Guest in the House (1944)

Guest in the House (re-release title Satan in Skirts) is a 1944 American film noir directed by John Brahm starring Anne Baxter and Ralph Bellamy.

Lewis Milestone began directing the film in April 1944, but was stricken with appendicitis in May 1944 and collapsed on the set. John Brahm then stepped in to direct.

Directors – John Brahm, John Cromwell (uncredited), André De Toth (uncredited)

Writers – Ketti Frings (screenplay), Hagar Wilde (play “Guest in the House”), Dale Eunson (play “Guest in the House”)

Cast –
Anne Baxter as Evelyn Heath
Ralph Bellamy as Douglas Proctor
Aline MacMahon as Aunt Martha
Ruth Warrick as Ann Proctor
Scott McKay as Dr. Dan Proctor
Marie McDonald as Miriam
Jerome Cowan as Mr. Edward Hackett
Margaret Hamilton as Hilda, the Maid
Percy Kilbride as John, the Butler
Connie Laird as Lee Proctor

Watch “Guest in the House” (1944)

Plot

Martha Proctor believes something evil has come to her home. Her nephew Dr. Dan Proctor arrives with his betrothed, Evelyn Heath, who is a frail invalid. Evelyn is introduced to Aunt Martha as well as Dan’s older brother, Douglas, an illustrator, along with Douglas’s wife Ann and his model, Miriam.

The women sympathize with Evelyn, knowing of the hard life she has had. Evelyn has bouts of hysteria, involving her fear of birds, and also keeps a secret diary in which she mocks her fiancé Dan and expresses a desire for Douglas instead.

While plotting to seduce Douglas, and accusing Dan of jealousy to make him leave, Evelyn next sets out to rid the house of Miriam, whom she sees as a rival. Her gossip succeeds in getting back to Aunt Martha and turning everyone’s suspicions to Miriam, who departs.

Douglas then quarrels with Ann, driven apart by Evelyn’s diabolical schemes. Evelyn goes so far as to destroy the goodbye note Ann has written to him. By the time everyone realizes who’s behind all this and decide to commit Evelyn to an asylum, a hysterical Evelyn flees from the house, screaming, and plunges to her death.