seymourblack-1 Murder and madness loom large in this Gothic melodrama which is loosely based on Patrick Hamilton's 1941 novel and features a very unusual kind of serial killer. Set in the often fog-shrouded London of 1903, it tells the story of a classical musician who's aware that he has periodic blackouts and starts to become increasingly concerned because, after they've passed, he can never recall what has happened.The man in question is well-respected composer and pianist, George Harvey Bone (Laird Cregar) who's working on a new concerto that has been commissioned by Sir Henry Chapman (Alan Napier). Sir Henry is a famous conductor who says that George's new work (which he would like to debut at one of his upcoming soirees), has every chance of turning the composer into an international success and so George has to work hard to be able to produce a concerto of the required quality by the deadline that Sir Henry has set.After reading a newspaper report about an antique dealer in Fulham who was stabbed to death and had his shop set on fire, George becomes alarmed that the timing of the crime coincided with one of his blackouts and to make matters worse, he also has a dagger in his possession and the coat he was wearing that night is blood-stained. After speaking to his girlfriend Barbara (Faye Marlowe), who's Sir Henry's daughter, the couple go to see Scotland Yard psychologist, Dr Allan Middleton (George Sanders), who after having some forensic tests carried out, assures George that there is no evidence to link him to the Fulham murder. He also offers the view that George's blackouts are probably caused by overworking and suggests that he should relax more and get out and meet some ordinary, everyday people.Following this advice, George visits a local music hall where he enjoys a performance by a sexy singer and later, when he meets Netta Longdon (Linda Darnell), her pianist/manager Mickey (Michael Dyne), who's one of George's friends, tells the singer about George's talent as a composer and they spontaneously write a song together. This proves to be such a money-spinner that the singer, who previously had no interest in George, immediately starts flirting with him and does everything she can to get him to write more songs for her act. George tries to concentrate only on his concerto but is won over by Netta's charms and thinking that she's attracted to him, writes further songs for her. When he realises how deceitful she is, George attempts unsuccessfully to strangle both Barbara and Netta's fiancé before he succeeds in strangling Netta and disposes of her body on a Guy Fawkes Night bonfire. As the net eventually starts to close in on him, George's only remaining priority is to ensure that he manages to perform his completed concerto at Sir Henry's soiree and this leads to the movie's spectacular finale.In 1944, 20th Century Fox had scored a big hit with "The Lodger" which was a "Jack the Ripper" film and so, in an effort to repeat that success, studio head Darryl F Zanuck brought cast members, Laird Cregar and George Sanders, director John Brahm and screenwriter Barre Lyndon together again to produce the same magic with a "Jekyll and Hyde" type story. This ploy worked perfectly by enabling budget savings to be made by using some of the sets from the previous movie for this one and also because "Hangover Square" was regarded as the better film by many fans.The serial killer in this movie whose blackouts are triggered by discordant sounds, is a sympathetic and tragic character because he's a victim of both a mental condition over which he has no control and a scheming femme fatale whose actions precipitate a great deal of the mayhem that he causes. Laird Cregar, in a fine performance, portrays the two very different sides of a man who, in his rational state is gentle, polite and friendly but when unbalanced becomes a crazed killer and a pyromaniac. With strong supporting performances from Linda Darnell and George Sanders, some exceptional expressionistic cinematography and a top class score from Bernard Herrman, this movie provides a great deal to enjoy plus a crazy climax that brilliantly incorporates flashbacks, hallucinations and the movie's fire motif, all accompanied by a fantastic rendition of George's powerful "Concerto Macabre".

vincentlynch-moonoi There are two remarkable actors in this film. Laird Cregar -- whom I had never heard of -- is brilliant here. This movie belongs to him...his performance is scintillating! And, so that the heavy could play a romantic, yet murderous part, he quickly lost 100 pounds before making the film, and died before it was released! The other remarkable performance in this film is by Linda Darnell...in my opinion, remarkably bad. I had just seen her the previous night opposite Tyrone Power, and she was quite good. But here, stinko! And that's the remarkable thing about this film. Cregar is soooooo good, that you easily overlook the poor performance by Darnell. It's a gripping film that is not unlike "Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde", but perhaps even better. Here, Cregar plays a composer who has amnesia attacks during which he often kills someone. A wonderful girl is in love with him, but he falls for a cheap pop singer who only wants to use him. Of course, we all know where this is going. And, indeed, he does kill Darnell...and the viewer is glad of it. Cregar is able to gain incredible sympathy while playing a serial murderer! The other performance worth watching here is by George Sanders, who is excellent as a detective from Scotland Yard. You can't help but wish that he was on screen more.This rates a very high, solid 7 for me, and is well worth a watch and a place on your video shelf, particularly if you like old thrillers.

