The Uninvited (1944) – A pair of siblings from London purchase a surprisingly affordable, lonely cliff-top house in Cornwall, only to discover that it actually carries a ghostly price – and soon they’re caught up in a bizarre romantic triangle from beyond the grave. Starring Academy Award winner Ray Milland (Dial M For Murder) and Ruth Hussey, this haunting adaptation of Dorothy Macardle’s novel Uneasy Freehold was praised by critics on release, one of the highest-grossing films of 1944.

The Unseen (1945) – Widower David Fielding has long been suspected of bringing about his wife’s death. It helps not at all when a series of murders coincides with Fielding’s move into a new neighbourhood. Elizabeth Howard, governess to Fielding’s children, takes it upon herself to either clear her boss’ name or prove him a murderer. Based on Ethel Lina White’s novel Midnight House, and starring actor Joel McCrea, best known for his starring roles in Western films.

For thoughts on The Uninvited and The Unseen, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

The Uninvited and The Unseen come to Blu-Ray courtesy of Imprint Films with each film given its own disc. This label is based out of Australia, but these discs will play on all Blu-Ray players including those in the United States. The Uninvited arrives on Blu-Ray with a 1080p master derived from a 2K digital transfer from a 35mm duplicate negative. This seems to be the same source that was utilized for the U.S. Blu-Ray release from the Criterion Collection in 2013. We appreciate that disc, but it is also over a decade old and could use a fresh pass. The Unseen makes its worldwide debut with a 2K scan of the Original Camera Negative courtesy of Imprint. While not perfect, this new transfer holds up well overall.

Despite the time between the creation of the masters, these films share many of the same qualities, so I will mostly be judging them as a pair while pointing out noticeable differences when necessary. The quality of these films stays in the “pretty good” range with the occasional swing in quality. The films reveal a fair bit of underlying print damage and other source anomalies to one degree or another. Given The Unseen is a new remaster, we have to imagine the source was in pretty rough shape to begin with considering the results. It is not a disappointment by any means, but there is still quite a bit of damage. We presume The Uninvited could be refreshed with modern tools if given another scan to eliminate some of the lingering anomalies.

The natural grain field appears to have been retained in both cases while resolving decently. There are occasional moments that briefly spike, but textures have not been managed or scrubbed. The black-and-white photography holds up enviably across these films as they take advantage of their HD presentation. There is a good amount of detail present with textures on the costumes and in the environments and production design. The contrast holds up well with only a small amount of density fluctuation in the print. Black levels are decent but could be given slightly more depth. There are no unforgivable occurrences of black crush or compression artifacts across these films. Imprint Films has done a fine job with what they have available even if we would like improvements in the future.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray set comes with an inconsistent LPCM 2.0 track for each of these films. There is not much to be disappointed with when it comes to The Uninvited. There is some faint hissing, humming, and crackling that more than likely date back to the source elements, but we expect as much from films of such vintage. Things go beyond the range of the acceptable when we transition over to The Unseen. For much of the film, it seems of a similar quality as its predecessor, but then you begin to hear the most unappealing distortion at regular intervals. We lost track of how many times it happens, but it must be approaching double digits by the end of the film. This usually occurs during the final moments of a scene heading to the next one, so we would guess this has something to do with the use of opticals or the shift from one reel of film to the next. No matter the case, this feels like something modern tools could dampen if not eliminate.

Outside of this persistent issue, the tracks stay in a pretty good lane. The scores that accompany these films never drown out the dialogue or other important information, but some moments can sound a little weak at the highest peaks. Dialogue comes through clearly without much sibilance. It is complemented well with the environmental elements so necessary elements stay prominent in the mix. Imprint Films has provided an imperfect audio experience for these. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for all feature films.

Special Features

The Uninvited

Audio Commentary: Film noir expert and Film Noir Foundation board member Alan K. Rode provides a new very illuminating commentary track in which he discusses the enduring nature of the narrative, the debut of director Lewis Allen, the reshoots with the squirrel, where this fits into the genre, the careers of the talent involved, the legacy of the film and more.

The Uninvited and the Female Gothic – Video Essay by Kat Ellinger: A great 14-minute video essay from one of the top film historians who delves into gothic horror, the place of women in these narratives, recurring themes, and more.

Gail Russell: The Flame That Burned Twice As Bright – Interview with Critic Imogen Sara Smith: A 30-minute featurette with the amazing film historian who discusses the career of Gail Russell, how she was discovered, the tragic arc of her life, her debut in The Uninvited, and more.

Radio Adaptations starring Ray Milland

- Lady Astor Screen Guild play with Ruth Hussey & Betty Field (1944) (28:52)

- Screen Director’s Playhouse with director Lewis Allen (1949) (29:49)

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided.

The Unseen

Audio Commentary: Film noir expert and Film Noir Foundation board member Alan K. Rode provides a new commentary track in which he discusses how this was produced after the success of The Uninvited, the work of director Lewis Allen, the careers of the talent involved, the legacy of the film and more.

Gothic Noir: The Unseen Touch of Henry James – Video Essay by Imogen Sara Smith & Max Evry: A ten-minute video essay is provided that looks into the inspiration of The Turn of the Screw on the narrative, the background of the story, and more.

Final Thoughts

The Uninvited and The Unseen are two eerie thrillers that tap into terror both supernatural and psychological. The former title is the one most often cited as a classic, but we would not overlook the qualities of The Unseen if you want to be creeped out. These films have strong performances and a worthy sense of craftsmanship. These won’t keep you up at night, but they are well worth a viewing from classic horror and suspense fans. Imprint Films has released a Blu-Ray set featuring a mixed bag of an A/V presentation and some terrific special features. Recommended

The Uninvited/The Unseen is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Note #2: This release is an Australian import that can be played on Blu-Ray players worldwide.

Disclaimer: Imprint Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.