George Melachrino (George Melachrino) is a composer and conductor. In a discussion with a director (Henry Oscar) Melachrino tells the director about the inspiration for his latest composition. According to Melachrino, there is an old house near Dorset that the locals believe is haunted. Melachrino went to see the house and tells the director about the circumstances surrounding the reason for the legend.
Francis (Laurence Harvey) and his new bride, Elaine (Lesley Osmond) lived in the family home. Also living there were Francis’ half-brothers, John (Alexander Archdale) and Noel (John Teed). John, being the eldest, runs the household and the family wealth. Noel is a high-strung man who is engaged to Tessa (Grace Arnold). Francis doesn’t get along with his half-brothers and has incurred some debt since his mother died. John tells him that he will pay his debts provided Frances leaves and makes no claim on the family home. Francis refuses. He believes that he is entitled to more and has just as much right to the house as the other two.
Francis is a devious and greedy man. John is older and in ill health. Francis brings about a fatal heart attack to his brother when he smashes the elder’s prize violin. Francis then tries to drive Noel from the house by making him think that John is haunting the place. Noel at first tries to stand his ground but he is a nervous man and is susceptible to suggestion and gaslighting. Noel’s fiancé refuses to marry him if he stays.
Francis manages to not only drive Noel out of the house but the servants as well. Elaine sees that Francis has gone off the deep end in his vindictiveness and, realizing that Francis is responsible for John’s death, leaves as well. Alone in the house, Frances starts to come unhinged and begins to believe that John is indeed haunting the mansion.
“House of Darkness” was released in 1948 and was directed by Oswald Mitchell. It is a British horror and psychological thriller with gothic elements and is a quota quickie.
I was in it for the atmosphere, at least most of the time. The gothic and dreary black and white images were the best part of the film. The story was average, and the old dark house feel was interrupted by a lack of suspense through most of the film. As a psychological thriller it did have its good points and there are some creepy aspects to the movie, but the ending is slightly ambiguous and the closing scene too light-hearted and unsatisfying. It’s not a bad movie, but the framing story narrated by Melachrino was trite and unnecessary, resulting in the movie losing some its fear factor by the time it was over.
This was Laurence Harvey’s first film. Composer and conductor George Melachrino plays himself.