marymorrissey and I think Mr. composer actually played the music himself! "Hangover Square" kept me well occupied today for about half the time that the plumbers were here, making big drama about a few repairs, making a career of it as Tura Satana says in Faster Pussycat. It's a marvelous cinematic sensation about a classical composer whose modernism music is by Berhard Hermann lots of tritones and rather nice it is as is this nice girl - kind of a cross between Laura Linney and Cookie Mueller - whose sole ambition is how to help her man's career and whose father is a conductor and who's pretty much managed to swing a commission for a new concerto for the piano he will play. Liberace this man is not. The Actor who looks to have been born to play Oscar Wilde (and it says "on the internet" that he forced Hollywood to notice him by staging a 1 man show about Oscar), Laird Cregar evidently he died trying to transform himself into "a beautiful man" at 33 his dieting for this film killed him it says here another source told me that he died as a result of plastic surgery. he actually looked better at 300 lbs. judging by the photos I've found on the internet. Anyway our beastly Beethoven has been blacking out from overwork and someone always seems to die a violent death during these blackouts. a hussy of the worst kind - an actress - who's about the most heinous unmarried hussy without a hymen who ever was, the most tawdry tart since Marlene in "The Devil is a Woman" gets her claws into him & starts making him write pop songs. this takes place in ... the teens? gas lamp/gaslight time 20th century I think. what triggers his quite apparently murderous blackouts? they occur when he hears a jangling "discordant sound" he strangles a Jew, tries to strangle a cat and even the nice girl who fortunately doesn't notice who it is for aside from her man she only has eyes for her piano. indeed perhaps the piano is her lover. she wraps herself around it! it's quite something historical when he finally gets rid of the hussy using the knotted garroting technique for it's guy Fawkes holiday and he is able to get rid of the corpse by putting her body on this pyre of guy Fawkes effigies just before it's torched foreshadowing more fiery flights in the near future but none's the wiser except eventually sadly he doesn't kill killjoy George sander who of all things plays the "good guy" a doctor who insists on some revelations just before he's about to go out to take the stage to premiere his concerto! the Dr (the ass!) worries that the music will trigger an episode. finally .... Our man, Maestro Bone, collapses because he's being stalked by Scotland yard during right his concert during the Adagio and while he agrees to relinquish the solo part which is taken over by the nice miss (linney/mueller) he doesn't want to leave the building as anyone there would, in fact, he wants at least to hear his concerto, even though you can barely hear the piano part once the delicate little miss takes over. naturally he starts a fire to occupy his pursuers as a later result of which soon enough chaos erupts in the concert hall the musicians and audience begin pouring out the exits along with smoke but the composer seizes a figurine or bust I should say a figurine but a large one, about as menacing a figurine as is to be found decorating. a strange weapon indeed but in his diabolical and talented hands the figurine as "played" by Mr. Cregar and somehow manages to force most of the public back into the concert arena! the nice woman can't drag him away from the Steinway and George sander grabs her and drags her away, saving Laura Linney/Cookie Mueller at least. as he begins playing everyone else runs right out again, as who would not! talk about goetterdaemmerung! leaving us with a fiery conclusion of both concerto and career. the piano concerto is rather nice. . .. oh and the actor seems to be playing the music, which demonstrates you don't need 150000 notes/minute a concerto to make. . . additions:I was very surprised and pleased that Hollywood acknowledged the existence of the kind of music Mr. Bone produced, even if it was in connection with a dark character. Even if he killed someone, I beg to differ with the biographical essay for LC which indicates that the character he played in HS is "despicable". That is hardly the case!

bob_gilmore1 While RKO had Val Lewton and his psychological classic like "The Seventh Victim" and "Cat People" Fox had John Brahm, a much underrated director most famous for "The Lodger" a study of Jack The Ripper that also starred this film's leading man, Laird Cregor. For my money both Brahm and Cregor top themselves in this very similarly textured thriller about a classical pianist that suffers from a split personality. The bad news for him and those around him is that when he slips into "blackouts" that he takes the lives of those around him that he has disagreements with. There is no doubt that the success of "The Lodger" prompted Fox to re-teem the director with the star and also bring back George Sanders for a much similar role. This time rather than Scotland Yard detective Sanders plays a police alienist who Brahm initially seeks out when he has reason to believe that he has committed murder during one of the "missing time" intervals.Set in 19th century London, the film benefits from brooding atmosphere and a set peculiarity. It seems that the film is set while London engineers are digging up the streets to lay new sewer pipes and the presence up the upturned earth and pipes laying about creates a near documentary feeling. Recently released by Fox alongside "The Lodger" and another Brahm feature this set is a great bargain and should be snatched up before it vanishes from stores.