Main Cast: Anton Walbrook, Diana Wynyard, Frank Pettingell, Cathleen Cordell, Robert Newton
Release Year: 1940
Country: UK
Run Time: 84 minutes
Plot
The 1940 British production of Gaslight was the first of two cinematic adaptations of Patrick Hamilton's play. Oozing faux continental charm, Anton Walbrook inveigles his way into the confidence of the young mistress (Diana Wynyard) of a large Victorian mansion. Walbrook is searching for the rubies that he'd stolen from the previous owner of the house -- whom he'd also murdered. Suspecting that Wynyard is about to catch on to his secret, Walbrook enlists the aid of a sluttish maidservant to drive his loving bride crazy. The ploy almost works, but Wynyard is rescued by an unexpected ally. Gaslight was released in the U.S. as Murder in Thornton Square, then withdrawn entirely on the occasion of MGM's expensive 1944 remake of Gaslight, which starred Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman. To avoid confusion, MGM allegedly ordered that all prints of the original Gaslight be destroyed. Evidently that order was not honored to the letter, since the 1940 Gaslight is still safely available for both theatrical and TV exhibition. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Thorold Dickinson's Gaslight was one of the most acclaimed thrillers of the 1930's, as finely scripted, acted, and directed as any mystery-drama of its era, and exquisitely nuanced. The movie and its basic plot were good enough to attract the attention of MGM, which not only bought the rights for their 1944 remake with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, directed by George Cukor, but suppressed the original. [indeed, for many years Dickinson's movie wasn't even officially in existence, all known prints and negatives reportedly having been destroyed by MGM. After 1940, it was known to have been screened once in the early 1950's in New York City, and then wasn't heard from again until after Ted Turner took over the studio's library and began a comprehensive vault search.] The movie must, inevitably, be compared with the Cukor's remake, and Dickinson's version stands up well -- it isn't as handsome or opulent, but it is as finely nuanced as Cukor's is overblown and over-produced. Diana Wynyard is a convincing picture of vulnerability as the nefarious plan by her murder-minded spouse Anton Walbrook proceeds, by turns panicked and doubting. The supporting players, from Frank Pettingill on down, are also a study in minimalism, their work seemingly motivated (correctly) by the notion of less being more. Dickinson doesn't waste time telling his story, but he allows his actors the intimate focus that allows their work -- rather than the sets and costumes -- to fill the screen and the viewer's attention. This is precisely the sort of drama that Alfred Hitchcock sought to create (with less success) in Under Capricorn, and to some extent also anticipates his Rebecca, done a year after Gaslight. The movie was also distributed for a time before its 50-year disappearance under the titles Angel Street and Murder In Thornton Square. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Jimmy Hanley - Cobb; Minnie Rayner - Elizabeth; Mary Hinton - Lady Winterbourne; Marie Wright - Alice Barlow; Jack Barty - Chairman of Music Hall; Darrnora Ballet; Aubrey Dexter - House Agent
As tempting as it is to simply dismiss 30 Odd Foot of Grunts as nothing more than a vanity project, it is worth noting that, as far as folk-rock bands go, they're not bad. It's true that, as a vocalist, Russell Crowe has far more attitude than range, and it's also true that the slow numbers are by far the weakest songs the band has. The lyrics to the ballad "You Treat Me Like Chocolate," for instance, are so overwrought ("You treat me like chocolate/something to eat between meals") that it's tempting to believe they're a parody, rather than simply embarrassing. Still, the more upbeat, rock-oriented material, such as "What's Her Name," actually works quite well, possibly due to the presence of an audience. The slower songs, by contrast, simply sound pleasant but forgettable; the kind of background music cranked out by many other bands without 30 Odd Foot of Grunts' profile. None of the songs are truly incompetent, but neither are they earth-shattering, and ultimately, Gaslight, while not unlistenable, is little more than a pleasant diversion. ~ Victor W. Valdivia, All Music Guide
Charles Fisher (Engineer), Chris Goss (Vocals (Background)), Chris Goss (Engineer), Chris Goss (Mixing), Eddy Schreyer (Mastering), Mike Castellano (Assistant), Robert Long (Assistant), Paul Panichi (Trumpet), Phil Punch (Engineer), Phil Punch (Mixing), Ryan Boesch (Sequencing), Tony Grace (Assistant), RC (Mixing), 30 Odd Foot of Grunts (Main Performer), Billy (Guitar), Billy (Mixing), Larry Witzer (Assistant), Garth Adam (?), Garth Adam (Group Member), David Kelly (Group Member), Russell Crowe (Producer), Russell Crowe (Group Member), Chris Johnson (Mixing Assistant), Chris Johnson (Assistant)
Gaslight is a 1940film based on Patrick Hamilton's play Gas Light (1938). It was released in the United States under the title Angel Street so that audiences would not confuse it with MGM's 1944 version starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman, though both had essentially the same plot. The 1944 cinema Gaslight was released in England under the title The Murder in Thornton Square.
The plot focuses on a young woman haunted by the murder of her aunt in a London townhouse that has lain vacant since the crime. Years later she is persuaded by her new husband to return in order to overcome her anxieties. She soon finds herself misplacing small objects and hearing odd noises, and before long her spouse has her believing she is losing her sanity.
This screen version, directed by Thorold Dickinson and starring Diana Wynyard, Anton Walbrook, and Frank Pettingell, adheres more closely to the original play than the 1944 remake. The latter early on reveals the husband's sinister intentions, and cast handsome leading manJoseph Cotten as the detective who solves the case, contrasted with the heavyset, rougher and older Pettingell, who acts as a benevolent detective that intervenes after he observes strange events on his street. The 1940 version had a smaller budget than the more romantic 1944 edition, and concentrates on the abusive, manipulative marital relationship.
The term gaslighting originated from this film (The character Gregory used the gas lamps in the attic, causing the rest of the lamps in the house to dim slightly; when Paula comments on the lights' dimming, she is told she is imagining things. Paula believes herself alone in the house when the dimming occurs, unaware that Gregory has entered the attic from the house next door. The sinister interpretation of the change in light levels is part of a larger pattern of deception to which the character Paula is subjected.)
Reception
MGM reportedly tried to suppress release of the 1940 film in the United States, even to the point of trying to destroy the negative, so that it would not compete with their more publicized 1944 remake.[1]
