kapelusznik18 ***SPOILERS*** Far too deep in the subject of criminal psychology this overly complicated film about murder and insanity revolves around the not too wrapped tight and beautiful Allida Bederaux played, who was considered the most beautiful woman in the world at that time, by the drop dead gorgeous Hedy Lammar. It's Allida who feels that her crazy and carpet chewing husband Nick, Paul Lukas, who turns out to be a real murderous wacko is trying to both turn her five year old son Alex against her as well as have her committed to a lunatic asylum.It's psychiatrist Dr. Huntington "Hunt" Baily, George Brent, who gets the lowdown to Allida and Nick's strange relationship while on a train ride from the mid-west, Nebraska, to New York from Nick's just released from a sanitarium sister Cissie, Olive Blakenly. It's Cassie who filled him in on just what's happening in the Bederaux household and how her brother is a threat to both Allida and Alex. Before "Hunt" even gets to meet Allida whom, by seeing a painting of her, he has developed the hots for Cissie drops dead of a heart attack and her luggage ends up with "Hunt" by mistake. Finding a manuscript by Cissie about her brother and his wife Allida that exposes Nick as a first class psycho who's a danger to himself as well as those , like Allida & Alex, around him. "Hunt" is now more then determined to keep her and the boy away from him for their own good and safety.***SPOILERS*** Later after in an effort to save both Allida & Alex from Nicks' plan to murder them as well as the non-existent family butler who's identity Nick plans to use in faking his own death, if you can figure out what his deranged plan is, "Hunt" confronts the madman and after trying to talk some sense into him by getting him to have himself committed. Nick now pulls out all the stops as well as his rod, gun, and not only attempt to blast "Hunt" away but have his own beautiful wife and five year old son iced by burning the entire house, or mansion, down by igniting its gas works that he secretly turned on!It's now up to "Hunt" to put and end to this insanity on Nick's part who at the same time is pointing a gun to his head. In a wild free for all it's "Hunt" who gets the upper hand by disarming, in knocking the gun out of his hand, Nick and having enough time to get himself together with both Allida & Alex, who were left unconscious by the gas fumes, out of the house before it exploded! As for crazy Nick he quite didn't make it out with the house erupting in a massive gas explosion that burned him to a crisp and, in the only thing that he accomplished in the movie, left him unidentifiable!

MartinHafer In 1940, the British version of GASLIGHT debuted. Until very recently, most people didn't even know that it existed, as Hollywood execs bought up all the prints and remade it into an Oscar-winning film (the 1944 version with Ingrid Bergman). When the more famous version debuted in 1944, EXPERIMENT PERILOUS also appeared in theaters and BOTH films are very, very similar. Both films concern a seemingly normal husband who is insane and is trying to drive their wives insane--and it just doesn't seem like a mere coincidence that they both were made at about the same time. Despite the lack of originality, EXPERIMENT PERILOUS is still an excellent film--though I naturally have to knock off a point for being derivative.As far as the acting goes, it was generally exceptional. I particularly liked Paul Lukas, as the insane husband bent on manipulating and destroying his wife, Heddy Lamar. While sounding like Bela Lugosi (after all, they were both Hungarian), he was menacing and exciting to watch.As for George Brent, we was his usual competent and interesting self--sort of an "everyman" character and he did a good job. The only negative can't be blamed on Brent but the writers. That's because at the end of the film, there is a really dumb and clichéd moment-something you know cannot possibly happen. That's because in the huge confrontation scene with Lukas, Brent beats him up and kicks away the gun---but he never bothers to pick up the gun and runs to the next room. Then, as the cliché goes, Lukas returns again and it's yet another fight. In real life, you'd either keep the gun or just shoot Lukas to end the threat once and for all! Hedy Lamarr was the weakest of the main characters, as she was given a typical Hedy Lamarr role. Hollywood insisted on casting her as a zombie-like lady who went through wardrobe change after wardrobe change. Of course she was a beautiful woman, but these sort of "Barbie doll roles" did little to challenge this highly intelligent woman. Sadly, despite having a brilliant mind, you'd never know it from most of the scripts she was given.I do have a mild complaint, though, about the producer not doing his job well in casting the film. Lukas was a Hungarian and Lamarr was Austrian--yet they played parts that made no sense. First, Lukas spoke with this accent but his sister sounded like a typical American. Second, although Lamarr hid her accent better than most European-born American starlets (such as Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich), she did NOT sound like a lady from Vermont!! I think Hattie McDaniel or Marjorie Main sounded more like New Englanders than Miss Lamarr! Mentioning where she was from was unnecessary for the plot--they could have easily just said she was from "the country" and left it at that.Despite several mistakes here and there and a derivative plot, the film still works because it was exciting and captivated me. Plus, although this was made by a "2nd tier studio" (RKO), it looked great--with the most realistic weather in any 1940s film I can recall--with rain, snow and sleet at different times in the film. That and the set designs and decoration were lovely.Overall, it's worth a look, but my advice is to seek out the original GASLIGHT--it's the best and most original in the genre.

dbdumonteil Jack Tourneur knew how to build an ominous atmosphere :remember the scenes at the pool in "cat people",the meeting on the moor in "circle of danger" and almost everything in " night of the demon".The meeting with the old Clarissa on the train,the station where she leaves the hero ,and the way she says goodbye (actually farewell) is almost supernatural.Then the extraordinary beauty of Hedy Lamarr and her picture add to build an eerie atmosphere ,sometimes recalling as user has pointed out ,"gaslight" .The script,however ,does not always make sense ,and lacks focus ,unlike the three other works I mention.But just for the atmosphere ,this is another Tourneur you should not miss.

David (Handlinghandel) Yes, step right up to buy the Brooklyn Bridge. And how about Paul Lukas as the scion of a wealthy New York family with a French name? What came over the people who cast this ramshackle event? George Brent is plausible as a doctor. The others: No.And what was with movies in terms of portraits? Hedy Lamarr certainly was a gorgeous woman. Yes, the portrait of her, through which she is introduced to us, looks like the work of a quick-sketch artist in Provincteown. It supposedly hangs in a museum but it has artistic merit of 2 on a scale of 1 to 100.The movie is well directed and beautifully filmed. And it isn't boring -- though it is predictable. It could so easily have been better, though, it's kind of a shame.