Obsession (1949) in Color — Starring Robert Newton & Phil Brown

Obsession (1949) — Buy This Classic in Color

Obsession (1949) is a gripping British thriller starring Robert Newton and Sally Gray, directed by Edward Dmytryk. A respectable Harley Street psychiatrist plans the perfect murder of his wife’s lover in this darkly entertaining tale of obsession, jealousy, and meticulous revenge. This professionally colorized version brings the atmospheric postwar London settings and taut suspense to vivid new life. Buy your colorized copy today for €15.00 and own this riveting classic movie in color.

Plot Summary

Dr. Clive Riordan (Robert Newton) is a brilliant, outwardly respectable Harley Street psychiatrist who discovers that his beautiful wife Storm (Sally Gray) is having an affair with the young American Bill Doyen Kronin (Phil Brown). Rather than confront them or seek a divorce, the coldly intellectual Riordan devises a meticulous and chillingly calculated plan. He kidnaps Kronin and chains him in a hidden room behind a bricked-up wall in his bomb-damaged London house, keeping his prisoner alive on carefully measured rations while he prepares the means of disposal — an acid bath that will leave no trace of the body.

Riordan maintains a flawless facade of normalcy throughout, attending his medical practice, socializing at his club, and even expressing concern to the police about his wife’s “missing” lover. He toys with Storm, subtly tormenting her with veiled references to Kronin’s disappearance while watching her growing anxiety with clinical detachment. Meanwhile, the deceptively mild-mannered Superintendent Finsbury (Naunton Wayne) begins a relentless investigation, his seemingly casual questions and persistent visits gradually tightening around Riordan like a noose. Small details begin to threaten the doctor’s carefully constructed plan — a suspicious dog that keeps returning to the house, an observant neighbor, and Riordan’s own inability to resist gloating. Storm suspects the terrible truth and desperately searches the house, while Finsbury’s methodical police work inches ever closer to the hidden room. The tension builds to a riveting climax as the doctor’s brilliance proves to be no match for his own arrogance and the dogged persistence of the law. This classic movie is a superbly crafted cat-and-mouse thriller that keeps viewers guessing until the final frame.

Cast & Crew

Director: Edward Dmytryk

Stars: Robert Newton, Sally Gray, Naunton Wayne, Phil Brown, Allan Jeayes, James Harcourt, Roddy Hughes, Ronald Adam, Olga Lindo, Betty Cooper

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This colorized version of Obsession reveals the elegant Harley Street consulting rooms with their rich mahogany furnishings, leather-bound medical texts, and polished brass fittings — the respectable world that masks Riordan’s murderous nature. The bomb-damaged London houses take on a haunting quality, with crumbling plaster in muted grays and browns contrasting with the hidden room’s oppressive darkness. Storm’s fashionable postwar wardrobe comes alive with period-appropriate colors that emphasize her glamour and vulnerability. The shadowy sequences in the hidden room gain an almost unbearable claustrophobia as stone walls and iron chains emerge from the darkness. The clinical precision of Riordan’s preparations — the acid bottles, the measuring equipment, the carefully maintained routine — becomes all the more disturbing in color. The original black and white film captured the suspense brilliantly, but the professionally colorized restoration brings the postwar London atmosphere and the tense confrontations to life with frame-by-frame precision. Watch this restored classic film in atmospheric, compelling color. Now also available in colour.

Buy Obsession in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Obsession was directed by Edward Dmytryk, one of the Hollywood Ten — the group of filmmakers blacklisted during the McCarthy era for refusing to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Dmytryk made this film in England during his exile from Hollywood, and the British setting and sensibility gave the production a distinctly different flavor from his American work. The screenplay was adapted from Alec Coppel’s novel “A Man About a Dog” and is loosely inspired by the real-life acid bath murders of John George Haigh, whose horrifying crimes had shocked Britain just the year before the film’s release. Robert Newton delivers a chillingly controlled performance as the murderous doctor, restraining his characteristic flamboyance to create a portrait of cold, calculating intelligence that ranks among his finest screen work. Naunton Wayne, best known for comedic roles in Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes, here proves himself equally adept at understated dramatic tension. The film’s combination of British reserve and dark subject matter creates a uniquely unsettling atmosphere that influenced later British thrillers. The colorization adds striking visual depth to this masterful thriller.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 98 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this also known as The Hidden Room?
A: Yes, Obsession was released in the United States under the title The Hidden Room. The film stars Robert Newton as the calculating Dr. Riordan and Sally Gray as his unfaithful wife Storm.

Q: Is this the complete version?
A: Yes, this is the full 1949 theatrical release at approximately 98 minutes, presented in its colorized version with no cuts or edits.

Q: Was director Edward Dmytryk blacklisted?
A: Yes, Dmytryk was one of the Hollywood Ten. He made Obsession while exiled in England, and the film’s British setting and cast gave it a uniquely atmospheric quality distinct from his American productions.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: DRM-free MP4, compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: €15.00 for instant download. The colorization process ensures every scene looks stunning in color.

Q: Can I watch on multiple devices?
A: Absolutely. The file is DRM-free, so you can watch on your TV, tablet, phone, or computer.

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• Fly By Night (1942)
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