The Changeling (1980)

After the death of his wife and daughter in a car crash, a music professor staying at an old mansion is dragged into a decades-old mystery by an inexplicable presence in the mansion's attic.

Director:

Peter Medak

Writers:

Russell Hunter (story by), William Gray (screenplay by)

Stars:

George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas

11 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George C. Scott	...	John Russell
Trish Van Devere	...	Claire Norman
Melvyn Douglas	...	Senator Carmichael
Jean Marsh	...	Joanna Russell
John Colicos	...	Captain DeWitt
Barry Morse	...	Parapsychologist
Madeleine Sherwood	...	Mrs. Norman (as Madeleine Thornton-Sherwood)
Helen Burns	...	Leah Harmon
Frances Hyland	...	Mrs. Grey
Ruth Springford	...	Minnie Huxley
Eric Christmas	...	Albert Harmon
Roberta Maxwell	...	Eva Lingstrom
Bernard Behrens	...	Robert Lingstrom
James B. Douglas	...	Eugene Carmichael
J. Kenneth Campbell	...	Security Guard

Storyline

It was the perfect family vacation for composer John Russell and his family when a freak automobile accident claims the lives of his wife and daughter. Consumed by grief, John, at the request of friends, rents an old turn of the century house. Mammoth in size, the house seems all the room that John needs to write music and reflect. He does not realize that he is not alone in the house. He shares it with the spirit of a child who has homed in on John's despair and uses him to uncover decades of silence and deceit. With the help of Claire Norman, the one who aided John in procuring the house, they race to find the answers and soon learn that a devious and very powerful man guards them.

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Plot Keywords:

mansion | ghost | haunted house | composer | professor | 

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Taglines:

"How did you die, Joseph...? Did you die in this house...? Why do you remain...?"

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

13+

Did You Know?

Trivia

Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar has claimed in several interviews that this is one of his all-time favorite Horror movies, up to the point of inspiring several scenes of Tesis (1996) and The Others (2001).

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Goofs

(at around 36 mins) The next scene after John discovers the small child's room and the music box, Claire is listening to music on the reel to reel tape player. There is a large mirror and several small mirrors built into the mantle above the fireplace behind her. As the camera dollies right towards John, you see the arm of a grip pushing the camera in the small right mirror below the single large mirror.

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Quotes

Joseph Carmichael: [On the Seance Tape] My body. Ranch. The well. My name... Joseph Carmichael.

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Alternate Versions

The Japanese theatrical version contains the alternative ending theme, titled "Pike", sung by Makigami Koichi, a pseudo-kabuki vocalist who led the rock band called "HIKASHU", replacing the original "Music Box" theme song conducted by Howard Blake. The local Japanese TV (dubbed) version also contains the similar "Pike" theme from "HIKASHU", but while the original theatrical version was in Japanese as supposed to be, the song in the TV version was remarkably sung in English.

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Connections

Referenced in The Ring (2002)

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Soundtracks

Music Box Theme
Composed by Howard Blake

User Reviews

If only they still made horror movies like this

I recently bought The Changeling on DVD because I first saw it when I was much younger at around 3 in the morning. I was flipping channels when I found this movie just starting. The first 5 minutes sucked me in and I watched the whole thing. I found the movie to be pretty good and quite freaky as well. Based on that memory I decided to take the plunge again and I was not disappointed. The Changeling displays a quality of movie making that is sadly becoming rare. George C. Scott delivers a fiery performance as usual as Jack Russell, our tormented protagonist. The sets are moody and perfectly fit the tone and atmosphere of the story. This film manages to be spooky without descending into camp, and suspenseful without overdoing it. The supporting cast brings up the rear with fine performances all around, and the music contributes to rather than distracts from the film. Bottom Line: If you're looking for a obscure old movie to curl up and watch with your significant other with the lights out, then you can't do much better than this.

Details

Official Sites:

-The Changeling: 40 Years of Terror (Documentary) -The official trailer

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1980 (Canada)

Also Known As:

L'enfant du diable

Filming Locations:

1268-1270 West 57Th Street, Oakridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD7,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chessman Park Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1