History Film / Gaslight

** The film is the TropeNamer for {{Gaslighting}} and yet what gives it the name—Gregory causing the gas lights to flicker—is done unintentionally as it's just an accidental side effect of Gregory trying to find the jewels by turning on the attic lights. In addition, while Gregory did anticipate that Paula would hear his footsteps in the attic, he did not foresee that Paula would see the gas lights dim as both Nancy and Elizabeth don't deny that the gas lights are dimming when Paula notices and instead offer Paula plausible explanations on why the gas lights would fade at certain times; in fact, Elizabeth's explanation almost reassures Paula of her mental stability.

* HeelFaceTurn: Elizabeth is a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] as she was only an unwitting accomplice to Gregory and was never evil. In the final act, she aids the protagonists by lying to Gregory as not to raise Gregory's suspicions and later gets a cop to help Brian capture Gregory.
* TheHecateSisters: The three supporting female characters. There's Nancy (maiden), Elizabeth (matron) and Miss Thwaites (crone).

* HeelFaceTurn: Elizabeth is a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] as she was only an unwitting accomplice to Gregory and was never evil. In the final act, she aids the protagonists by lying to Gregory, so that Brian would have enough time to trap and capture Gregory.

* HeelFaceTurn: Elizabeth is a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] as she was only an unwitting accomplice to Gregory and was never evil.

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Paula is a manipulated victim, carrying the IdiotBall of taking Gregory for a well-meaning husband.

** The film is the TropeNamer for {{Gaslighting}} and yet what gives it the name—Gregory causing the gas lights to flicker—is done unintentionally as it's just an accidental side effect of Gregory trying to find the jewels by turning on the attic lights. In addition, while Gregory did anticipate that Paula would hear his footsteps in the attic, he did not foresee that Paula would see the gas lights dim as both Nancy and Elizabeth don't deny that the gas lights are dimming when Paula notices and instead offer Paula plausible explanations on why the gas lights would dim at certain times.
** Gregory also employs handpicked servants to facilitate his psychological abuse, but the servants in question are {{Unwitting Pawn}}s and only gaslight Paula because Gregory manipulated them into believing that Paula was insane. For example, Elizabeth only believes that Paula is imagining hearing things because Elizabeth herself is partially deaf, which was taken into account by Gregory.

** It's established early on that Elizabeth the maid is a bit deaf, often needing people to speak loudly right next to her for Elizabeth to hear them properly. As such she can't hear the noises of Gregory moving around in the attic, unintentionally aiding him in his scheme.

** Gregory also employs handpicked servants to facilitate his psychological abuse, but the servants in question are {{Unwitting Pawn}}s and only gaslight Paula because of their misinformed belief that Paula is insane. For example, Elizabeth only believes that Paula is imagining hearing things because Elizabeth herself is partially deaf.

* HellIsThatNoise: The noise from the attic that is driving Paula crazy.

* TerribleTicking: One of Gregory's tricks on Paula.

** Gregory also employs handpicked servants to facilitate his psychological abuse, but the servants in question are innocent and only gaslight Paula because of their misinformed belief that Paula is insane. For example, Elizabeth due to her partial deafness is unable to hear the footsteps that Paula hears and tells Paula that she is only imagining things, making Paula more unsure of her mental health.

** Luckily, it works better the second time when Brian confirms to Paula that he too sees the gas lights dimming.

* {{Gaslighting}}: The film is both the TropeMaker and TropeNamer. One of the ways Gregory attempts to drive Paula insane is by randomly dimming the gas lamps (AKA gas ''lights)'' in the house at night, and then denying having done it when she tries to ask him about it.

* HiddenInPlainSight: How Alice hid the jewels that the Tsar gave her, the ones Gregory is hunting for. They're on the costume she wore to the opera, amidst all the fake jewelery she wore for her performance.

* RedHerring: It's sometimes implied that Nancy could be in on Gregory's plan to drive Paula insane, but she turns out to be innocent.

** The film is the TropeNamer for {{Gaslighting}} and yet what gives it the name—Gregory causing the gas lights to flicker—is done unintentionally as it's just an accidental side effect of Gregory trying to find the jewels by turning on the attic lights.
** Gregory also employs handpicked servants to facilitate his psychological abuse, but the servants in question are not collaborating with Gregory and only gaslight Paula because of their misinformed belief that Paula is insane. For example, Elizabeth due to her partial deafness is unable to hear the footsteps that Paula hears and tells Paula that Paula is only imagining things, making Paula more unsure of her sanity.

* UnbuiltTrope: The TropeNamer for {{Gaslighting}} and yet what gives it the name—Gregory causing the gas lights to flicker—is done unintentionally. It's just an accidental side effect of him trying to find the jewels.

* YouCanSeeThatRight: The "did you hear that" variation, Paula asking the cook Elizabeth to confirm that there's strange [[HellIsThatNoise noises coming from the attic]]. Too bad that the latter is hearing-impaired.

* SleepingSingle: Paula and Gregory have separate rooms--of course, given Gregory's ulterior motives, this makes sense.

* {{Gaslighting}}: The film is both the TropeMaker and TropeNamer. One of the ways Gregory attempts to drive Paula insane is by randomly dimming the gas lamps in the house at night, and then denying having done it when she tries to ask him about it.

Based on a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton, ''Gaslight'' is a 1944 PsychologicalThriller directed by Creator/GeorgeCukor and staring Creator/IngridBergman in her first Oscar-winning performance.

* {{Gaslighting}}: The film is both the TropeMaker and TropeNamer.

