Hangover Square

Hangover Square

Year: 1945

Runtime: 78 mins

Language: English

Director: John Brahm

Thriller

When composer George Harvey Bone awakens with no memory of the night and a bloody knife in his pocket, he fears he may have committed a crime. He heeds Dr. Middleton’s advice and attends Netta Longdon’s concert. Enchanted by Netta, he abandons his concerto to write songs for her, but jealousy and loss of control over spells soon threaten his sanity.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Hangover Square (1945)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Hangover Square (1945). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Summer 1903

The narrative unfolds in the summer of 1903 in London, an era of formal manners and urban change. Edwardian London frames scenes of pubs, public concerts, and social rituals as characters chase ambition and secrets. The time period concentrates on the pressure-filled existence of a composer and the police's watchful eye over a metropolis on edge.

Location

Fulham, Chelsea, Hangover Square, London

Set in Edwardian London during the summer of 1903, the story moves between Fulham and Chelsea, centered on Hangover Square. The flat at 12 Hangover Square and the surrounding streets provide a stage for a musician's unraveling amid pubs, concerts, and city life. The setting juxtaposes genteel facades with shadowed backstreets, mirroring the protagonist's growing instability.

🏙️ London 🕰️ Edwardian era 🗺️ Fulham & Chelsea 📍 Hangover Square

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:45

Main Characters – Hangover Square (1945)

Meet the key characters of Hangover Square (1945), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

George Harvey Bone (Laird Cregar)

A gifted yet disturbed composer whose talent is matched by volatile memory lapses. He experiences amnesia under stress, which distorts his perception of reality and fuels deadly impulses. His charisma hides a dangerous instability that erupts in murder and arson as he pursues artistic control and self-definition.

🎼 Composer 🧠 Unstable 🗝️ Amnesia

Netta Longdon (Linda Darnell)

An ambitious and calculating singer who uses George's talent to further her own career. She manipulates him for fame while showing little genuine affection, turning the relationship into a strategic alliance. Her presence heightens the tension in the love triangle and accelerates the plot toward violence.

🎤 Singer 🧭 Ambition 💫 Manipulative

Barbara Chapman (Faye Marlowe)

George's girlfriend who confronts the strain of his obsession with Netta and his memory problems. She becomes a target of his volatile outbursts, yet shows resilience amid mounting danger. Barbara's perspective anchors the human cost of George's artistic fixation.

💞 Girlfriend ⚖️ Tension 🕯️ Resilience

Dr. Allan Middleton (George Sanders)

A doctor who works with the police and tries to protect George from himself. He notices the signs of amnesia and manipulation, and suspects the truth behind the murders. Middleton acts as a rational counterpoint to Bone's self-destructive artistry, urging caution as the case unfolds.

🧠 Doctor 🕵️ Investigator ⚖️ Prudence

Sir Henry Chapman (Alan Napier)

Barbara's distinguished father, a figure of authority and social standing. He embodies the respectable façade of Edwardian society, contrasting with the chaotic events surrounding George. His presence underscores the clash between propriety and the darker impulses at the heart of the story.

🕴️ Father figure 🏛️ Authority 🎩 Respectable

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:45

Major Themes – Hangover Square (1945)

Explore the central themes of Hangover Square (1945), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧠 Amnesia

George's memory gaps drive the plot, with amnesia triggered by stress and discordant sounds. The missing days create tension as characters search for what really happened, blurring lines between truth and perception. The instability shapes his choices and puts others at risk. The theme explores how memory loss can become a weapon and a driver of fate.

🎭 Art & Obsession

George's composing talent draws Netta's attention and becomes the axis of their relationship. Netta manipulates him to advance her own career, turning artistry into a game of power. The city and the concert hall become stages where ambition collides with personal danger. The theme asks whether genius justifies moral compromise when love and fame are at stake.

🔥 Dangerous Passion

The bond between art, love, and violence culminates in Netta's murder and George's fire-lit finale. He murders Netta and, during his performance, a deadly blaze traps him inside as the audience focuses on the music. The climax ties personal guilt to public spectacle, questioning whether artistry can survive without accountability. The fire becomes both a catharsis and a prison, sealing George's fate.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 08:45

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about psychological ruin like Hangover Square

Stories where a character's sanity unravels under fatal obsession or trauma.If you liked Hangover Square's portrayal of a mind coming undone, explore these similar movies. This collection features intense psychological thrillers and dark dramas where characters spiral into insanity, driven by obsession or haunted by a troubled past.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a linear, cause-and-effect structure focused on a single character's deterioration. An initial trigger, such as a memory lapse or an obsession, sets off a chain of events where the protagonist loses control, often committing acts of violence during periods of psychological absence, culminating in a bleak and inevitable conclusion.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped for their shared focus on a grim, internal character study. They possess a consistently oppressive mood, high emotional weight, and a dark tone, offering a tense and melancholic viewing experience with minimal relief.

Fatalistic noir thrillers similar to Hangover Square

Dark crime stories where characters are trapped by fate and their own flaws.Fans of the dark, suspenseful mood of Hangover Square will appreciate these movies. This selection highlights crime thrillers and noir dramas with a strong fatalistic vibe, featuring anxious protagonists, psychological tension, and stories that move steadily towards a bleak conclusion.

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Narrative Summary

These stories often unfold with a steady, deliberate pace, building suspense through atmosphere and character psychology rather than frantic action. The protagonist is typically an ordinary man ensnared by extraordinary circumstances—a crime, an obsession, or a mental affliction—that exposes a dark underside of life and leads to an irreversible, tragic outcome.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a cohesive and powerful atmosphere defined by a dark tone, steady pacing, and high intensity. The combination of suspense, melancholy, and a pervasive sense of fate creates a uniquely oppressive and haunting viewing experience.

Unlock the Full Story of Hangover Square

Don't stop at just watching — explore Hangover Square in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Hangover Square is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Hangover Square Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Hangover Square, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Hangover Square Summary

Hangover Square Timeline

Track the full timeline of Hangover Square with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Hangover Square Timeline

Hangover Square Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Hangover Square that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Hangover Square Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Hangover Square

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Hangover Square: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Hangover Square

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