The 1944 film starring Ingrid Bergman that gave rise to the psychological term “gaslighting” is Gaslight. Bergman plays Paula Alquist Anton, a woman whose husband, Gregory, manipulates her into believing that she is losing her sanity.
The title refers to the gaslights in the couple’s London home, which periodically dim while Gregory secretly searches upstairs for stolen jewels. When Paula notices the changes, Gregory denies that anything is happening and encourages others to treat her observations as evidence of mental instability. His systematic lies, isolation, and denial form the pattern now called gaslighting.
Directed by George Cukor, the film also stars Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotten, and Angela Lansbury, making her screen debut. It was adapted from Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 play Gas Light and is a remake of a 1940 British film. Bergman won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and the film also won for Best Production Design.
The word “gaslighting” was not used as a verb by the characters in the movie. The modern term developed later from the film’s premise and means manipulating someone into questioning their perceptions or reality. It is broader than simply disagreeing with someone or telling an ordinary lie.