The Legend of Hell House (1973)

Director:

John Hough

Writers:

Richard Matheson (novel)
Richard Matheson (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 June 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

For the sake of your sanity, pray it isn't true!

Plot:

A team consisting of a physicist, his wife, a young female psychic and the only survivor of the previous...

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Phenomenon | Hidden Room | Old House | Evil

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Pamela Franklin	...	Florence Tanner
Roddy McDowall	...	Benjamin Franklin Fischer
Clive Revill	...	Mr. (Lionel) Barrett
Gayle Hunnicutt	...	Ann Barrett
Roland Culver	...	Mr. (Rudolph) Deutsch
Peter Bowles	...	Hanley
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Gough	...	Emeric Belasco (uncredited)

Directed by
John Hough

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Matheson		novel "Hell House"
Richard Matheson		screenplay

Produced by
Albert Fennell	....	producer
Norman T. Herman	....	producer
James H. Nicholson	....	executive producer
Susan Hart	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Delia Derbyshire		(as Delia Derbyshire of Electrophon Ltd.)
Brian Hodgson		(as Brian Hodgson of Electrophon Ltd.)

Cinematography by
Alan Hume

Film Editing by
Geoffrey Foot

Casting by
Sally Nicholl

Art Direction by
Robert Jones

Makeup Department
Linda DeVetta	....	makeup artist
Patricia McDermott	....	hair stylist (as Pat McDermott)

Production Management
Ron Fry	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bert Batt	....	assistant director

Art Department
Kenneth McCallum Tait	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Delia Derbyshire	....	sound effects
Leslie Hammond	....	sound recordist (as Les Hammond)
Brian Hodgson	....	sound effects
Peter Lennard	....	dubbing editor
Bill Rowe	....	sound recordist
John Potter	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roy Whybrow	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Tom Howard	....	photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Tony White	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eileen Sullivan	....	wardrobe mistress

Other crew
Tom Corbett	....	technical advisor
Gladys Goldsmith	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Academy Pictures Corporation (presents)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CBS/Fox Video (1984) (Belgium) (video)

Special Effects

• Electrophon Ltd. (sound effects)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Academy Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The original novel was set in New England, with an American team of psychic investigators. The storyline was changed, to fit the movie's production in England, with British actors playing the investigators.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ben and Anne discover Emeric Belascoe's body in the hidden room in the chapel, at one point Belasco starts swaying back and forth.

Quotes:

Ann Barrett: What did he do to make this house so evil, Mr. Fischer?
Benjamin Franklin Fischer: Drug addiction, alcoholism, sadism, beastiality, mutilation, murder, vampirism, necrophilia, cannibalism, not to mention a gamut of sexual goodies. Shall I go on?
Ann Barrett: How did it end?
Benjamin Franklin Fischer: If it had ended, we wouldn't be here.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Ride the Wild Side (2005) (V)

A masterpiece! When is it released on DVD?

This movie is a masterpiece! The strange music, the wonderful setting, the superb photography...The actors are great, too, I especially love Pamela Franklin and Gayle Hunnicutt. When she acts sex-driven it is one of the best scenes of the movie. But, is she really possessed or does she just act this way so she can satisfy her sexual needs with everybody thinking she is just possessed by a ghost..? Also this odd, quit atmosphere the movie has I've never experienced in another movie. John Hough is one of the best directors! But when is this masterpiece released on DVD?