House of Darkness (1948)

A young man visiting a house that turns out to be haunted is terrorized by the ghost of a man who had been murdered there years before.

Director:

Oswald Mitchell

Writers:

John Gilling, George Melachrino (story)

Stars:

Laurence Harvey, Lesley Brook, John Stuart

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Laurence Harvey	...	Francis Merryman
Lesley Brook	...	Lucy
John Stuart	...	Crabtree, the Solicitor
George Melachrino	...	Himself
Lesley Osmond	...	Elaine Merryman
Henry Oscar	...	Bob, the film director
Alexander Archdale	...	John Merryman
John Teed	...	Noel Merryman
Grace Arnold	...	Tessa
Pauline Winter	...	Rosie, the maid
Sydney Moncton	...	Doctor
Charles Paton	...	Crabtree's Clerk

Storyline

A young man visiting a house that turns out to be haunted is terrorized by the ghost of a man who had been murdered there years before.

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Plot Keywords:

ghost | heart attack | murder | conductor | scared to death | 

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Taglines:

Love and Hate Under One Roof!

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Genres:

Horror

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1952 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Harry Reynolds Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Melachrino:  as a composer.

User Reviews

That damn violin-playing

Conductor George Melachrino (playing himself) explains to film director Bob (Henry Oscar) how he came to write the piece of music that we hear at the beginning of the film. We go back in flashback to when he spent the night in a haunted house and heard music in the atmosphere from a forgotten time. We then go into another flashback and our main story which sees Francis (Laurence Harvey) do everything in his power to get control of the house. This includes the psychological torture of his two brothers. However, things come back to haunt him....literally....

It's a short psychological thriller with a spooky element. Is the ghost of John (Alexander Archdale) a figment of Francis's imagination? Or is there something supernatural going on? How did John's picture re-appear on the wall? The cast are good although Laurence Harvey is extremely unlikeable. I know he's meant to be but he is also slimy and creepy and he's got an annoying face that makes you want to punch it. Maybe he's slightly over-the-top. Still, it's an enjoyable film while it lasts. And it inspired a piece of music!