Customer Reviews

Gaslight [VHS]

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

"Gaslight" (the 1944 version) is one of the best suspense classics I can think of that's not directed by Hitchcock, and the casting was simply flawless. Ingrid Bergman gives a excellent performance as a naive young woman ("Paula") who's nearly driven insane by her sinister, greedy husband, "Gregory" (played by Charles Boyer). Joseph Cotten plays the detective who comes to Paula's rescue just when she's almost lost her sanity. It is he who helps Paula finally realize that Gregory had only married her so that he could find very valuable jewels supposedly hidden in her house years ago. Charles Boyer is great even playing such an unlikable villian, and Dame May Whitty along with then 18-year-old Angela Lansbury in her film debut (who was nominated for best supporting actress) add great support to the main stars. This is truly an awesome dvd, and it includes the 1940 British version of "Gaslight" as well as a documentary "Reflections on Gaslight", the original trailer, and footage of Ingrid Bergman accepting her best actress oscar at the 1944 Academy Awards ceremony! This classic thriller is highly recommended.

GASLIGHT is finally on DVD! And not just the 1944 suspense classic. This edition includes the complete British GASLIGHT made just a few years before in 1940. For years MGM actively supressed the older film giving rise to the legend that it was a far superior film. Now finally film buffs can view both and decide for themselves.

Both are terrific movies. For me, while the British version is leaner and faster, the Cukor film is by far the greater of the two. The relationship between Walbrook and Wynyard in the 1940 version is a well-played but two dimensional depiction of a tormentor and his victim. Boyer's and Bergman's characters are more complex and subtle in the 1944 film. There is a genuine romantic/sexual energy between them. While Boyer is sinister he also very charming and attractive. And you watch as the once-vibrant Bergman gives up her self confidence and becomes emotionally dependent on Boyer a little bit at a time. And what can you say about the amoral delinquent maid of Angela Lansbury? That alone is worth the price of admission!

A great movie and a very good movie. Buy the DVD and enjoy them both!

Director George Cukor's Gaslight is a wonderful mystery suspense in the Alfred Hitchcock tradition. And where Hitchcock had trouble with mastery over period dramas, Cukor excelled. The set decoration and camera work are extraordinary and the performances are all on target. Another reason this film has a Hitchcock feel is due to the fact that two of Hitchcock's most popular players, Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotton, star. Bergman stars as Paula Alquist, a shy young woman, whose only surviving relative was brutally murdered when she was a teenager. Bergman's aunt, Alice Alquist was a famous opera singer and as the movie begins, we find Bergman studying voice in Italy. Accompanying her on the piano is the suave and sophisticated Charles Boyer, the object of Bergman's affections. Distracted by this new love in her life, Bergman gives up her studies and runs off and marries Boyer. All seems wonderful until Boyer convinces Bergman that they should return to her home in London, the very place where her aunt was murdered. Bergman is reluctant, but gives in to please her new husband. Unknown to Bergman, however, is the fact that Boyer murdered her aunt looking for some very expensive, but hidden jewels. His obsession in finding them goes so far as to convince Bergman that she is on the brink of insanity. Cotton enters the scene as a sympathetic Scotland Yard inspector, and a fan of Bergman's late aunt. He is convinced that the mystery surrounding Alice Alquist's murder is somewhere in that house, and he also suspects Boyer. Bergman shines in her first Academy Awarding winning performance. Hers is a delicate, well balanced tour de force that draws the viewer in and makes us sympathize and pull for her to triumph. As the diabolical husband, Boyer is properly menacing and cruel, carefully orchestrating Bergman's descent into madness. With all this talent and star power in one film, Gaslight couldn't help but be a masterpiece. Gaslight is also noteworthy for 17-year-old Angela Landsbury's film debut as the saucy maid Nancy. With all the polish and resources of the MGM film factory at its peak, Gaslight is superb in every way. Wonderful entertainment.

If you like old movies (and especially if you like Ingrid Bergman), then you'll have no choice but to fall in love with 1944's version of "Gaslight" (directed by George Cukor). This is good old-time filmmaking at its very best.

Ingrid Bergman is magnificent as "Paula Alquist Anton", who recently married the suave and sophisticated "Gregory Anton" (played by Charles Boyer, who was never better, and never more sinister and underhanded than we find him here).

Little did Paula know when she married the dashing Mr. Anton -- who is 16 years her senior (based on the ages of the actors portraying these characters; Bergman was 28 when she made the film; Boyer was 44) -- that Gregory had a conniving little scheme up his devious sleeve the whole time; a scheme to slowly but surely drive the new Mrs. Anton out of her mind. It's a story that's been done before in the cinema, to be certain; but "Gaslight" sends this plotline to a different (and better) plateau. It plays out very nicely and effectively in this film. And you gotta love Ingrid in the final act when she confronts her plotting husband. She's just great here, in a terrific finale to the picture.

