Haunts of the Very Rich (1972) (TV)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Paul Wendkos

Writers:

T.K. Brown III (story)
William P. Wood (writer)

Release Date:

20 September 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A group of people, all of whom, we can only assume, are very rich, are on a plane flying to an island resort...

Plot Keywords:

Makeover | Island | Death | Stewardess | Priest

Cast

Lloyd Bridges	...	Dave Woodrough
Cloris Leachman	...	Ellen Blunt
Edward Asner	...	Al Hunsicker
Anne Francis	...	Annette Larrier
Tony Bill	...	Lyle
Donna Mills	...	Laurie
Robert Reed	...	Reverend John Fellows
Moses Gunn	...	Seacrist
Beverly Gill	...	Miss Vick
Todd Martin	...	Harris
Phyllis Hill	...	Rita
Michael Lembeck	...	Delmonico
Susan Foster	...	Miss Upton

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

ABC Circle Films

Trivia:

The scenes at the island resort were filmed at Vizcaya, an Italianate villa on Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida. The estate, built in 1916, was originally the winter home of International Harvester vice president James Deering. The house and grounds are now a museum open to tourists.

Movie Connections:

Version of Outward Bound (1930)

Another Creep-Filled "Royale With Cheese"

Ahh, yes! Another fabulous slice of Aaron Spelling-produced fromage, wrapped in the best smoked hams of the day! Spelling ruled the roost in prime time back in the mid-to-late Sixties, and all through the Seventies and beyond; cranking these puppies out with loving care and unearthing budding talent, as he provided work to some of the most revered (if not creakiest) vets of stage and screen. (His other classics, like CROWHAVEN FARM, THE HOUSE THAT WOULD NOT DIE, LOVE HATE LOVE, THE OLD MAN WHO CRIED "WOLF!" and THE LOVE WAR are all absolute must-sees for lovers of Sixties/Seventies TV kitsch.)

This particular outing looks like an early dress rehearsal for FANTASY ISLAND, as a bunch of rich swells gathers at a beautiful and secluded resort, (and is there any other kind?). As they explore their surroundings, discovering more and more about each other and their mysterious hosts, it all leads to the now-inescapable "shattering" conclusion.

If you've already seen THE SIXTH SENSE or THE VILLAGE, the 'secret' won't surprise you one little bit. Even when HAUNTS was first aired, it wasn't THAT much of a shocker (Hello? Had anybody NOT heard of Rod Serling back then???)

But it's not about how good or bad the movie is, (and it ain't great.) It just about kicking back and letting all the nostalgic, Velveeta goodness wash over you...and not telling your friends you did afterward!