IMDb > House on Haunted Hill (1959)
House on Haunted Hill
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House on Haunted Hill (1959) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 6)
House on Haunted Hill -- Long before lunatic millionaires Michael Jackson, Richard Branson or Rick Rockwell, there was Frederic Loren (Vincent Price), an eccentric, unhappily married fop who offers a huge cash prize to anyone who can stay overnight in the house on Haunted Hill.
House on Haunted Hill -- The owner of a haunted mansion offers a group of people reward money if they can survive a night at his scary estate.

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   8,304 votes »
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Up 20% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
William Castle
Writer:
Robb White (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for House on Haunted Hill on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 February 1959 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Drama | Horror | Thriller See more »
Tagline:
See it with someone with warm hands! See more »
Plot:
Eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren and his 4th wife, Annabelle, have invited 5 people to the house on Haunted Hill for a "haunted House" party... See more » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
NewsDesk:
(58 articles)
Beast Wishes Documentary to Premiere in Hollywood on April 12th
 (From Dread Central. 3 April 2012, 12:13 AM, PDT)
'Silent House': Would you rather spend the night there, or at the Bates Motel?
 (From EW.com - Inside Movies. 10 March 2012, 8:24 AM, PST)
Vincentennial Nominated for a Rondo Award for Best Fan Event
 (From WeAreMovieGeeks.com. 23 February 2012, 6:28 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
Vincent Price is outstanding See more (172 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Vincent Price ... Frederick Loren
Carol Ohmart ... Annabelle Loren
Richard Long ... Lance Schroeder
Alan Marshal ... Dr. David Trent
Carolyn Craig ... Nora Manning

Elisha Cook Jr. ... Watson Pritchard (as Elisha Cook)
Julie Mitchum ... Ruth Bridgers
Leona Anderson ... Mrs. Slydes
Howard Hoffman ... Jonas
Skeleton ... Himself
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Directed by
William Castle 
 
Writing credits
Robb White (written by)

Produced by
William Castle .... producer
Robb White .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Von Dexter 
 
Cinematography by
Carl E. Guthrie (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Roy V. Livingston  (as Roy Livingston)
 
Art Direction by
Dave Milton  (as David Milton)
 
Set Decoration by
Morris Hoffman 
 
Makeup Department
Jack Dusick .... makeup artist
Gale McGarry .... hair stylist
 
Production Management
Edward Morey Jr. .... production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack R. Berne .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Ted Mossman .... property (as Teddy Mossman)
James West .... construction supervisor
 
Sound Department
Ralph Butler .... sound recording engineer
Charles G. Schelling .... sound editor (as Charles Schelling)
 
Special Effects by
Herman E. Townsley .... special effects (as Herman Townsley)
Daniel Hays .... special effects technician (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Schwartz .... grip
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norah Sharpe .... wardrobe: ladies
Roger J. Weinberg .... wardrobe: men
 
Music Department
Von Dexter .... conductor
Jerry Irvin .... music editor
 
Other crew
Virginia Mazzuca .... set continuity
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
75 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Black & White and Color) | Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | West Germany:18 | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1959) | Finland:K-18 (2007) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (1963) | Norway:16 (1960) | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (video rating) (2003) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Unrated
Filming Locations:
Ennis-Brown House - 2655 Glendower Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USASee more »
Company:
William Castle ProductionsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Director Trademark: [William Castle] [gimmick]Used a gimmick called "Emergo" in theaters. When the skeleton rises from the acid vat in the film, a lighted plastic skeleton on a wire appeared from a black box next to the screen to swoop over the heads of the audience. The skeleton would then be pulled back into the box as the skeleton in the film is "reeled in". Many theaters soon stopped using this "effect" because when the local boys heard about it, they would bring slingshots to the theater; when the skeleton started its journey, they would pull out their slingshots and fire at it with stones, BBs, ball bearings and whatever else they could find.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: Lance locks his door from the inside with a deadbolt after the Doctor calls everybody to the meeting, and leaves through Nora's door. When they return from the meeting he opens his own, unlocked, door from the outside.See more »
Quotes:
Watson Pritchard:There's been a murder almost everyplace in this house!See more »
Movie Connections:
Featured in Trick 'r Treat (2007)See more »
Soundtrack:
House on Haunted HillSee more »

FAQ

Was the house really haunted?
What was the Emergo?
Why was the house considered to be haunted?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
34 out of 38 people found the following review useful.
Vincent Price is outstanding, 25 July 2004
Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

Vincent Price plays Frederick Loren, an eccentric millionaire that invites five very different people to a haunted house for a party, and offers them $10,000 if they can stay the night... This film benefits emphatically from the presence of the legendary Vincent Price. As usual, Price gives a commanding performance and completely steals every scene he's in. Price is undoubtedly the star of the show, but he's not the only star in the show; Elisha Cook in particular gives excellent support playing the wimpy owner of the house; much the same character that he played in the Kubrick masterpiece; 'The Killing'. The rest of the cast is largely made up of unknowns and b-grade actors, but they also all perform to relatively high standards in their respective roles.

House on Haunted Hill's best feature other than the legendary Vincent Price, is undoubtedly the atmosphere of the house. Throughout the movie, there is an abundant sense of dread that is perpetually present and it serves the film well in that it brings the house to life; at every point in the movie, the audience is made to believe that there is something unseen in the house that will cause bad things to happen; and this is obviously exactly what a haunted house film needs. The film is very creepy in that way. That's not to say that this film is without its flaws; at times, the plot meanders and as the film only has a 75 minute running time, that's not good. It can also become a little dull at times as there isn't always a lot going on. This is, however, somewhat combated by the acting performances and defined characters as they usually manage to keep it at least interesting, if not enthralling throughout. House on Haunted Hill is topped off by a brilliant double twist, and it is also given certain originality by that also, although the twists do beg the question of whether or not the film has an appropriate title. The walking skeleton is hilarious, though and worth watching film for alone.

Overall, House on Haunted Hill is a lovely little b movie; it's creative, it's atmospheric and it stars Vincent Price. Highly recommended viewing, especially for horror fans. Definitely not recommended for anyone though, is the dire 1999 remake of this film, and the equally appalling remake of William Castle's other ghost story; '13 Ghosts'.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Other 'false haunting' movies? midnight_muse
how is this a classic? tommyboy-16
Based on a short story? finfan815
Julie MITCHUM lrcdmnhd72
This move is a hoot! Surf_Hamster
The LUNGS on her!! Starburst88
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