The Night Has Eyes (1942)
A young teacher visits the remote Yorkshire moors where she believes her best friend disappeared a year ago. Caught in a storm she and a female companion get shelter at an old lonely house, home to a reclusive pianist, traumatised by his experiences in the Spanish Civil war. Although he appears welcoming, the teacher soon suspects they are in danger and their host had something to do with her friends disappearance.
One of those ingenious little low budget British Gothic chillers that has all the right ingredients that make for a classic old dark house thriller.
Dark stormy nights, shadowy corridors, secret rooms, skeletons, perilous marshes, murder, a house full of seemingly 'strange' inhabitants, psychological shocks, and a foreboding soundtrack. All quite wonderfully held together by a strong central performance from an introspective James Mason.
If only some company could restore Castle Sinister (1948) and Crow Hollow (1952), another couple of tasty British old dark house thrillers.
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