THE UNINVITED

An ancient villa in Cornwall is shrouded in a terrible curse: every night, anguished moans and shrill screams reveal the presence of a ghost. The two owners, brother and sister, seek to discover to whom the spirit wandering that house belongs… Undoubtedly one of the most successful horror films of the 1940s: well acted and masterfully directed by Lewis Allen, "The Uninvited" (the film's original title) certainly creates more suspense and tension than many recent horror films of the same subject matter that, relying only on the roller coaster of special effects, fail to convey any emotion to the viewer (see "Haunting" by Jan De Bont). With "The House on the Cliff," we witness for the first time the attempt to engage the American public in an all-out horror film, a terrifying ghost story set in an old house in Cornwall, worthy of the best Gothic literature. The paranormal phenomena are shown in all their most unsettling aspects: doors open and close on their own, candles suddenly go out, mysterious cries are heard; the specter, that of the presumed mother of a girl endowed with psychic powers, will materialize in the film's epilogue, appearing sinister and malevolent as the best tradition dictates. Starring Gail Russell, Ray Milland, and Ruth Hussey, the film was a great success with both the public and critics and quickly became a classic.