The Uninvited

Released Feb 10, 1944

1h 38m

Horror

List

95%

21 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

While vacationing on the English coast, composer Rick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland) and his sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey) find an an abandoned 18th-century house and decide to buy it. The owner, Commander Beech (Donald Crisp), associates it with the tragic death of his daughter and is willing to part with it despite his granddaughter Stella's (Gail Russell) objection. The Fitzgeralds move in and soon find themselves, with the help of Stella, battling it out with two very prickly ghosts.

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Bill B

Quaint. More atmospheric than creepy with Milland offering a light-hearted touch. Early Gail Russell entry and she is delightful here. Sad when realizing her fate.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/15/23

Full Review

Matthew B

Nowadays we have so strong an idea of what a haunted house story should involve that The Uninvited might disappoint some viewers. After 1960s movies such as The Haunting and The Innocents, there is an expectation that the ghost story should be a horror movie, that it should chill the blood, and that there should be some doubt in the viewers' minds about whether there will be a happy ending. There are some who say that they found The Uninvited scary, and Martin Scorsese and Guillermo Del Toro can be counted among its admirers. However I imagine that most people would agree with me when I say that The Uninvited has its atmospheric and creepy moments, but it is not especially frightening. From the point of view of horror, The Uninvited is too cheerful and homely. The brother and sister who buy the house, Rick and Pamela Fitzgerald (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) are far too breezy and stoical to leave the viewer with any sense that they are being seriously threatened, or that the outcome might be an unhappy one. The best way to enjoy The Uninvited is not to expect dire horror, but to regard it as a fun ghost story with a few thrills along the way. This is how many viewers probably saw it in the 1940s. Up to this point, there had never been a serious film in which a ghost had turned out to be anything other than an illusion or misunderstanding. The Uninvited was therefore a useful transition. It showed many of the now-familiar elements of the ghost movie, including apparitions, the presence of mysterious voices, scents and sounds, a possession, a séance and a Ouija board, but it put them in a setting in which they were neither funny nor phoney. There is humour in the movie, but it is not a comedy. Lewis Allen (the director) sought to create a suitable atmosphere for a ghost story, and the film was nominated for an Oscar for its cinematography. The film makes good use of its coastal setting (supposedly Cornwall, but really California). Waves crash against the beach. Scenes are filmed using a mixture of darkness and light, lit by candles and an occasional smoky apparition. It may not be the most chilling of ghost stories, but The Uninvited is nonetheless one of my favourites. It is a thrilling fantasy that (a few moments of dopey humour aside) is handled in a manner that brings out the best in the story. I wrote a longer appreciation of The Uninvited on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/04/18/the-uninvited-1944/

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/26/23

Full Review

Matthew D

A dreamy and atmospheric tale of a spectral haunting. Director Lewis Allen's film noir supernatural horror film The Uninvited (1944) is pretty engaging. Allen's direction seems pleasant and slowly unravels into a spooky tale of haunting. The drafty candles, dawn breeze, and shadows everywhere are cool. The seance and ghost sighting is the best part. The Uninvited is a quaint old haunted house horror film. Screenwriters Frank Partos and Dodie Smith adapted Author Dorothy Macardle's neat ghost story, complete with an unexpected twist. It's about uninvited guests at a haunted manor and the bond between a daughter and her deceased mother. That lingering feeling of grief and the melancholic connection between family is an interesting concept. I love the fluffy dog too. The cries of a ghost in the night is a haunting bit of imagination. Ray Milland is excellent as usual as the new owner of a haunted house. Milland's Rick Fitzgerald is lovable and amiable in manner, yet curious enough to figure out the dark truths of Windward House. Ruth Hussey is likable and entertaining as the excitable, yet worried sister Pamela Fitzgerald. Donald Crisp is very tough and paranoid as Commander Beech. Gail Russell is gorgeous and charming as the old owner of Windward House named Stella Meredith. Lynda Grey is spooky as the Ghost of Mary Meredith. Editor Doane Harrison gentle cuts let scenes feel natural with sharp cutting that keeps The Uninvited down to a tight 99 minutes. Cinematographer Charles Lang uses these stunning wide shots with rear projections of the cliffs and coast. I love the dreary shadows all over The Uninvited. Art direction from Hans Dreier and Ernst Fegté use striking watery backdrops and haunting manor abodes. Set decorator Stephen Seymour puts antique props to make Windward House particularly spooky. Composer Victor Young delivers a haunting score that has plenty of whimsy. Edith Head's fitted suits for everyone are lovely. The ghostly dress is neat. Wally Westmore's slick makeup looks great still. In short, The Uninvited is a beautiful picture with a spooky atmosphere and tons of humor.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/03/23

