"The Lodger" by John Brahm (1944)

Wow I really pamper myself with these old black and white movies - there is something so endearing about them, from the acting to sets and stories, truly they really look amazing and fascinating, they make me feel like a child who is gently tucked in bed and somebody is reading me a story. Naturally, sometimes they show their age and not all of them are quintessential but most of the time I genuinely enjoy them and often stumble upon wonderful discoveries. Like this one, for example.

"The Lodger" is one of countless cinematic adaptations of Jack the Ripper case - since he was never discovered, this movie cleverly plays with his suggested identity and we are immediately alerted about who he can possibly be at the very start, where unsuspecting elderly couple rents rooms to a creepy stranger who warns them that he will use only back doors, often works at night and behaves absolutely strange. As the whole 19th century London buzzes about murders committed usually in the nights, its just a matter of time before couple starts suspecting their freaky lodger (who has frighteningly passionate dislike of actresses) but for the sake of suspense, there is also a glamorous actress Kitty Langley (luminous Merle Oberon) living in the same house and who innocently not only flirts with new lodger but also invites him to see her risqué vaudeville show, where she flashes beautiful long legs, twirls the umbrella and sings "Tink-a-tin". George Sanders is a police inspector maddened with search for Jack the Ripper, who protectively hoovers over Langley, not suspecting the murderer actually lives in the very same house with her. Because movie was made in the 1940s, 20th Century Fox decidedly moved away from real identity of Ripper's victims who were prostitutes and decided to substitute them with actresses instead (allowing for some flashy music numbers and story moving from seedy Whitechapel district to a well-lightened theatre). Laird Cregar is actually excellent as tormented lodger but the best thing about the movie is its scenery, with dark streets of London, full of fog, rain and mud.