About the work
Three-act psychological thriller by Patrick Hamilton, first performed on 5 December 1938 at the Richmond Theatre near London; in the United States the play opened on Broadway in 1941 under the title "Angel Street."
Plot
In 1880s London, Jack Manningham systematically convinces his wife Bella that she is losing her mind — among other things, by insisting that the nightly dimming of the gaslight is only in her head. In fact, he is secretly searching the house's upper floor for jewels, for which he once murdered a neighbour. A police detective investigating the old murder case eventually exposes Jack's scheme and frees Bella from his control.
Cultural significance
The play's English title gave rise to the term "gaslighting," now used for systematic psychological manipulation. Two film adaptations — Thorold Dickinson's 1940 British version and George Cukor's 1944 Hollywood version starring Ingrid Bergman — did much to spread the story's fame internationally.