The House That Screamed (1969)
"La residencia" (original title)

Lilli Palmer owns and runs a school for wayward girls in France. Her absolute discipline has fostered a social order among the girls with rampant sex, lesbianism and torture the norm. ... See full summary »

Director:

Narciso Ibáñez Serrador

Writers:

Narciso Ibáñez Serrador (screenplay), Juan Tébar (story)

Stars:

Lilli Palmer, Cristina Galbó, John Moulder-Brown

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lilli Palmer	...	Sra. Fourneau
Cristina Galbó	...	Teresa
John Moulder-Brown	...	Luis (as John Moulder Brown)
Maribel Martín	...	Isabelle
Mary Maude	...	Irene
Cándida Losada	...	Srta. Desprez
Pauline Challoner	...	Catalina (as Pauline Challenor)
Tomás Blanco	...	Pedro Baldie
Víctor Israel	...	Brechard
Teresa Hurtado	...	Andrea
María José Valero	...	Elena
Conchita Paredes	...	Susana
Ana María Pol	...	Claudia
Mari Carmen Duque	...	Julia (as María del Carmen Duque)
Paloma Pagés	...	Cecilia

Storyline

Lilli Palmer owns and runs a school for wayward girls in France. Her absolute discipline has fostered a social order among the girls with rampant sex, lesbianism and torture the norm. Palmer also has an adolescent son (Moulder Brown) she tries to keep isolated from the young women lest he be tainted by sexual relations; She explains that he must wait for a girl "just like his mother". Meanwhile, girls are "running away" (being murdered) one by one, with their corpses and any evidence of their outcome not to be found. Beware cut versions; the film was shown back in the 70's on network TV chopped to only 76 minutes!

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Plot Keywords:

france | school | sex | splatter | mutilation | 

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Taglines:

Only the killer knows why and how and who is next!

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

1969 (Spain)

Also Known As:

House of Evil

Filming Locations:

Comillas, Cantabria, Spain

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 104,871,715 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anabel Films, Anabel Films S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min 105 min (VHS)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Contains the first ever close-up slow-motion murder in Spanish cinema history.

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Connections

Featured in Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss (2012)

User Reviews

Creepy gem.

This stylish and very eerie thriller stars Lili Palmer as Senora Fourneau,the severe headmistress of a French boarding school for wayward young women.The rigid constraints of 19th-century social conditioning have turned the school into a hotbed of uncontrolled sexual urges.Soon it is discovered that one by one, the young girls are vanishing.It is assumed they are sneaking away at night,so the school is securely locked down at night.But the young women continue to go missing,as it appears a mysterious assassin is stalking the dark hallways of the ghostly manor."La Residencia" by Chicho Ibáñez-Serrador combines Gothic atmosphere of Mario Bava's early horror movies with plenty of tension.The film resembles a lot Dario Argento's masterpiece "Suspiria"-the young Cristina Galbó who plays the new arrival at the school-looks like and has the general doe-eyed demeanour of Suzy Banyon.All the main characters are well-developed and intriguing and the acting is fantastic.The murder scenes are stylish and the film deals with several taboos surrounding sexuality.So anyone who is a fan of Hammer,Bava or Argento will probably find something to appreciate in this obscure gem.9 out of 10.