Gaslight Summary
Director: Thorold Dickinson
Genres: Thriller
Rating:
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 Gaslight was released in the U.S. as Murder in Thornton Square, then withdrawn entirely on the occasion of MGM's expensive 1944 remake of Gaslight, which starred Charles_Boyer and Ingrid_Bergman.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, Rovi
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