Bergman and Boyer are both just right for their parts here; and I doubt if Miss Bergman ever looked better through the probing camera's eye than she does in her many close-ups in "Gaslight". She is simply ravishing on screen in this motion picture. The supporting cast is ideal as well, including the always-first-rate Joseph Cotten, plus Dame May Whitty in a humorous role as a neighborhood busybody, and Angela Lansbury in her very first movie role (she turned 18 while the film was being made).

"Gaslight" did quite well in the "Oscar" department too -- earning several Academy Award nominations, including two winning nods (Miss Bergman won her first Oscar trophy for "Best Actress" and the film also took the award for "Best Art Direction"). Boyer and the teenaged Lansbury also received nominations (for "Best Actor" and "Best Supporting Actress", respectively). Lansbury plays "Nancy", a sassy and frisky house servant of the Antons; and she is delightful in the part too.

Set in London, England, in the 1870s, "Gaslight" oozes Victorian-era atmosphere, as well as the misty and foggy dampness of London. The set design and costumes, to my eyes, are authentic-looking in all respects. It's filmed in black-and-white, enhancing the movie's oft-times dark and shadowy surroundings all the more.

The film transfer to this Warner Brothers' DVD looks excellent. Very clean and clear, with a pleasing Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono soundtrack as well. Video is in the intended Full-Frame ratio, as it was originally seen in theaters beginning on May 4, 1944.

And for those fans who can't get enough "Gaslight", WB has even included the entire 1940 U.K. version of the movie on Side B of this dual-sided DVD. So, this disc is literally a "Gaslight Double-Feature". The '40 version (also a B&W film) stars Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard in the two leads. I'm partial to the U.S. adaption of the film done four years later; but the 1940 variant has many die-hard supporters as well. A tip of the cap to Warner's DVD division for seeing fit to place both versions of the movie on the very same Digital Disc.

And WB didn't stop there either -- in addition to the second full-length movie on Side B of the disc, some other nice extra features are presented here too. .... There's a 13.5-minute featurette entitled "Reflections On Gaslight", hosted by Ingrid Bergman's daughter. Angela Lansbury is also on hand to provide a few personal insights about her first-ever experience on a movie set. A nice little featurette, with several behind-the-camera "Gaslight" tidbits being revealed.

Other DVD bonus items include an Academy Awards Newsreel (1:31 in length), where we get to see three Oscars being awarded for 1944 excellence, with awards being handed out to Ingrid Bergman, Bing Crosby, and 8-year-old Margaret O'Brien. Very good video quality on this short extra, too. ... And there's also the Theatrical Trailer for the 1944 edition of "Gaslight" (1:53).

More DVD data ..... The Main Menus are not animated, but do feature underlying theme music from the film. ... Three Subtitle options available (English, Spanish, and French). ... A secondary audio track available for the 1944 version (French Mono). ... Chapter Stops: 33 for the 1944 film; 25 chapter breaks for the 1940 version. ... Snap Case (cardboard) packaging. ... DVD Release Date by Warner Home Video: February 3rd, 2004.

"Gaslight" Trivia Notes -- The 1944 edition of "Gaslight" is also known as "Murder In Thornton Square", which was the title used for the film in the United Kingdom. ... The earlier '40 "Gaslight" also had an alternate title (two of them in fact) -- "Angel Street" and "A Strange Case Of Murder".

--------------

1944's "Gaslight" works very nicely as a thriller, a suspense drama, a love story, and a murder mystery. No matter which specific category you want to slide the movie into, there's one label that can be placed above all others when categorizing it (the one that makes this motion picture a sheer joy to watch time and time again) -- "Classic". With this cast of actors, how could it be anything else? So turn down the (gas)lights in the living room, and then turn on "Gaslight" on DVD.

There are two movies and three strong reasons to love this dvd. The disk contains two versions of GASLIGHT, based on Patrick Hamilton's stage play. The first, from 1940, is director Thorold Dickinson's English version starring Diana Wynyard as the retiring young wife and Anton Walbrook as the husband who is trying to drive her insane. The second is the famous one, directed in Hollywood by George Cukor in 1944, starring Ingrid Bergman (she won an Oscar for this one) and Charles Boyer.

