Friday Forgotten Film: The Uninvited

As a rule, I'll watch some or all of a decent movie again if it is replayed on network or cable television. That is, if I'm channel-surfing and not pressed for time. So-so or terrible films don't get repeat showings, ever, in my home. I avoid them like the plague (e.g., Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). Now, the truly great ones I'll see again and again (this is something that generally causes my wife's eyes to roll, btw). However, there are a small handful of films that certainly qualify for the great category but I've only seen them once due to circumstances beyond my control. For this forgotten post, the 1944 British ghost story, The Uninvited, qualifies nicely on these terms. In my mind, this film is one of those haunted stories that used to be so original and plentiful way back in the day, but aren't anymore (I don't count the U.S. studio trend of remaking Asian ghost stories being anywhere close to original -- it's why I suggest Ju-on to friends instead of The Grudge).

The Uninvited (not to be confused with the 2009 film of the same name, which was itself an American remake of the South Korean Janghwa, Hongryeon film, aka A Tale of Two Sisters) starred Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp, Gail Russell, and Alan Napier (who, if you're old enough, will recognize as Alfred from the 60's Batman TV series). It told the tale of a brother and sister (Milland and Hussey) who buy a house on the Cornish seacoast only to find that it's very much of the haunted variety. Incidentally, outside of the moors, locating this story (and manor) at the edge of a foggy cliffside is a perfect setting for a tale like this one. Essentially, ghost stories are mystery thrillers. IMO, this type of story is why they resonate more broadly with people who usually aren't into the horror genre. Those normally not into the more chilling works of H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, or Stephen King are more apt to manage their way through and enjoy a classic ghost story than the other ilk. This explains why the superb crime/mystery writer Michael Koryta could effortlessly swing over to the supernatural with his latest work, So Cold the River (a recommended read, if Jen and I say so), and seemingly never skip beat with his readers.

This article has been moved and updated to my current blog, and can be found here.