** That there's only one of Paula's aunt's stage gloves remaining in her home, with the other apparently was given to an unnamed admirer... who turns out to have been Cameron as a boy.

* NeverMyFault: Gregory never for a moment lets Paula entertain the idea that he may be mistaken; ''she'' must be mad. He loses his watch, it's ''obviously'' Paula's fault somehow. At the end, Gregory insists that he and Paula could have been happy together were it not for her aunt's jewels. This is a man who has married a woman ''explicitly to drive her insane'' so she'd be committed, and murdered her aunt for the aforementioned jewels. Paula's not impressed.

* NosyNeighbor: Miss Thwaites.

** Played straight with General Huddleston who tries hard to keep the lid on the murder case.

* ReallyGetsAround: Nancy the slutty maid, portrayed as explicitly as possible in 1944.
* RedHerring: It's sometimes implied that Nancy could be in on Gregory's plan, but she turns out to be innocent.

* ServileSnarker: Nancy.

* [[YouCanSeeThatRight You Can Hear That, Right?]]: Paula asking the cook to confirm the [[HellIsThatNoise noises coming from the attic]]. Too bad, latter is hearing-impaired.

* BitchInSheepsClothing / DevilInPlainSight: Gregory. Paula is a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter to not notice it.
* BoundAndGagged: Gregory, after Brian and the constable overpower him.
* CatchPhrase: Miss Thwaites' "Well!"

** One of Paula's aunt's stage gloves, given to an unnamed admirer who turns out to have been Cameron as a boy.

** It's established early on that Elizabeth the maid is a bit deaf. As such she can't hear the noises of Gregory moving around in the attic.

* TheDogBitesBack: Paula charging Gregory when latter is BoundAndGagged.

* DrivenToMadness: Gregory pulls no punches in order to convince Paula she's going mad.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: When Paula and Gregory are kissing after he's surprised her with a date to the theatre, his hands are briefly around her neck. Then you remember that her aunt Alice was ''strangled''.
* FourthDateMarriage: Invoked by Gregory to push his agenda. He starts talking about marriage already after two weeks of knowing Paula.

* {{Gaslighting}}: TropeMaker and TropeNamer.

* HauntedHouseHistorian: The neighbor is extremely knowledgeable about the murder mystery at the house.

* HellIsThatNoise: The noise from the attic is driving Paula crazy.
* HiddenInPlainSight: How Alice hid the jewels that the tsar gave her, the ones Gregory is hunting for--on the costume she wore to the opera, amidst all the fake jewelery she wore for her performance.

* LettingHerHairDown: Done the other way around. Paula has her hair down at the beginning of the film, as befits a young unmarried lady, but wears it up as Gregory drives her mad. An InvertedTrope-- as her hair gets more twisted and wound up, her emotional state gets "wound up," too.
* MacGuffin: Aunt Alice's jewels - the reason she was murdered.
* ManipulativeBastard: The fact that one of the classic forms of psychological manipulation is named after this film should underline what a master Gregory is at being one. This is a man who sought out his victim and married her ''only'' so he could get access to her house and find some jewels.

* NeverMyFault: Gregory never for a moment lets Paula entertain the idea that he may be mistaken; ''she'' must be mad. At the end, Gregory insists that he and Paula could have been happy together were it not for her aunt's jewels. This is a man who has married a woman ''explicitly to drive her insane'' so she'd be committed, and murdered her aunt for the aforementioned jewels. Paula's not impressed.

* LettingHerHairDown: Done the other way around. Paula has her hair down at the beginning of the film, as befits a young unmarried lady, but wears it up as Gregory drives her mad.

* LettingHerHairDown: Done the other way around. Paula has her hair down at the beginning of the film, but wears it up as Gregory drives her mad.

* MoodSwinger: Gregory can go from barely contained fury to cooing affection in an instant. It's probably deliberate, to keep Paula off-balance, but Gregory doesn't really seem like Mister Stability himself.

* ManipulativeBastard: Gregory, who sought Paula out and married her so he could get access to her house and find the jewels.

Based on a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton, ''Gaslight'' is a 1944 psychological-thriller directed by Creator/GeorgeCukor and staring Creator/IngridBergman in her first Oscar-winning performance.

A very-young Creator/AngelaLansbury made her film debut as the quirky maid Nancy; the performance won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

* MacGuffin: The jewels.

* VictorianLondon

* DomesticAbuse: One of the most iconic examples in fiction, as Gregory bullies and manipulates Paula to the point of madness.

She plays Paula, a young girl who lived with her aunt, a famous opera singer. One day, the aunt is suddenly murdered and robbed by the mysterious Sergius Bauer, leaving Paula alone. After studying abroad for the ten years since the incident, she returns to England with a new husband, Gregory (Charles Boyer). But shortly afterwards, Gregory suddenly starts going out of his way to MindRape Paula.

Can Paula find out the reason for her husband's cruelty? Can a sympathetic UsefulNotes/ScotlandYard officer (Joseph Cotten) save the day?

->If I were not mad, I could have helped you. Whatever you had done, I could have pitied and protected you. But because I am mad, I hate you. Because I am mad, I have betrayed you. And because I'm mad, I'm rejoicing in my heart, without a shred of pity, without a shred of regret, watching you go with glory in my heart!
--> --'''Paula Alquist''' denouncing her husband.

Based on a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton, '''''Gaslight''''' is a 1944 psychological-thriller directed by Creator/GeorgeCukor and staring Creator/IngridBergman in her first Oscar-winning performance.