Guest in the House (1944)

1944

Anne Baxter, Ralph Bellamy, Aline MacMahon, Ruth Warrick, Scott McKay, Marie McDonald, Jerome Cowan, Margaret Hamilton, Percy Kilbride, Connie Laird, Mystic Nights Videos

Story of a young woman's obsessive love. Evelyn (Anne Baxter), an emotionally unstable woman, stays at the home of her doctor Dan Proctor (Scott McKay). She meets and falls in love with the doctors brother Douglas, but he is already happily married. Evelyn decides she will break up the marriage. Mystic Nights Videos This file has better video quality than the one I previously uploaded.

Guest in the House (re-release title Satan in Skirts) is a 1944 United States film noir directed by John Brahm starring Anne Baxter and Ralph Bellamy.
Lewis Milestone began directing the film in April 1944, but was stricken with appendicitis in May 1944 and collapsed on the set. John Brahm then stepped in to direct.<>.</>

Plot

Martha Proctor believes something evil has come to her home. Her nephew Dr. Dan Proctor arrives with his betrothed, Evelyn Heath, who is a frail invalid. Evelyn is introduced to Aunt Martha as well as Dan's older brother, Douglas, an illustrator, along with Douglas's wife Ann and his model, Miriam.
The women sympathize with Evelyn, knowing of the hard life she has had. Evelyn has bouts of hysteria, involving her fear of birds, and also keeps a secret diary in which she mocks her fiancee Dan and expresses a desire for Douglas instead.
While plotting to seduce Douglas, and accusing Dan of jealousy to make him leave, Evelyn next sets out to rid the house of Miriam, whom she sees as a rival. Her gossip succeeds in getting back to Aunt Martha and turning everyone's suspicions to Miriam, who departs.
Douglas then quarrels with Ann, driven apart by Evelyn's diabolical schemes. Evelyn goes so far as to destroy the goodbye note Ann has written to him. By the time everyone realizes who's behind all this and decide to commit Evelyn to an asylum, a hysterical Evelyn flees from the house, screaming, and plunges to her death.

Cast

Anne Baxter as Evelyn Heath
Ralph Bellamy as Douglas Proctor
Aline MacMahon as Aunt Martha
Ruth Warrick as Ann Proctor
Scott McKay as Dr. Dan Proctor
Marie McDonald as Miriam
Jerome Cowan as Mr. Hackett
Margaret Hamilton as Hilda, the Maid
Percy Kilbride as John, the Butler
Connie Laird as Lee Proctor

Reception

The film earned a profit of $50,000.

=Accolades=

Nominations

Academy Awards: Academy Award for Best Original Score; Werner Janssen; 1945.

Category:1944 films
Category:1940s drama films
Category:1940s thriller films
Category:American films
Category:Black-and-white films
Category:English-language films
Category:Film noir
Category:Films directed by John Brahm
Category:United Artists films

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