Footsteps in the Fog (1955)

The list needed a little more of Gothic thrills. Some sources claim it did good money at the box office; some others claim it did not, and indeed, sometimes it’s very hard to get the track of that kind of thing of old movies. At the same time, it doesn’t matter because these days not so many people watch the films of the classic era or those made before 1960s unless they’re very popular/highly acclaimed films or made by one of those iconic filmmakers of their time. So, in a way, lot of them are underrated.

“Footsteps in the Fog” is a British thriller that has everything. Its opening credits start off like a melodrama of its time, and it only makes sense because one thing very special about this film is that you never know where it’ll go next. Having a melodramatic tone and feeling is an interesting stylistic choice for a film about dark events and twisted relationships that actually works in favor of the movie. The lead character is Stephen Lowry (Stewart Granger) who is a refined gentleman who has a very dark secret. His maid Lily (Jean Simmons) discovers that he has poisoned his wife. She decides to use this for her advantage, but their relationship/partnership will get more and more twisted.

The film is set in Victorian England and has some great period details, but what makes it work, apart from the unpredictable storyline, is how morally complex the characters are. Both lead performers give chilling, unsettling performances, and they complete each other perfectly. Credit goes to the director, Arthur Lubin who uses the Victorian setting well enough; you feel like you’re in the foggy streets of London of its time as well. Those who enjoy period thrillers that have an “elegant but sinister” feeling with twists and turns will have a blast with this one.