The Haunting (1963/I)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Shirley Jackson (novel)
Nelson Gidding (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 September 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

You may not believe in ghosts but you cannot deny terror

Plot:

Dr. Markway, doing research to prove the existence of ghosts, investigates Hill House, a large, eerie...

Plot Keywords:

House | Mansion | New England | Ghost | Poltergeist

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Julie Harris	...	Eleanor 'Nell' Lance
Claire Bloom	...	Theodora 'Theo'
Richard Johnson	...	Dr. John Markway
Russ Tamblyn	...	Luke Sanderson
Fay Compton	...	Mrs. Sanderson
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Mrs. Dudley
Lois Maxwell	...	Grace Markway
Valentine Dyall	...	Mr. Dudley
Diane Clare	...	Carrie Fredericks
Ronald Adam	...	Eldridge Harper

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G (alternate rating) | Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (re-rating) | UK:X | USA:Approved | USA:G (1972 re-release) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Alderminster, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK

Company:

Argyle Enterprises

Trivia:

Robert Wise had seen Julie Harris in a play and decided she was perfect for the leading role. She later confessed that shooting the picture had been very hard on her. She saw her character, Eleanor, in a different way than director Wise but didn't feel it was her place to disagree, so playing the part was a struggle for her. Still she claims Wise was a perfect gentleman and they remained friends for decades.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The story takes place in August, in fact it is mentioned twice that it is August and yet the characters are all dressed in winter coats upon arrival. They also wear winter clothing throughout the film.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. John Markway: [voice-over] An evil old house, the kind some people call haunted, is like an undiscovered country waiting to be explored. Hill House had stood for 90 years and might stand for 90 more. Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there... walked alone.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in The Haunted Mansion (2003)

A scary, masterfully crafted ghost story

The Haunting is the best haunted house movie of all time. It is creepy as hell, packs a real sense of dread, and always leaves the shocks to the imagination.

It starts with an extremely effective prologue detailing the sinister history of Hill House over it's 90 year presence, and this prologue includes some really excellently done scenes.

Flash forward 90 years, and four guests are invited to stay the night at Hill House, and experience the house's hypnotic power. The main character is Eleanor (Julie Harris) who is starting to believe the house wants something from her.

The Haunting is a teriffically crafted, genuinely creepy story from Robert Wise, and many elements have been used in recent films (The freezing breath in The Sixth Sense, and the ghosts only implied by strange sounds and giggles in The Blair Witch Project).

Overall, this is an excellent horror movie proving you don't need special effects and gore blah blah blah... Just see the movie. 9/10.