1944 psychological thriller, dir. George Cukor, Charles Boyer, Ingrid
Bergman: IMDb /
allmovie. Is she going mad?
So MGM noticed the success of the 1940 adaptation and wanted to
make its own big-budget version; part of their contract stipulated the
destruction of all prints of the 1940 film, and they appear to have
gone after the negatives too. I suppose in those days cinemas might
actually have shown a film that was four years old.
This deviates further from the play than did the 1940 adaptation, but
generally in a good way: for example, where Paul in 1940 was
constantly overbearing Bella, we first see Gregory here wooing Paula,
and later carefully mentioning her errors in a friendly way because
she wouldn't want to be embarrassed by someone else noticing would
she? It's altogether more subtle and more effective.
What's more, it was Paula's aunt who was killed and Paula's inherited
the house, which is a plausible reason for Gregory to need her in
order to get access to it.
Ingrid Bergman doesn't have the chemistry with Charles Boyer than
Wynward and Walbrook managed, but she plays solo very effectively: she
has a range of worry, of panic, of hysteria, and the gradual
escalation is very effective. (I never believed that she was going to
stab Gregory at the end, though.)
There's also Angela Lansbury's first film role as the maid who's
clearly no better than she should be, but still has an eye to the main
chance; in particular she performs a splendidly impudent curtsey when
Gregory and Paula are getting into a cab. (I'm a sucker for these
little bits of physical acting.)
All right, there's also the curious neighbour "Bloodthirsty" Bessie
Thwaite, and while I always love to see May Whitty she's written in
very broad strokes. Another major change is making the policeman also
a romantic hero, indeed someone who was obsessed with the aunt as a
callow youth, which comes over as just a little bit creepy. More
seriously, in order to make him a candidate for romance, he's shorn of
much of the interest and quirky personality that Rough had in 1940.
It's certainnly better than the 1940 film. But my word an even better
version could be made combining elements from both.
I talk about this film further on
Ribbon of Memes.