It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

THE UNINVITED is one of the most well-regarded ghost stories of the 1940s, although seen today it's a rather genteel effort and certainly not frightening, unlike towering movies of the genre such as THE HAUNTING. This one sees a jovial Ray Milland moving into a beachfront property, only to discover that it's already occupied. It's a sedate and subtle affair, with the supernatural horror limited to just a couple of mildly effective SFX scenes, but it does have plenty of atmosphere and an intriguing murder mystery back story to keep it going. Milland proves a warm and kindly presence this early on in his career (as opposed to his turns a decade later in the likes of DIAL M FOR MURDER) but the emphasis is very much on the female presence, both real and (is it?) imaginated. Silent film star Donald Crisp plays an imposing role in support, and there are some nice indoor visuals here which reminded me of those in THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE.

SYNOPSIS: A moderately well-off Londoner (Ray Milland) and his sister (Ruth Hussey) buy an old house, perched near the dangerous edge of a cliff on the Cornish coast. Although they are soon made aware that the house is haunted by a ghost, they fail to realize the ghost's particular animosity towards a sensitive young woman (Gail Russell) who lives nearby. NOTES: Charles Lang was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Black-and-White Photography, but lost to Joseph LaShelle's Laura.COMMENT: Just as well the photography is so wonderfully atmospheric, because the script now seems a little strained and doesn't quite add up to the shock impact it originally had on audiences in 1944. Too many ghost stories have intervened. The humor too (some of it contributed by producer Charles Brackett) fails to jell at times. Perhaps the modern setting is also a drawback. Maybe "The Uninvited" would have survived more effectively as a period piece. As it stands, the writers are forced to utilize a haunted house which, while it is connected to the electricity supply, has no electric lights—a mystery for which they proffer no explanation whatever. We watch all these people running around with lamps, whilst Ray Milland listens to the radio and makes regular telephone calls. In this sort of caper, automobiles look anachronistic. Furthermore, Ray Milland, competent actor though he is, fails to measure up here as a romantic hero. Whilst he's certainly quite pleasant to watch, his performance lacks the polish that all the other players, particularly Cornelia Otis Skinner (an unforgettable villainess), Gail Russell (who skillfully projects an enchanting vulnerability), Donald Crisp (a particularly well-rounded performance) and Ruth Hussey (beautifully efficient) bring to their roles.Lewis Allen's direction is professionally competent, but lacks the imaginative vigor that transforms mere entertainment into a masterpiece. In fact, he throws most of the burden for carrying the artistic effectiveness of the film on to the photographer, the set designer, the music composer and the special effects technicians. These men all render superlative work. The music score in fact is one of Victor Young's most memorable. It's hard to believe it wasn't even nominated for an Academy Award. Who remembers some of the nominated scores like Frederic Rich's "Jack London" or Edward Paul's "Up in Mabel's Room" today?

Musician Ray Milland (Rod) and his sister Ruth Hussey (Pam) buy a house on a whim whilst holidaying in Devon. It seems quite a cheap price and the purchase is conducted over a few sentences. The owner Donald Crisp (Commander Beech) seems very keen for the sale. He also stipulates to his grand-daughter Gail Russell (Stella) that she is never to visit the house. It is where she spent the first 3 years of her life. She disobeys as she develops a relationship with Milland. And the house has some other occupants ………….. unworldly ones….It's an enjoyable film with a strong cast although Russell plays things rather too vulnerably for a 20 year-old. Milland throws in some humorous touches but he succeeds in keeping things in the scary, spooky film genre as opposed to the comedy ghost story genre, which is always a let-down. So, he should be congratulated for making the crossover. This is a good ghost story with genuine chills, scary scenes, a story with a twist and a great ghost effect. Lots of atmosphere in this one.

Oddly referential entry, Rebecca in all but name - same locale, Cornwall, same centre of focus, a large house, same plot focus, the house is 'haunted' by its former mistress, same villainess figure, in one a housekeeper, in the other a nurse, both of whom contrive to drive the leading character to suicide, the only difference is that unlike Rebecca the heroine of this entry, Stella, was not married to the leading man. There are also several unanswered questions the main one being how come two people as attractive and charming as Ray Milland and Ruth Hussy have no partners in their lives and indeed for that matter, no friends or social life they can't abandon on a moments notice to move three hundred miles in a matter of weeks. As the film that gave us Victor Young's Stella By Starlight it can't be all bad and it's well performed by Milland, Hussy, Donald Crisp whilst Gail Russell is luminous but it's little more than mildly entertaining.