Hangover Square (1945)

Set in 1903 London, a distinguished composer (Laird Cregar) learns of a murder that occurred when he suffered from amnesia. He worries that he may have been the murderer during a memory blackout. Based on the novel by Patrick Hamilton and directed by John Brahm (THE LOCKET). Often described as a horror film, I'm not so sure. I look at it as more of a Victorian noir. Initial reviews were mixed but in the ensuing years, its reputation has climbed. Cregar was going through some personal problems during the filming which actually might have helped his excellent performance as the unstable musical genius. As the manipulating femme fatale, Linda Darnell is properly sluttish. It remains an excellent example of a moody psychological thriller. Cregar died two months before this movie was released. He was 31 years old. There's a superb score by Bernard Herrmann (Stephen Sondheim said it influenced his SWEENEY TODD musical). With George Sanders, Faye Marlowe, Glenn Langan and Alan Napier.