By: Terry Jarrell
Classic horror. Just thinking back at some of the titles that you know by heart takes you to a certain state of mind or feeling. Let’s take a little journey back to the times of Saturday night popcorn chillers with ‘House on Haunted Hill’.
Classic Scares
‘House on Haunted Hill’ is one of the stand-out classics from 1959 produced and directed by William Castle. One of the most memorable roles for beloved horror actor Vincent Price as the eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren. The movie opens with a mysterious line of ominous cars delivering individual guests to this night of terror with the promise of $10,000… IF, they survive the night.
Right off, this mysterious mansion raises questions for the audience by not being the typical haunted house visual at all. What we see is, indeed, an imposing dark facade. Instead of weathered, peeling paint and banging shutters we arrive in front of a quite modern and stylish mansion. Already, there is some unease with the ‘why’ and ‘what’ starting to form. The exterior shots of the house are real. The Ennis House was built in 1924 in Los Angeles, CA for Charles and Mabel Ennis and and designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as well as California Historical Landmark and Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument.
Interior shots are done on soundstages for the rest of the visuals but they are more appropriate for the story. A central living room places wonderful dialog between the characters but there is more to this house. The long hallway of guest rooms with a spooky twist at the end, of course a grand staircase and a… basement. Ahhh, the basement!
Ssshhhh!!!
Now that we have a little introduction to the story and even some history about the house itself, let’s get ready for a horrific night. Right off, there are no spoilers here and actually this article aims to only hit some high spots of the movie. My hope is that you will curl up on the sofa one night soon, turn down the lights, grab a bowl of hot buttery popcorn and let this masterpiece seep into your nightmares. For the first time or if you enjoyed it countless times.
As a writer and horror filmmaker myself, I am drawn to compelling stories. ‘House on Haunted Hill’ delivers on so many levels. Building tension between the characters kicks off early with some question of why each guest was chosen by the wealthy Mr. Loren. A handsome test pilot, reliable psychiatrist, social newspaper columnist, a young woman who works for Loren and the house’s owner. Of course Loren is in charge as the host but he explains that he is giving a party to his beautiful wife, but there are even more layers to their own tension.
SCREAM!!!
This is one of those classics that you can watch over and over. Not just the ‘typical’ scary movie but there is mystery, deceit, love-triangles, deception, whodunit, ghosts and so much more.
But how about the best SCREAM ever!
Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) – remember the average office girl working for one of Loren’s companies? Well, turns out Nora has a set of pipes on her! More than once, Nora has good reason to turn everyone’s blood ice-cold when she lets go with one of her frequent screams. I still wait to the moment for each one with giddy glee! Oh, at the specter in the basement… oops, no spoilers as promised. (Well, a tiny one there!)
The Sun Is About To Come Up
After a long night or fun and games, the sun is beginning to rise. Things what you thought you knew might not be what they were all along… or something like that. Maybe? You’ll have to watch!
Sure as flying skeletons, there was even more to seeing ‘House on Haunted Hill’ when first released. Producer William Castle was known as a master of gimmicks to lure audiences into the theaters with wild tricks and fun. ‘Emergo’ thrilled (I’m sure) audiences with fake skeletons coming out from the screen, traveling along wires over the heads of the audience from a pulley during screenings. Wow, imagine the fun!
Special mention: Having received as a gift the soundtrack of ‘House on Haunted Hill’ on vinyl, this two record from Waxwork Records adds another dimension to your love for the movie.
Now, go get your popcorn ready, dim the lights and spend the night with one of the most loved classic horror/thriller ever!