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Gaslight

I just finished watching this 1944 movie on D.V.D. last night. It stars French actor Charles Boyer, with Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten. Very suspenseful, much like Hitchcock. Bergman plays a woman whose Aunt was murdered. Bergman's charachter was in the house at the time of the murder, and is still haunted by the experience. She meets Boyer, they marry, and they then move back to the house where the murder took place. Any more would give away too much.

This is a Metro-Goldwyn picture. On the special features, we learn that Bergman was licensed to David Selznick, who lent her to Metro for the film. Apparently, Boyer always required top billing, so Selznick refused to let Bergman so the picture, that is, until Bergman demanded that she be allowed to do it, because she wanted to do a picture with Selznick.

Angela Lansbury, then all of seventeed years old, was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting performance as a maid. Hard to believe, but she was very attractive, at least in black and white.

The sets are beautiful, and they won an academy award. We are told that they were created on a sound stage, as were the exterior shots. it is hard to believe that so much is built for a very temporary endeavor such as a film. I look at those street creations and wonder how much they would cost today. No wonder there is so much more location shooting today.

I also marvel at Bergman. This was released two years after Casablanca, yet she seems so much younger, and more naive.


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Topic - Gaslight - jamesgarvin 08:24:13 01/17/05 (2)


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