House on Haunted Hill (1959)

A millionaire offers $10,000 to five people who agree to be locked in a large, spooky, rented house overnight with him and his wife.

Director:

William Castle

Writer:

Robb White

Stars:

Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long

Cast

Complete credited cast:
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

Storyline

Eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren and his 4th wife, Annabelle, have invited 5 people to the house on Haunted Hill for a "haunted House" party. Whoever will stay in the house for one night will earn ten thousand dollars each. As the night progresses, all the guests are trapped inside the house with ghosts, murderers, and other terrors.

---

Plot Keywords:

acid | overnight in a haunted house | breaking the fourth wall | faked death | animate skeleton | 

---

Taglines:

See it with someone with warm hands!

---

Genres:

Horror | Mystery

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 February 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

The House on Haunted Hill

Filming Locations:

Ennis House - 2607 Glendower Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

William Castle Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The $10,000 offered to each of the guests in 1959 would be equal to about $83,450 in 2017.

---

Goofs

Frederick Loren announces at the start of the challenge that if any of the contestants dies, the deceased's heirs will get his/her $10,000. Later, he says that if any of the five contestants dies, the total $50,000 will be split evenly among the survivors. However, the initial statement is spoken directly to the film's audience, is not part of the actual plot line, and therefore, does not really contradict the terms subsequently described to the genuine characters.

---

Quotes

Lance Schroeder: Do you think it would do any good if you went in and talked to her?
Ruth: Well, do you think there really was a head in her suitcase?
Lance Schroeder: I don't know.
Ruth: A thing like that would put me right over the edge.

---

Crazy Credits

The end title credits list "Skeleton - By Himself"

---

Alternate Versions

When shown in "Emergo", there was a short scene showing brick wall for the skeleton to "emerge".

---

Connections

Referenced in Scooby Doo, Where Are You!: A Night of Fright Is No Delight (1970)

---

Soundtracks

Theme
House on Haunted Hill"
by Richard Kayne and Richard Loring

User Reviews

One of the Most Entertaining Movies Of Its Genre

This classic version of "House on Haunted Hill" is one of the most entertaining examples of the low-budget, black-and-white horror films that used to be such a mainstay for movie fans. It has few frills, but it does have some thrills, and in particular it has a cleverly written story that is told at a brisk pace, with a good deal of interesting and pleasingly macabre detail.

Horror legend Vincent Price is in his element as the mysterious millionaire who invites a houseful of guests to spend the night in a supposedly haunted mansion, and his performance will give his fans everything that they expect. The supporting cast is solid, led by Elisha Cook, who is very good as a nervous, tipsy character whose rambling proclamations of doom add the right touch of offbeat suspense. The settings are given plenty of detail that makes the characters' explorations of the house even more interesting.

The story is nicely written for the genre, making very good use of the possibilities in the setup, throwing in some good turns, and resolving everything in a resourceful fashion. And it's not without some real suspense - even those who normally watch low-budget horror features solely for the camp factor might get an actual start once or twice as everything plays out. And even if you don't find anything scary, there is plenty here that makes it enjoyable to watch.