Return to Glennascaul: A Story That Is Told in Dublin (1953)

In the heart of a mysterious Irish night, iconic filmmaker Orson Welles, temporarily detached from the demanding set of The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice, finds himself on an unexpected detour. As he navigates the silent serpentine roads of the Irish countryside, he encounters a stranded man wrestling with car trouble. Embarking on an unforeseen journey, Welles offers the man a ride, unknowingly diving into a tale as chilling as the midnight breeze. The man, now a passenger in Welles' vehicle, begins unravelling a peculiar story rooted in the very location they're passing. He speaks of a night when he was flagged down by two women, their faces as pale as the moonlight, urgently needing a ride back to their secluded manor. Succumbing to their plea, he escorts them home, only to be invited in for a drink, an offer he gladly accepts. As the night wears on, he departs the manor, leaving behind his cigarette case. Upon returning to retrieve it, he finds the manor hauntingly deserted, its grandeur consumed by decay. His search for answers leads him to a real estate broker in Dublin who reveals a bone-chilling truth – the mother and daughter he had met had been dead for years. Welles, deeply stirred by this spectral encounter, drops the man off at his home, only to find himself confronted by two other stranded women waving for a ride. His heart racing, Welles accelerates into the night, leaving behind the echoes of the tale that turned an ordinary break into an unforgettable experience. This is the eerie narrative of Return to Glennascaul: A Story That Is Told in Dublin, a tale that will send a chill down your spine and make you question the reality you know.

Return to Glennascaul: A Story That Is Told in Dublin is a drama movie featuring Orson Welles and directed by Hilton Edwards.

Return to Glennascaul: A Story That Is Told in Dublin is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.