By Raymond Benson

It’s not a title that readily pops into one’s head when recalling the great horror films throughout the decades. A British production released when Universal Pictures’ line of horror franchises had declined and Val Lewton’s minimalist RKO productions had reached their height, The Uninvited has remained fairly obscure, in the U.S. anyway, but has also consistently maintained a solid reputation as one of the great, classic haunted house pictures. In fact, The Uninvited could be the first film to treat ghosts seriously rather than as an instrument for humor.

Directed by Lewis Allen and starring Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey and gorgeous Gail Russell in her first film role, the motion picture was released by Paramount in early 1944. Milland was a minor star at the time who would shoot to super-status the following year by winning a Best Actor Oscar for The Lost Weekend. Russell, as described by filmmaker Michael Almereyda in a visual essay extra, was a tragic case of Hollywood Chew-‘Em-Up and Spit-‘Em-Out Syndrome. Remarkably beautiful, Russell had nonetheless suffered from severe stage fright and yet Paramount kept casting her in films over the next dozen years or so in an attempt to make her a star—until alcoholism took over and she died young at the age of thirty-six. However, Russell’s performance in The Uninvited is an impressive debut, and one can easily see why the studio had faith in the actress. Her nervous, yet vulnerable delivery—which apparently was her career downfall in later years—works well with her character in the picture, i.e., a young woman tormented by the ghost of her mother, who died violently by falling off a cliff to the sea—or was she pushed? And is it really her mother?

Milland and Hussey play siblings who buy a creepy old abandoned mansion that sits on the precipice of an English coastline. The previous owner, and Russell’s grandfather in the story, is the inimitable Donald Crisp. Shortly after the couple moves in, the ghost makes its presence known with spooky sobbing, moving things about, and eventually materializing as surprisingly well-done animated ethereal figures. But wait! There is evidence to suggest that there are rival ghosts haunting the couple and the alleged daughter of one of the spirits. Who is the other ghost?

There’s no doubt about it—this is great stuff. It’s English, it’s gothic, it’s romantic, and it handles the subject matter with respect; Lewis really does want to creep out the audience, and he succeeds. Beautifully shot by Charles Lang (Oscar nominee for Black & White Cinematography), The Uninvited is old-fashioned intelligent movie making at its best. Also of note is that the jazz standard “Stella by Starlight” was written by Victor Young for the movie and would be covered by a multitude of artists after lyrics were added to the tune a couple of years after the picture’s release.

The Criterion Collection’s new Blu-ray edition of The Uninvited upholds the label’s long tradition of quality work and presentation. The film looks gorgeous in its new 2K digital restoration. Extras include the aforementioned informative and interesting visual essay, two radio adaptations from 1944 and 1949, both starring Ray Milland, a trailer, and the substantial booklet with an essay by critic Farran Smith Nehme and a 1997 interview with director Allen.

The Uninvited is a perfect Halloween movie. Tell the trick-or-treaters to go away for an hour-and-forty-minutes, get comfortable, turn out the lights, and watch it. You will be spooked

Click here to order discounted from Amazon