OCTOBER 2024

"THE UNINVITED"

A Classic Halloween Treat

By Rev Protodeacon George A. Haloulakos

 

October is the time to watch films with themes of mystery, mayhem and the supernatural as a way of celebrating Halloween.  This month we offer a blast from the past with our recommendation that you view "The Uninvited" -- a 1944 film featuring Academy Award winning actors Ray Milland and Donald Crisp, plus Academy Award nominee Ruth Hussey along with Gail Russell.  "The Uninvited" is a supernatural horror film focused on a brother and sister (portrayed by Milland and Hussey) buying a home on the rocky British coast that carries a ghostly secret.  This mysterious secret is the heart of the story as it is closely guarded by the home's former owner/occupant (Crisp) while his granddaughter (Russell) expresses an intense, deep connection with the home.  A series of mysterious paranormal events (which can be explained by modern-day paranormal investigative protocols) inspire the brother and sister to resolve the mystery embedded in the haunting and tragic history of the home.  The ghosts or spirits are real.  Solving the mystery behind the paranormal events helps the original owner/occupant come to terms with the tragic history thereby enabling the budding romance of the Milland and Russell characters to blossom into a marriage promising new beginnings unfettered by the tragic past.  At the same time, the sister (portrayed by Hussey) is also able to move on with her life by marrying the town's doctor (portrayed by Alan Napier - who later played the role of Alfred the Butler in the 1966-68 TV series "Batman") who provides invaluable assistance in clarifying and resolving the supernatural mystery.

I have deliberately omitted 2nd and 3rd degree detail to avoid spoiling the full viewing experience for those who have not yet seen the film.  As the supernatural events are shown to be real, there are genuinely scary moments throughout the film that include swirling specters, ghostly sobbing and freshly cut flowers wilting as the home's new occupants feel an almost suffocating, heavy presence from the spiritual realm.  Hopefully this "sniff of the cork" will inspire you to watch this film as a special treat for Halloween.  There are a great many gems in this film to watch for:

> The cliffside mansion and crashing waves against the shore provide a haunting backdrop;

> The brother and sister dialogue by Milland and Hussey is artful conversation at its civilized best;

> The former owner/occupant played by Crisp is shown to be domineering and almost tyrannical;

> Gail Russell's innocent appeal as the granddaughter provides unforgettable charm;

> As the name of Russell's screen character is Stella, the film is able to integrate the title tune "Stella By Starlight" into the plotline as Milland's character is an aspiring musical composer inspired by his love for Stella!

There is much, much more that evokes scary moments such as a peek into how society viewed or handled mental health issues, marital infidelity, and unexpected pregnancy during the 1940s.  Possession by evil spirits is also shown during a very memorable seance.  In sum, there is just enough shown on the screen to cause the viewer's imagination to take flights of fancy and conjure up images far more horrifying than anything that can be produced by the computer graphic imaging (CGI) technology of today.  Fans of the many paranormal shows currently aired on various cable TV channels will have fun deconstructing this mystery as the film has aged well.

As a footnote to this blog, the British coastline scenery and the small town was actually shot in Mendocino, California.  Fans of classic film & TV will note that the motion pictures "The Ghost and Mrs Muir" (1947), "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming" (1966) and the 1980s TV series "Murder She Wrote" were all filmed in the same locale as "The Uninvited."  Mendocino has successfully been used to film scenes for stories not only set in Great Britain but here in the US where the plot takes place either in Maine or elsewhere in New England!  For those of us who have spent a great deal of time in Mendocino it is always fun to watch "The Uninvited" not only as a seasonal favorite but to revisit a favorite vacation spot!  Thanks for reading.  Please share your memories and thoughts on this month's blog by either posting to the Galaxy FACEBOOK page or writing directly to me at: Haloulakos@gmail.com