HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959) REVIEW!!! (AT THE DIETRICH TONIGHT AND TOMORROW!!!)

Show Dates

Tue, Oct. 24 - 7:00P

Wed, Oct. 25 - 1:00P Wed, Oct. 25 - 7:00P

Initial release date: February 17, 1959

Studios: Allied Artists/William Castle Productions

Plot: Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive $10,000 each. The guest of honor is Loren's estranged wife, Annabelle, who, with her secret lover, Dr. Trent, has concocted his own scheme to scare Loren's associate, Nora Manning, into shooting the potentially crazy millionaire. However, more spooks and shocks throw a wrench into the plan.

Cast

Vincent Price - Frederick Loren

Carol Ohmart - Annabelle Loren

Richard Long - Lance Schroeder

Alan Marshal - Dr. David Trent

Carolyn Craig - Nora Manning

Elisa Cook Jr - Watson Pritchard

Julie Mitchum - Ruth Bridges

Leona Anderson - Mrs. Slydes

Howard Hoffman - Jonas

Writer: Robb White (13 Ghosts; Homicidal; The Tingler)

Director: William Castle (13 Ghosts; The Tingler)

Not Rated (75 minutes)

The other night I had the chance to see the original 1959 black and white classic House on Haunted Hill at the Dietrich. I have seen the 1999 remake quite a few times, which even though it's not the best remake, it's more like a guilty pleasure.

The original 1959 film is definitely an entertaining example of a classic horror film that used to be a mainstay for film fans and all horror fans should see at least once.

Horror legend Vincent Price did an amazing job as the mysterious millionaire. The film itself delivers some great suspenseful moments and the opening sequence where you just hear the scary noises for roughly a minute or so is something I didn't expect and I thought it was awesome.

Throughout the film, there are quite a few little twists and turns and we get to follow a few characters that have to get through one night in a supposed haunted house. One of these guests is a very hysterical woman that loves to scream quite a bit.

Now, House on Haunted Hill can feel a bit on the campy side sometimes and can be slightly over the top. But, it's still a fun, entertaining horror classic that should not be missed. If you have enjoyed some of the classic black and white horror films, make sure to check out House on Haunted Hill. The remake is slightly different and there's a DVD sequel of the remake that I haven't seen yet. If you miss the film at the Dietrich, it's streaming on YouTube and Tubi for FREE.

Here are some fun tidbits for the classic House on Haunted Hill!

• The large grosses for this film were noticed by Alfred Hitchcock. This led him to create his own low-budget film - a little film called Psycho.

• Exterior shots of the haunted house, primarily during the opening sequence, were filmed at The Ennis Brown House, located in the Los Feliz neighborhood of LA. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1924, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Although this was one of Allied Artists' most profitable films of that period, it fell into public domain. Despite the widespread availability on home video, the current (as of 2018) holder of the Allied Artists' library, Warner Brothers, still receives bookings for 35mm release prints.

• The opening "Scare Trick" was so effective that it actually started the idea of novelty "haunting records." Records of spooky sounds, sound effects, and music that were most commonly used for Halloween, Halloween parties, and make-shift haunted house attractions.

• William Castle related the story of meeting Vincent Price on a day when Price had learned that he had been passed over for a part. Over coffee, Castle described the premise of the picture, Price liked the idea, and it led to a two picture collaboration: this film and The Tingler (1959).

• The skeleton that rises from the vat of acid is a real human skeleton. Like most movies, it was simply faster and cheaper to buy a real human skeleton from a biological supply than having one created by the effects department.

• The film is best known for a promotional gimmick used in its initial release called "Emergo" In some theaters that showed the film, exhibitors rigged an elaborate pulley system near the screen which allowed a plastic skeleton to be flown over the audience.

• The film was remade as the 1999 movie House on Haunted Hill, which had a 2007 DVD sequel Return to House on Haunted Hill. The 1999 movie was released to negative reviews but was a box office success, while the 2007 sequel received terrible reviews and poor DVD sales.

• Domestic box office total - $2.5 million.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsa9ymSDoJ0