Gaslight (1944)

MGM was so apprehensive about director George Cukor's decision to remake Gaslight a mere five years after its initial British production that they insisted prints of the original be destroyed. The studio needn't have worried: with three very talented stars (Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer and Joseph Cotten) at the peak of their popularity, 1944's Gaslight is another wonderful, must-see addition to the Cukor filmography. It is a multi-leveled, ceaselessly entertaining film that stands the test of time. Based on Patrick Hamilton's play Angel Street, the script plumbs such ripe topics as manipulation, compulsion, madness and marital relations. Bergman deservedly won an Academy Award for her role as the "insane" wife who trusts her husband, even if it means she may be going insane; she holds the story together with one of her most impressive performances. It's a difficult character to make believable, but the actress brings such a tethered vulnerability to the part that it gives the film an air of truth and sadness. Gaslight was nominated for seven Oscars -- including one for Angela Lansbury's first film role -- but Bergman's was the only victory. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide