Movie Review: The Uninvited

This 1944 movie, The Uninvited is one of those movies I literally grew up with it, and is one of those old time Hollywood classics I never get tired of watching.

==Plot==

While on a vacation in the Cornwall section of England, Rick who is a music critic and musician himself, and his sister Pamela come across a charming and quaint vacant home near the seaside, quite by accident. Being rather nosy, they decide to go inside the house to look it over and wonder if it's available for sale. They fall in love with it right away and Pamela tells her brother this would be the perfect place for Rick to get serious in composing his own music, due to the quietness and solitude of the place.

They do indeed find that the home known as Windward House is available, and are surprised at it's rather ridiculously low price for such a home, but of course, as time goes by, we will find out the reason. The home had originally belonged to a woman named Mary Meredith, daughter to a cantankerous old man, Commander Beech who agrees to sell the home to Rick and Pamela. They also at the time of sale of the home, meet with Commander Beech's grand-daughter, Stella, who all her life has had a fascination with her ancestral home, but has been forbidden to ever enter the home by Beech's orders.

Rick and Pamela, along with their faithful maid makes themselves at home, but the peace and tranquility of this charming home is disturbed, when strange noises occur, especially that of a woman sobbing, and always at the same time, just before dawn. Something even bothers and troubles Pamela's dog, who refuses to go up the stairs to the second floor, something is definitely wrong with this home. Yes, it's haunted by a female ghost.

Despite his orders, Stella goes against her grandfather's wishes when Rick and Pamela invite Stella for a leisurely dinner and she gladly accepts for all these years she's been dying to go back to the home she was born in. Yet, the dinner is all but peaceful. Something happens while Stella is there, for while they are all casually chatting, the room suddenly fills with the overpowering scent of mimosa, a scent Stella remembers as a baby that was her mother's favorite scent. She then goes into a strange trance and runs out of the house running, running, running. Rick runs after her and barely saves her from her hurling herself off the steep cliff to the ocean below. What happened, why did she do this? They call the local doctor, Dr. Scott to find out what is wrong with Stella. He just declares that she needs rest.

A friendship begins between Rick and Dr. Scott and they begin searching for clues, as Rick tells of the strange haunting events that have been occurring at the house and then of course Stella's strange reaction while she had been there. Looking over old medical records clues begin to reveal themselves as to who Stella really is, a secret that has never been revealed, especially not to Stella herself.
As time goes by however, something else becomes apparent. Windward House has not one, but two ghosts, the sobbing woman, and then a presence that is filled with hatred, causing the home to become ice cold.

Who is haunting the home and why? Who is the sobbing ghost? Who is the malevolent hateful ghost? Why does Stella react strangely every time she is in the home, why does it affect her so much? And what truth is revealed about Stella herself? For that you'll have to watch the movie to find out.

Opinions
I have loved this movie ever since I first saw it years and years ago. This is one of those true 1940s Hollywood classics not to be missed. What is so great about this movie too, is that for a mystery movie with a haunting theme to it, It's a fantastic film of the haunting genre that didn't resort to blood or gore as is in so many movies of today. Which I guess proves a great ghost story can be depicted without the usual special effects of today's movies.

There is one main problem with this movie, believe it or not it's NOT available on DVD yet, so one will still have to rely on the VHS format.

I would rate this movie a 10 out of 10--yes it's that good.

Cast
Roderick "Rick" Fitzgerald........Ray Millard
Pamela Fitzgerald............Ruth Hussey
Commander Beech..........Donald Crisp
Stella Meredith..................Gail Russell
Miss Holloway.................Cornelia Skinner
Directed by Lewis Allen
Written by Frank Partos and Dodie Smith
Music by Victor Young
Running Time: 99 minutes