I watched the 1940's version first and, somewhat to my surprise, enjoyed it very much. Walbrook's character in the first movie is the epitome of effete villainy, a hiss-able cad whose cruelty made me squirm. Boyer's husband, on the other hand, is a charming rogue with a cold, calculating, concealed and congealed heart. They both get the job done, but Boyer does so in a more believable manner. In the first movie Diana Wynyard's character is extremely shy and retiring, almost to the point where you wonder how she ever managed to make it to adulthood. Ingrid Bergman is given a character more assertive, even though still under her husband's control.

If you can't tell by now, the third reason I love this dvd is the chance it gives to see the evolution of a screenplay by comparing the two movies. That we're given the opportunity to make the comparison is ironic - reports have it that the studio tried to destroy all copies of the '40 GASLIGHT when they released Cukor's version. They shouldn't have worried. Although the `40 version is good, Cukor's is a classic. Wynyard is good is her showcase role while Bergman is transcendent.

The Amazon listing is incorrect, and the photo of the DVD must use an old theatre poster as the artwork. This is the black-and-white version we've been waiting for since we first saw it 5 years ago.

Acting by all characters is just exquisite. We were crawling out of our skins--and we knew the ending!

"Gaslight" always impresses me with its great story, atmospheric sets (which quite rightly won the Academy Award for that year), taut suspense and mind chilling performance by Charles Boyer as the sadistic and money obsessed husband of heiress Ingrid Bergman.

The play on one individual's mental state of mind and the consequences that that has for that individualis the story upon which "Gaslight" is based. Rarely has this often used theme been so well employed as in George Cukor's updated version of a British film of the 30's. It tells the story of Paula Alquist (Bergman) who marries Gregory Anton who is not all he appears to be and after they begin their married life together Paula finds that not only is her husband not the loving individual she thought he was, but that he is disappearing at night with no explanation. Paula suddenly finds herself trapped in a hostile environment with no one to really help her. She begins to be at first intimidated and then terrified by strange noises in distant parts of the house, the gaslights of the title being mysteriously lowered with no explanation and suddenly, according to her husband, she is starting to lose her mind as she imagines things, becomes forgetful and looses some of her precious belongings.

"Gaslight" boasts a wonderful cast, all at the peak of their careers when this production was made. It really is old style Hollywood at its very best. Ingrid Bergman delivers a stunning oscar winning performance as the put upon heroine of the piece. Her decline into a mass of uncertainities at the hands of her husband and her eventual playing of the same game to outsmart him is brilliantly portrayed and George Cukor's sure hand with directing female performers to top notch performances is very evident. Charles Boyer, never a favourite actor of mine, shines in the role of the unbalanced Gregory who is motivated by greed in his determination to destroy his wife. His harsh treatment of the Bergman character while disturbing to watch, is also masterfully played and he has just the right elements of menace and cunning to keep us the audience guessing till well into the proceedings about his real motives and reasons for marrying Paula.

The cast is rounded out by a stunning debut from Angela Lansbury as the brassy cockney maid who is not slow to read the situation existing in the house and who is not above making her own play for th emaster of the house. She is at times harsh, calculating and naive about who and what she is dealing with and her presence on screen is riveting. Joseph Cotton plays the police inspector who comes to Paula's rescue and delivers his usual solid performance but he can't help but fade into insignificance beside Boyer's more flamboyant playing as the villian. Dame May Whitty also appears in a humourous performance as Gregory and Paula's nosy neighbour who tries for the entire running length of the film to get inside the house across the square to find out for herself about the mysterious goings on. She adds the very essential "English" element to the proceedings and as always is excellent in her performance.

"Gaslight" is a very eerie and disturbing film in many ways but done with such finesse that it becomes a memorable viewing experience. It was a perfect marriage of talented performers, great director, great atmosphere and a real sense of suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seats. Bergman and Boyer have wonderful chemistry together which goes a long way to explaining how they managed to lift an often used theme to new heights of viewing entertainment. The usual MGM style and no expense spared budget add tremendously to the overrall look and feel of "Gaslight". Cedric Gibbon's interior design captures beautifully that rich Victorian flavour that Hollywwod was so good at recreating on a Hollywood sound stage.

