Gaslight (1944)
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A woman's sanity is systematically undermined by her husband as he hides his criminal activities behind a web of manipulation.
The story
In 1875, Paula, an opera student, marries her accompanist, Gregory, and moves into a large townhouse in London. While settling in, she becomes haunted by the memory of her aunt's murder. When Paula discovers a mysterious letter, Gregory reacts with hostility and begins to treat her as if she is mentally unstable. As Paula notices strange occurrences in the house, such as flickering gaslights and noises from the attic, she begins to doubt her own perceptions. Her isolation grows as Gregory insists she is unfit for public life, while a local detective begins to investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding her aunt's death.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1875 London, Paula Alquist Anton lives in a townhouse inherited from her murdered aunt, Alice. Her husband, Gregory, is actually a criminal named Sergis Bauer who murdered Alice and is now using Paula to find hidden jewels. To keep her from discovering his crimes, he systematically gaslights her, making her believe she is losing her mind. Paula notices strange noises and flickering lights, but Gregory dismisses her concerns as delusions. Meanwhile, Inspector Brian Cameron investigates the old murder and realizes Gregory is manipulating Paula. He discovers that the gaslights flicker because Gregory is secretly entering the attic from an adjacent house to search for jewels. He reveals to Paula that the letter she found is real and that her husband is a fraud. In the climax, Sergis is caught by the police. Paula, finally realizing her sanity, confronts him in the attic. She finds the 'missing' brooch and taunts him before he is taken away.
- First release year
- 1944
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- George Cukor
- Writers
- John Van Druten · screenplay; Walter Reisch · screenplay; John L. Balderston · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Charles Boyer · Gregory Anton/Sergis Bauer; Ingrid Bergman · Paula Alquist Anton; Joseph Cotten · Brian Cameron; May Whitty · Miss Bessie Thwaites; Angela Lansbury · Nancy Oliver; Barbara Everest · Elizabeth Tompkins
- Genres
- psychological thriller; mystery
- Themes
- Gaslighting; Manipulation; Mental Instability
- Tone and mood
- Suspenseful; Melodramatic; Atmospheric
- Setting
- Victorian London, 1875
- Premise and plot tags
- Psychological Thriller; Mystery; Period Piece; Remake
- Source material / true-story basis
- Patrick Hamilton's play Gas Light (1938)
- Reception
- The film was received to critical acclaim, with critics praising the performances of Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. It is considered a classic of the genre.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 94% · scale: percentage · review count: 86; Metacritic · score: 78 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Awards and nominations
- Best Actress · Academy Awards · Win; Best Production Design · Academy Awards · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled 'The Murder in Thornton Square' in the UK to avoid confusion with the 1940 version.; The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2019.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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