HANGOVER SQUARE (1945)

Yes, a Victorian Era film noir! George Bone (Laird Cregar), a promising classical composer in London, blacks out when exposed to loud noises and goes violent--murderous--then remembers nothing of the incidents. He seeks help from a Scotland Yard doctor (George Sanders) who assures him he's done no wrong. Then he falls for Nedda (Linda Darnell), a cheap barroom dancer and singer, who cons him into writing pop songs for her, then dumps him for a younger, better looking gigolo. He disposes of her in a gruesome way, then recovers to play piano for his new, make-or-break piano concerto. He gets another attack, and it all comes crashing down, with the concerto (written by the inimitable Bernard Herrmann) fueling the drama. This was Cregar's last film (he died of a heart attack due to excessive dieting)--an always interesting actor who gave his best here. The rest of the cast is first rate, as is the script, direction and fiilming. Really good.