Full Review

Michael C

When you have a movie featuring the late Ray Milland, you are more often than not assured an entertaining movie at least. As cornball as they are, "Frogs" and "The Thing with Two Heads" are at least entertaining. "The Uninvited" is not a bad movie at all. The cast all do well for the most part in their respective roles. Milland and the late Gail Russell do very well in this movie and have good chemistry together. My problem with "The Uninvited" is the script. I found the story rather confusing and hard to follow at times. In fact I had to roll back the movie and re watch a few scenes because of this problem. Once I got the story straight I did ultimately like the movie, but I feel it could have been better. One last thing, with all the times Ray Milland kept shouting "Stella!" (The name of Gail Russell's character.) I kept thinking the writers of the movie's script were big fans of a certain stage play written by Tennessee Williams. "The Uninvited" is simply put, a good movie that could have been better.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/01/23

Full Review

CodyZamboni

Old school ghost story that's watchable, but not very scary. Movie needs to be edited down and streamlined more, to improve the effectiveness. There is some eerie aura surrounding the dimly lit house, and ominous seacliffs. The young girl that Ray Milland tries to woo, she's attractive and appealing. I admit I didnt see the big twists coming, but by then, the movie had worn out its welcome.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/26/23

Full Review

Christopher B

The first film to take ghosts or spirits seriously, rather than for comedy or a hoax, The Univited is an atmospheric firsthand look at what modern supernatural films would become when spirits are seen as real entities. The cinematography is wonderfully done and the settings beautifully gothic and elegant and that is the true beauty in the film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/03/22

Full Review

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Lewis Allen

Director

Ray Milland

Roderick Fitzgerald

Ruth Hussey

Pamela Fitzgerald

Gail Russell

Stella Meredith

Donald Crisp

Commander Beech

Cornelia Otis Skinner

Miss Holloway

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Keith Phipps

The Dissolve

The Uninvited was...one of the first films to treat the supernatural seriously, and to play ghosts and hauntings as something other than fodder for comedy.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 28, 2013

Full Review

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

The one thing -- and the only thing -- about this film is that it sets out to give you the shivers -- and will do so, if you're readily disposed.

Mar 25, 2006

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

The real strength of the film, though, is its atypical stance part way between psychology and the supernatural, achieving a disturbingly serious effect.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Nadine Smith

them.

The subtext is louder than ghosts banging at the door, and what’s really haunting Pamela is the truth of an identity she’s too terrified to accept...

Oct 26, 2022

Full Review

Lindsey Romain

Nerdist

It's not just the story that makes The Uninvited so memorable. It's the look and feel, the perfect way it captures encroaching dread, and the ghostly apparitions that take the film to the next level.

Oct 29, 2020

Full Review

Elena de la Torre

Cine-Mundial

Brought to the screen with mastery... by its director who knows to keep the viewer restless and anxious. [Full review in Spanish]

Sep 13, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

While vacationing on the English coast, composer Rick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland) and his sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey) find an an abandoned 18th-century house and decide to buy it. The owner, Commander Beech (Donald Crisp), associates it with the tragic death of his daughter and is willing to part with it despite his granddaughter Stella's (Gail Russell) objection. The Fitzgeralds move in and soon find themselves, with the help of Stella, battling it out with two very prickly ghosts.

Director: Lewis Allen
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 10, 1944, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2017
Runtime: 1h 38m