Dull and plain Catherine (Olivia de Havilland) lives with her emotionally distant father, Dr. Sloper (Ralph Richardson), in 1840s New York. Her days are empty -- filled with little more than needlepoint. Enter handsome Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift), a dashing social climber with his eye on the spinster's heart and substantial inheritance. William Wyler's Oscar-winning film is an adaptation of the Henry James novel Washington Square.
Clare and Anna are devoted sisters who live together. Clare suffers from fits and Anna cares for Clare between time at work and seeing her boyfriend. However when Clare begins to see ghostly visions within the house Anna has difficulty believing her. As the visions worsen they test Clare's sanity, until one night she mistakenly attacks Anna - believing her to be one of the ghosts. Clare is hospitalised but the visions continue to haunt her. But Clare was never the true target, the spectres were after Anna and her unborn child all along. Now Clare must find out how to protect her sister, while locked up in a secure psychiatric facility.