The Deadly Visitor (1973)

Set in 1901, a struggling writer (Perry King) rents a room in a boarding house where a brutal murder occurred many years ago. The older landlady (Gwen Verdon) is lonely and fancies him and although he begins a relationship with her, a mysterious and deadly presence in the household obsesses him. Is it the girl he once cared for or is it the house's murder victim bent on vengeance? Based on a short story by the Irish writer Fitz James O'Brien and directed by Lela Swift (DARK SHADOWS). Originally done for television (it was shot on videotape), this is a very well done ghost story which never tries to explain everything away. When the tale is over, we still don't know who or what the  "presence" is or was. While obviously shot on a modest budget, the art direction by Alan Kimmel and the costumes of Mary McKinley are first rate. With James Keach, Stephen Macht and Ann Miles.