Producer/director William Castle brings the carnival spook house to life on the big screen in House on Haunted Hill. His 1959 masterpiece stars Vincent Price as an eccentric millionaire who throws a haunted house party in hope of catching his wife in a cobweb of deceit. Those invited to this macabre charade were lured in by the promise of $10,000 should they survive the night’s horrors. It’s classic Castle: atmospheric, wacky fun with some creepy yet comic scares, a twisted whodunit plot, and lots of loose ends.
Buy House on Haunted Hill (1959)Debonair millionaire Frederick Loren (Price) and his fourth wife, the sultry Annabelle (Carol Ohmart), host a party in a large, old mansion said to be haunted by the victims of those murdered within its walls. Frederick has chosen five strangers to be part of the fiesta of fear and offered them 10 grand each should they make it past the acid pool, hangings, ghastly apparitions, severed heads, and two terrifying ancient house keepers until morning.
The party of five consists of three men and two women, including veteran columnist Ruth Bridgers (Julie Mitchum), the innocent young Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig), dashing jet pilot Lance Schroder (Ricahrd Long), nervous wreck Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook Jr) whose brother was killed in the house, and psychiatrist Dr. David Trent (Alan Marshall). What they all have in common, allegedly, is that none of them know the Lorens and they all face real danger as the toxic couple face off in a battle royale worth millions. Will this hell night end in acid baths for all or will Loren prove to be a puppet master extraordinaire pulling the strings of fate?
With House on Haunted Hill, William Castle pays homage not only to The Old Dark House but also in some respect to And Then There Were None, the classic Agatha Christie “whodunit.” The cinematography by Carl E. Guthrie is outstanding as he employs a great use of shadows and eerie backdrops to go along with Castle’s hokey jump scares like the “slider ghost.” There are also decent special effects, implausible plot points and situations, as well at least one less than stellar actor. Certain elements even remind one of Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride while the spooky theremin music alerts the audience to impending doom. Through it all, Castle begs the audience to forget reality for a brisk 75 minutes and enjoy the show.
As with all Willian Castle affairs, there is a spectacular gimmick and here it’s “Emergo.” The stunt consists of a skeleton on a wire that flies through the audience at a key moment in the film but sadly we can’t see any of that on the screen. I’m sure that caused more laughs than gasps as the on-screen skeleton brings to mind Larry Blamire’s The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. Seriously, do yourself a favor and watch that one next.
The small cast consists of just nine actors total who are solid overall and of course, Vincent Price tops that list while Carolyn Craig sits in the nine hole. Craig comes across as an extra hammy Natalie Wood knock-off as Richard Long, future co-star in TVs The Big Valley, tries his best to prop her up. The sexy Carol Ohmart is good but not quite the “female Brando” she was hyped up as while Julie Mitchum, older sister of Robert, turns in a fine low-key performance. Then there’s the ever-anxious Elisha Cook Jr. as Watson Pritchard, a role that seems tailor made for him. Not to be left out is Leona Anderson as caretaker Mrs. Slydes, a perfect name as that’s pretty much all she does in her creepy little part. Her famous sibling is early screen cowboy legend “Bronco Billy” Anderson.
The Film Masters Limited Edition Blu-ray release is restored in HD and looks great. Included extras are an interesting 10-page booklet with liner notes by film scholar Jason A. Ney and an energetic, fact-filled audio commentary by Heath Holland. Holland takes a deep dive into the making of the movie and the actors’ lives, noting not only their film work but their numerous appearances on popular television shows of that era. It’s his commentary where I learned of the famous siblings of cast members as well as their individual talents and success. He provides insights and anecdotes about every aspect of the movie’s filming including the history of its exterior shots of the Ennis House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright to how the movie fell into the public domain. Holland points out that allegedly the opening house of horror sound effects were the inspiration for the first of those creepy cool Halloween sound-effects records. Holland also takes us on a vocal tour of William Castle’s career highlights as he lists off Castle’s inventive gimmicks like “Percepto” and “Illusion-O” used in his later-directorial works to drum up ticket sales.
William Castle’s House on Haunted Hill is a true low-budget, cult-classic, horror movie and contains all the tropes that go along with that distinction. There are skeletons, cobwebs, doors that mysteriously open and close as well as self-playing organs, plot holes, and improbabilities galore. So sit back and enjoy the suspension of disbelief…if you dare.
