Charles Boyer

Ingrid Bergman

Joseph Cotten

May Whitty

Angela Lansbury

Barbara Everest

Emil Rameau

Edmund Breon

Halliwell Hobbes

Tom Stevenson

Heather Thatcher

Lawrence Grossmith

Jakob Gimpel

Jack Kirk

Lillian Bronson

Leonard Carey

Alec Craig

Helen Flint

Gibson Gowland

Gary Gray

Terry Moore

Syd Saylor

Morgan Wallace

Maude Fealy

Frank Baker

Harry Adams

Joseph North

Lassie Lou Ahern

John Ardizoni

Antonio D'Amore

Joseph Romantini

Guy Zanette

Wilson Benge

Arthur Blake

Roger Gray

Bobby Hale

Joy Harington

Charles McNaughton

Georgie Nokes

Tarquin Olivier

Arthur Stone

Eric Wilton

Eustace Wyatt

Al Ferguson

Clive Morgan

Elsie Prescott

Walter Reisch

George Cukor

John L. Balderston

John Van Druten

Patrick Hamilton

Cedric Gibbons

Irene

Jack Dawn

Arthur Hornblow Jr.

Ralph E. Winters

Bronislau Kaper

Edwin B. Willis

Joseph Ruttenberg

David O. Selznick

Jack Greenwood

Sidney Cutner

Edward Woehler

Warren Newcombe

Conrad Salinger

Robert Franklyn

Marion Herwood Keyes

William Ferrari

Joe Edmondson

Douglas Shearer

Thriller

Drama

Mystery

Crime

Gaslight

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

United States of America

English

I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were dangerous to her.

Gaslight is directed by George Cukor and is adapted to screenplay from Patrick Hamilton’s play by John Van Druten, Walter Reisch and John L. Balderston. It stars Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotton, May Whitty, Barbara Everest and Angela Lansbury. Music is by Bronislaw Kaper and cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg.

Years after her aunt was murdered in her London home, Paula Alquist Anton (Bergman) moves back there with her new husband, Gregory Anton (Boyer). However, what at first seems to be an idyllic marriage begins to crumble as Paula appears to be losing her mind…

You really have to put into context just how great Gaslight is as per the time it was released. For it holds up now as something of a torch igniter for what has followed over the decades. The psychological thriller – specifically that of a spouse being tormented by their partner – has been mined for all its worth - and will continue to do so. Even the terminology of very real life instances such as Gaslighted/Gaslighting have been born out from the pic, so if it is thought of being dated or old hat, its influence is still quite considerable.

It’s still a terrific atmospheric thriller anyway, played out to a magnificent backdrop of Victorian London, of fogs and cobbled streets, and of course gas lights and eerie shadows. Pic is split into two halves, first half is the set-up of a whirlwind romance that leads to marriage, then the move to the marital home and support characters - nosy neighbour (Whitty), housekeeper (Everest), tart housemaid (Lansbury on debut) - are introduced to proceedings. Deft psychological touches are being played out, though wonderfully we never actually see the misdirection machinations actually being done.

Then as the second half happens upon us it really hits the diabolical straps, the methodical manoeuvres of Gregory Anton really start to gnaw away at our senses. We witness Paula come apart, her mind fractured, so vulnerable and confused, you would have to have a heart of stone not to have your very core ache. It’s here where Bergman, in the first of her three Best Actress Oscar wins, excels without duff histrionics. Boyer also is superb, where guided by the astute Cukor he makes Gregory a dashing dastard, only given to subtle clues about his devious and wicked doings.

Cotton doesn’t try to do a British accent, which is fine as he holds his end up well as Brian Cameron, the man getting to grips with what’s actually going on in the Alton home. Brian is our hero in waiting, giving us something to hang onto as the pic reaches revelations point. With Ruttenberg (Oscar Nominated) drifting what would be known as noirish contrasts over the piece, and Kaper’s music unobtrusively subtle, Gaslight hits high marks for tech credit substance. All told it’s a truly great film, and one that’s well worth going back to if you become jaded with the more slick and polished production line genre pieces that follow in its wake. 9/10

Gaslight

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