Enjoy "Gaslight" on a cold winters night with all the drapes pulled shut, it will be a guaranteed memorable viewing experience if you are watching it for the first or umteenpth time. A true classic from Hollywood's golden age.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but I seem to have felt myself slipping into the "Twilight Zone" while being completely absorbed in this movie. Ingrid Bergman won a well deserved Academy Award in this psychological thriller from 1944. Charles Boyer and Angela Lansbury were both nominated for their devious but stylish performances. The film was also nominated for best screenplay and cinematography. Even with all this going for it, "Gaslight" has become somewhat dated (through no fault of its own), and a bit tedious at times. But make no mistake about it, "Gaslight" is old fashioned storytelling at its best! It's 100 percent gothic romance! What more could you ask for than distinctly Victorian flavor in a Victorian London setting? If you answered, "relentless tension," your wish has been granted! The script is clever, and the atmosphere haunting. Just one flaw: A disappointing conclusion to an otherwise exquisite production. However, as the end approaches, you may be mentally drained and exhausted to the point where just one more plot twist could have put you over the edge. And what a great, and oh so appropriate title! I will buy the DVD, and watch it again, and again, and again.

The DVD release of Gaslight is terrific. The inclusion of both film versions is a great treat because both films are definitely worth seeing; perhaps they even deserve a back to back viewing. The 1944 version is somewhat superior because of the casting, but there are some terrific things, storywise, in the 1940 version that fare better.

The plot is simple yet satisfying: An unstable woman and her husband move back into her childhood home, where a murder had taken place years earlier. She slowly begins losing grip on reality and becomes convinced that her husband is trying to drive her insane. Or is he? It adds up to a diabolical, atmospheric thriller, which won Bergman her first, but not last, Oscar.

By today's standards GASLIGHT may be seen as slow-moving and obvious. But no modern film can match this picture's intricate psychology. Beautifully filmed in a gloomy, atmospheric black-and-white, GASLIGHT exhibits all the classic visual elements of '40s film noir. The attention to detail is more obvious than in many modern films and heightens the suspense. The benighted streets of London are cloaked with fog, and the large, lonely house where most of the action takes place, is filled with shadows and strange noises. The paranoid, claustrophobic world of Paula's confinement is also effectively conveyed. This is the kind of effectively-crafted, well-acted motion picture that rises above its faults to earn its "classic" appellation. It's a must!

(...) This classic Victorian thriller's plot mechanism of a man trying to drive his wife mad definitely squeaks, but as a study in mental cruelty, this film has lost none of its power. Based on Patrick Hamilton's play "Angel Street" (which, by the way, starred Vincent Price and Judith Evelyn, later to co-star in "The Tingler"!), "Gaslight" was filmed previously in England in 1939. I myself haven't seen the British film, and have heard differing opinions on which film is superior, but I definitely love the 1944 version. I'll give a brief summary of the plot for the uninitiated. Alice Alquist, famed opera diva, was strangled, presumably for her famous jewels, and the murderer was never caught. Her teenaged niece, Paula, who lived with her, is taken to Italy for a presumably better life. The murderer is suave Gregory Anton, (Charles Boyer), a pianist who romances and weds Paula some ten years later, and persuades her to return to London and to live in her late aunt's house. He then proceeds to drive his vulnerable young wife mad, isolating her from other people, telling her that she loses and forgets things, and so on. Greedy Gregory goes out in the evenings, enters the attic by way of the roof, and proceeds to hunt for Alice Alquist's jewels, presumably hidden amongst all of her stored possessions. The gaslight in Paula's room goes down, and she hears footsteps and noises, which Gregory tells her are figments of her imagination. Gregory persists in psychologically battering Paula to a near-breaking point, and suspicious Scotland Yard detective Brian Cameron (played by an underrated Joseph Cotten) becomes Paula's savior, and Gregory is apprehended and taken away. The plot mechanism does creak and is definitely shopworn by today's standards, but the production and performances are first-rate. What can I say about Ingrid Bergman that hasn't already been said? Blessed with one of the loveliest "natural" faces seen on screen, a voice that could melt your heart, and a remarkable talent, she was something else. One scene in particular really sums up where this film's power lies. Charles Boyer (so silkily villainous) whispers to Miss Bergman "My watch is missing" in the middle of a recital, looks in her purse (he planted it there), and Miss Bergman begins to sob uncontrollably. I shudder just thinking about this scene! I've borne witness to similar behavior in real life, and know people who have been in manipulative relationships, so this rings very true to me. But, back to the rest of the cast. A 17 year old Angela Lansbury made her screen debut in this film as a tartish Cockney maid, kicking off a long and great career, and the wonderful Dame May Whitty as an inquisitive neighbor is a delight. The cinematography is lush and moody, the costumes and sets are superb, full of rich detail (one forgets thats these are just sets and not a "real" house), and an ominous score by Bronislau Caper add to this handsome production. In closing, I have to state again how much I admire Ingrid Bergman. The lady was a class act, and in spite of her loveliness, never viewed herself as a "glamour puss". She just wanted to be a great actress, and she certainly more than succeeded, winning her first Academy Award for this film. I'll take Sweden!