Gaslight

film by Cukor [1944]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Article History

Gaslight, American film noir, released in 1944, that centres on murder and madness in Victorian London. The cast included Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, and Angela Lansbury in her screen debut.

Bergman portrayed Paula, a young woman who lives with her aunt, a famous opera singer, in London but moves to Italy after her aunt is killed during a burglary. Ten years later, following a brief courtship, she marries the pianist Gregory Anton (played by Boyer), who, unbeknownst to her, is actually the murderer. The couple returns to her aunt’s house, and a series of unexplained incidents lead Paula to suspect that she may be slowly going mad. However, the strange events—such as the mysterious dimming of the gaslights in the house (hence the title of the film)—are actually orchestrated by Gregory in an attempt to drive his young bride mad, institutionalize her, and then steal a cache of jewels hidden somewhere in the house.

The taut thriller was based on the play Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton. A British film version was released in 1940, and director George Cukor’s adaptation appeared four years later. The performances by Boyer and Bergman, who won her first Academy Award, were critically praised. In addition, Lansbury earned accolades for her portrayal of a teenaged maid who aids Gregory.