Something of a second cousin to the better-known The Uninvited, A Place of One's Own is a decent little ghost flick. Its ambitions and goals are modest, and it achieves them admirably. Those who are sticklers for details will balk at some of the turns in the screenplay, as many points are dismissed rather quickly or ignored altogether. Likewise, modern audiences looking for huge, monstrous scares will be disappointed; Place has only a few chills, and they're somewhat on the tame side. But this rather gentle quality is what gives Place its charm -- and it doesn't keep the film from being exciting on its own terms. In the leading role, Margaret Lockwood does quite well, capturing the audience's sympathy and interest and guiding them through the mystery with a well-modulated performance. Dennis Price is suitably solid as the romantic interest, but excellent actors James Mason and Barbara Mullen are miscast as characters 30 years their senior. Mason compounds the problem with a much-too-thick accent and a tendency to overact. Fortunately, this doesn't do serious damage to the film, which ends up as a minor but appealing entry in the ghost stories genre.
by Craig Butler
review
