The Uninvited (1944) review

Siblings Rick (Ray Milland) and Pamela Fitzgerald (Ruth Hussey) - both Londoners - go on vacation in Cornwall, stay at a place called Windward House and immediately want to buy it from its owner Commander Beech (Donald Crisp) ... but soon find it may be haunted, and that Beech's granddaughter Stella (Gail Russell) might have some kind of spiritual connection to the residence.  You can tell they were trying to mimic the success of Hitchcock's gothic mystery Rebecca and touch on the supernatural - wilting flowers! a mist! a séance! strange sobbing noises until dawn! - except it's inept when it comes to trying to pull off a "spooky" atmosphere and more "at ease" when it goes the easier route of being a detective story with Milland and Hussey picking apart Stella's personal history.  Apparently the truly terrifying aspects took place off camera, with Russell regularly breaking into tears for no particular reason and advised to indulge in alcohol in order to "stay calm." Dealing with actresses ... now there's a real nightmare for you.