The Uninvited (film)
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| The Uninvited | |
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| Directed by | Lewis Allen |
| Produced by | Charles Brackett |
| Written by | Book Author: Dorothy Macardle Screenwriters: Frank Partos Dodie Smith |
| Starring | Ray Milland Gail Russell Ruth Hussey Donald Crisp Cornelia Otis Skinner Dorothy Stickney |
| Music by | Victor Young |
| Cinematography | Charles B. Lang |
| Editing by | Doane Harrison |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | February 10, 1944 |
| Running time | 99 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English Spanish |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Uninvited is a 1944 (see 1944 in film) Mystery/Horror film.
[edit] Plot
A brother and sister, Roderick and Pamela Fitzgerald (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) move into an old seaside house they find abandoned for many years on the English coast. Their original enchantment with the house diminishes as they hear stories of the previous owner Donald Crisp's daughter's death, and meet his granddaughter, Stella (now a young woman played by Gail Russell) who now lives as their neighbor. Stella is initially upset because she has fond memories of the house she used to live in, even though it's the place of her mother's tragic death when she was three. However, against Crisp’s wishes, she gains access to the house through Broderick, who's become infatuated with her. Also heard are unexplained sounds during the night, such as wailing, crying and moaning. It becomes obvious that the house is haunted.
Stella comes to the house for dinner and becomes weary and cold. Possessed, trance- like she runs from the house towards the cliff and the rocky seas below. Broderick grabs her just before she falls. Something in the house is trying to kill her. As they reach the house their maid screams. She has seen a ghostly apparition, and decides to sleep elsewhere but still work at the house.
The reasons for the haunting and how they relate to the daughter prove to be a complex mystery. The Strange occurrences are investigated by the Fitzgeralds and Stella's doctor, Dr. Scott (Alan Napier).Asking around, they are told that Stellas father had had an affair with a gypsy named Carmel, and that Stellas mother found out and took Carmel to Paris and left her there. Carmel eventually came back, stole the infant Stella and during a confrontation, flung Stellas mother off a cliff to her death. Then Carmel herself got sick and died.
They first try to contact the spirit in the house by way of a seance. They are told through a makeshift ouija board that Stella's mother is trying to save her from Carmel. During the Seance, Stella becomes possessed and starts talking in Spanish and is interrupted by her grandfather who breaks it up and sends her to a sanitarium... which ultimately leads to a Miss Holloway (Cornelia Otis Skinner), Stellas mother's former nurse. Miss Holloway now runs the sanitarium, and worships her former employer's memory, which seems to have driven her insane.
The Fitzgeralds go to the sanitarium to talk to Hollaway, not knowing that Stella is there. Hollaway tells them that after the death of her employer she took care of Carmel, who had contracted pneumonia, and that she tried to help her, but she eventually died from it. They return home empty handed. Rifling through old medical journals from the previous doctor they find that Carmel was murdered by Holloway. The doctor is then called away to help Mr. Crisp, who tells him that Stella is at the sanitarium. The group decide to go free Stella. They call Hollaway and tell her that they are on their way.
At the Sanitarium, knowing the trio are on their way, Holloway tells Stella that the Fitzgeralds said she could live with them to be closer to the spirit of her mother. She happily takes the train home to see them.
The trio arrive at Miss Holloways to bring Stella home only to find a deranged Holloway telling them that Stella is on her way to their home. they are rushing to beat the clock, they are twenty minutes behind the train. Stella arrives at their home to find her grandfather there. Her grandfather tries to get her to leave but she remains. A spirit shows up and her grandfather dies.
Something in the house frightens Stella and she flees again towards the cliffs...The trio arrive just in the nick of time to save her.
Inside the house, they discover that Stellas mother was Carmel and that she was only coming to get her daughter. Upon discovering this, Stella feels her mother freed, and that she's left the house. Something evil though, has stayed. They flee the house all but Roderick. He goes and confronts the spirit of Stella would-be mother telling her that they are no longer scared of her and that she has no power over them anymore. The spirit them departs and the house is calm. When the others come in Stella asks Roderick if he's ok and why he did it.....He replies " I had to, she woulda been my Mother-in Law!!""
