House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Director:

William Castle

Writer:

Robb White (written by)

Release Date:

17 February 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

See it with someone with warm hands!

Plot:

Eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren and his 4th wife, Annabelle, have invited 5 people to the house on Haunted Hill for a "haunted House" party...

Plot Keywords:

Party | Murder | Eccentric | Haunted House | Caretaker

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Frederick Loren
Carol Ohmart	...	Annabelle Loren
Richard Long	...	Lance Schroeder
Alan Marshal	...	Dr. David Trent
Carolyn Craig	...	Nora Manning
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Watson Pritchard (as Elisha Cook)
Julie Mitchum	...	Ruth Bridgers
Leona Anderson	...	Mrs. Slydes
Howard Hoffman	...	Jonas

Directed by
William Castle

Writing credits
Robb White		(written by)

Produced by
William Castle	....	producer
Robb White	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Von Dexter

Cinematography by
Carl E. Guthrie		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Roy V. Livingston		(as Roy Livingston)

Art Direction by
Dave Milton		(as David Milton)

Set Decoration by
Morris Hoffman

Makeup Department
Jack Dusick	....	makeup artist
Gale McGarry	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Edward Morey Jr.	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack R. Berne	....	assistant director

Art Department
Ted Mossman	....	property (as Teddy Mossman)
James West	....	construction supervisor

Sound Department
Ralph Butler	....	sound recording engineer
Charles G. Schelling	....	sound editor (as Charles Schelling)

Special Effects by
Herman E. Townsley	....	special effects (as Herman Townsley)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Schwartz	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norah Sharpe	....	wardrobe: ladies
Roger J. Weinberg	....	wardrobe: men

Music Department
Von Dexter	....	conductor
Jerry Irvin	....	music editor

Other crew
Virginia Mazzuca	....	set continuity

Production Companies

• William Castle Productions

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1959) (France) (theatrical)
• E-Realbiz.com (1991) (USA) (DVD)
• E-Realbiz.com (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Key Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Roan Group, The (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• E-Realbiz.com (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• SlingShot Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Front Row Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Greatest Sports Legends (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• BCI Eclipse (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Cheezy Flicks Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Clint Hickman Productions (2004-????) (worldwide) (all media) (3-D version)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema Epoch (2007) (USA) (all media) (3-D Version)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Legend Films (II) (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2006) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Liberty Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Pan Vision Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Raunchy Tonk (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Clint Hickman Productions  3D process
• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration
• Screen Time Images  audio restoration
• Screen Time Images  film restoration

Also Known As:

The House on Haunted Hill (USA) (trailer title)

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | West Germany:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1963) | Norway:16 (1960) | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (video rating) (2003) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Ennis-Brown House - 2655 Glendower Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

William Castle Productions

Trivia:

This would be the last of only five films for Julie Mitchum, the sister of Robert Mitchum.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Lance pulls Nora out of the way of the falling chandelier his arm alternates back and forth, from being around her shoulders to being around her waist.

Quotes:

Jonas Slydes: [to Nora] Come with us, come with us before he kills you!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Gilmore Girls: Lorelai? Lorelai? (#7.20)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

House on Haunted Hill

Enjoyable campy fun.

Of the many William Castle directed shockers of the '50's and '60's, this one is probably the most traditional in terms of being a "ghost story". The set up is irresistible (derivative of "Ten Little Indians" in a way.) Five unrelated people are chosen to spend the night in what is purported to be a haunted house. Several murders have taken place in the house in the past. If the participants stay the night, their host (Price) will give them each $10,000 (a nice chunk of change in 1958!) The house is surprisingly non-Gothic on the outside. It more closely resembles a piece of the 1937 "Lost Horizon" set. Inside, it has the more expected old woodwork, creaky doors, curtained alcoves, etc... Price is wonderful, as always, as the sardonic, mysterious host. His wife is played by a former beauty queen (Ohmart) who is attractive, if a bit frosty. They have some interesting repartee which reveals their mistrust and hatred for one another. The guests include leading man-type Long, ingenue Craig, nervous Cook, crusty Mitchum and debonair Marshal. Macabre Price gives the guests loaded guns as party favors! It doesn't take long for the unusual occurrences and minor creeps to begin. Soon, the inhabitants are locked in and couldn't leave even if they wanted to! Long and Craig play Fred and Daphne as they try to unravel the goings-on. Cook drinks and gets more paranoid. Marshal tends to the wounded, getting more involved as the story progresses. Mitchum (Robert's sister!) is given little to do and doesn't appear to be a very significant actress. The film is hokey, campy and illogical...full of contrivances and inanities. Yet, it is undeniably entertaining. All of the hallmarks of an old-fashioned scary movie are in place....the eerie music, the undependable lights, swinging doors, secret passages and without question the most hilarious, terrifyingly ugly housekeeper ever put on film!

Price is right at home in these surroundings and does much to make the film palatable. There are a couple of fun plot twists to keep it from being too stale and the running time is a very comfortable hour and fifteen minutes. It's just a fun, entertaining way to waste an hour or so. Sadly, Craig (who had a real set of lungs on her...one of the greatest screamers ever!) was felled by a gunshot in real life about twelve years after this film was made at age 36. In fact, Marshal was dead within three years of heart ailments at 56 and Long died 16 years after from a heart attack at 47! And they say "Poltergeist" was cursed!