The Lodger was such a hit that 20th Century-Fox promptly commissioned a follow up, with Laird Cregar as another homicidal maniac in period London from a script by Barre Lydon directed by John Brahm, with George Sanders co-starring.
It took a while to reveal The Lodger was a killer but Hangover Square doesn’t waste any such time, having Cregar stab someone to death in the first few seconds. However, Cregar’s performance is a lot more subtle and sensitive than his eyes-bulging work on that earlier film – indeed, you could say that about the whole movie. For one thing, Sanders is more convincing as a doctor here than a detective, as in the earlier film. Also Linda Darnell is much better than Merle Oberon – sexy, vivacious, beautiful (to be fair, she’s got a decent character – an ambitious singer – whereas Oberon was just this girl).
The structure of this one is reminiscent of a werewolf film – the killer is a sympathetic, sensitive soul who is unaware of the crimes he is committing. Cregar is very likeable and never kills someone who doesn’t deserve it –his initial victim is shown to be a crook, Darnell is a tramp, her lover is smarmy (he doesn’t kill Sanders, just imprisons him so he can play his symphony). Excellent climax with Cregar playing Bermard Herrmann’s theme music as the room goes up in flames.
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