre Starring Helen Hayes" and starred Boris Karloff, Helen Hayes and Cedric Hardwicke.

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Goofs

Camera pans across the tossed room with woman's dead body. When the police come up, the position of the woman's hand has changed.

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Quotes

Nancy the Parlour Maid: You want me.
Paul Mallen: And do you want me?
Nancy the Parlour Maid: I've always wanted you.

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Connections

Version of Gaslight (1947)

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Soundtracks

The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery
(uncredited)
Written by George Ware
Played at the music hall and sung by an unidentified woman

User Reviews

Just as good--if not better--than the 1944 remake

It's easy to see why MGM locked this away in their vaults when they issued their 1944 remake--it's really great!

An evil crook (Anton Walbrook) slowly tries to drive his wife (Diana Wynyard) mad for some jewels.

This isn't as lush as the remake, but it more than makes up for it in other departments. For one thing--it's shorter by about 30 minutes and there's no romantic interlude at the beginning. This one starts dark and gets darker. Walbrook is frightening as the husband--much better than Charles Boyer in the remake. The scenes where he yells at his wife had me jumping. Wynyard is great as his fragile wife. She doesn't go into hysterics and chew the scenery like Ingrid Bergman did--she plays it calmly and quietly and very very realistically. Her final confrontation with her husband was just great. Also Cathleen Cordell is lots of fun as Nancy, the parlor maid. In the remake she was played by Angela Landsbury (in her film debut). Surprisingly, Cordell is better than Landsbury!

The remake copied this film virtually scene by scene--and suffers somewhat by comparison. It added on the unnecessary romantic subplot with Joseph Cotton. Thankfully, there's nothing like that here. This just grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let go.

Both movies are great but this one is marginally better. Very recommended.