(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“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.”
It’s not uncommon for film connoisseurs to maintain their own personal video libraries of what might be called “comfort food.”
Like eating a delicacy from one’s youth, film favorites can take us back to another time and another place, recapturing the magic of those days long ago gone by. These features and their familiar faces grow into nostalgia as much as do childhood friends; and owners will play them once, twice, or thrice a year to chase down a fond memory, to pass a few empty moments with sight and sound, or even whisk themselves away from the trials and tribulations of a particularly bad day. Performance review got you down? Thrown in George Lucas’ original Star Wars (1977) and be transported to a galaxy far, far away. Girlfriend dumped you for a bloke you thought was in the friend zone? Cue up Notting Hill (1999) to recall what it was once like for an ordinary guy to capture the heart of an extraordinary girl. Fed up with the endless stream of mainstream news debacles? Odds are looking good that an evening spent with Frank Drebin and his timeless The Naked Gun (1988) has just the thing to put the smile back on your face.
This is likely the sentiment that fuels the enduring popularity behind House On Haunted Hill (1959). This late 50’s Horror/Comedy is not all that scary – nor is it all that funny – and yet it persists as being a prime example of what audiences will flock to theaters in good times and bad. Produced on a reported budget of $200,000, the William Castle directed feature brought in a mind-boggling $2.5 million back to the studio. That may not seem like much to some, but – from a quick look on The Numbers website which tracks box office performance – that’s enough to suggest that House places inside the list of top twenty motion picture releases for 1959. As they say, numbers don’t lie.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“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.”
It’s not uncommon for film connoisseurs to maintain their own personal video libraries of what might be called “comfort food.”
Like eating a delicacy from one’s youth, film favorites can take us back to another time and another place, recapturing the magic of those days long ago gone by. These features and their familiar faces grow into nostalgia as much as do childhood friends; and owners will play them once, twice, or thrice a year to chase down a fond memory, to pass a few empty moments with sight and sound, or even whisk themselves away from the trials and tribulations of a particularly bad day. Performance review got you down? Thrown in George Lucas’ original Star Wars (1977) and be transported to a galaxy far, far away. Girlfriend dumped you for a bloke you thought was in the friend zone? Cue up Notting Hill (1999) to recall what it was once like for an ordinary guy to capture the heart of an extraordinary girl. Fed up with the endless stream of mainstream news debacles? Odds are looking good that an evening spent with Frank Drebin and his timeless The Naked Gun (1988) has just the thing to put the smile back on your face.
This is likely the sentiment that fuels the enduring popularity behind House On Haunted Hill (1959). This late 50’s Horror/Comedy is not all that scary – nor is it all that funny – and yet it persists as being a prime example of what audiences will flock to theaters in good times and bad. Produced on a reported budget of $200,000, the William Castle directed feature brought in a mind-boggling $2.5 million back to the studio. That may not seem like much to some, but – from a quick look on The Numbers website which tracks box office performance – that’s enough to suggest that House places inside the list of top twenty motion picture releases for 1959. As they say, numbers don’t lie.
Starring Vincent Price in the role of millionaire Frederick Loren, House also cast the lovely Carol Ohmart as his lovely wife Annabelle, a lush blonde who has apparently been seeking her own delights outside their marital chambers. In fact, her affairs are the stuff of legend amongst the two of them; and they’re constantly swapping barbs at one another throughout the set-up, a dangerous thing to do considering the fact that she’s ‘Number Four’ and the previous three have – ahem – perished under curious circumstances. Still, it’s this heavily flawed relationship that serves as the core foundation behind almost everything that eventually transpires on screen.
To give his wife the party she’s been wanting, Loren hosts a reasonable intimate affair at a local home said by the attending owner Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook Jr.) to be haunted. To join in the festivities, Loren invites several business-related associates – test pilot Lance Schroeder (Richard Long), columnist Ruth Bridges (Julie Mitchum), psychiatrist David Trent (Alan Marshall), and struggling employee Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) – and the business magnate promises that anyone who stays the night leaves in the morning $10,000 richer. Though all are said to be unknown to one another, screenwriter Robb White conceals one key pairing – related to Mrs. Loren’s infidelities – that figures significantly into practically everything that develops.
Essentially, House tries hard to grow into a whodunnit, the likes of which audiences have embraced since Agatha Christie first published And Then There Were None in 1940. Aboard House, these locked-in guests find themselves one-by-one troubled by jump scares, moving shadows, hidden rooms, secret panels, and screams aplenty. Why, there’s even a top-secret vat of acid kept under the basement floorboards that’ll keep the players guessing in the last reel; and let’s not forget the ghostly-looking caretakers who step in and out of the night without making a sound. It’s enough to drive a few of them crazy – and does, one might say – even though these old-time scares are dated and damn near obsolete by today’s standards.
To give his wife the party she’s been wanting, Loren hosts a reasonable intimate affair at a local home said by the attending owner Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook Jr.) to be haunted. To join in the festivities, Loren invites several business-related associates – test pilot Lance Schroeder (Richard Long), columnist Ruth Bridges (Julie Mitchum), psychiatrist David Trent (Alan Marshall), and struggling employee Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) – and the business magnate promises that anyone who stays the night leaves in the morning $10,000 richer. Though all are said to be unknown to one another, screenwriter Robb White conceals one key pairing – related to Mrs. Loren’s infidelities – that figures significantly into practically everything that develops.
Essentially, House tries hard to grow into a whodunnit, the likes of which audiences have embraced since Agatha Christie first published And Then There Were None in 1940. Aboard House, these locked-in guests find themselves one-by-one troubled by jump scares, moving shadows, hidden rooms, secret panels, and screams aplenty. Why, there’s even a top-secret vat of acid kept under the basement floorboards that’ll keep the players guessing in the last reel; and let’s not forget the ghostly-looking caretakers who step in and out of the night without making a sound. It’s enough to drive a few of them crazy – and does, one might say – even though these old-time scares are dated and damn near obsolete by today’s standards.
Yet, the truth is that there not much ‘who’ to this whodunnit: it becomes crystal clear that Loren – in traditional villainous Price fashion that the actor did so well – is merely using most of his guest audience, creating the façade of the House truly being haunted. He wants them to believe the place is cursed. He needs them to see ghosts and goblins are authentic and having dire intentions to destroy the living. By doing so, he can transfer his culpability of murdering his money-grubbing wife and her covetous lover – who is also among the visitants – onto the shoulders of these specters from some phantom realm. Initially, it looks like a clever way of avoiding prosecution, but one wonders whether or not such an elaborate ruse would ever hold up in court.
Sequel, anyone?
Otherwise, there’s no substance to so very much of House. It’s only occasionally clever, and the performances – including Price – rely far more on respectable, low-grade camp than anything stronger. Craig makes a perfectly acceptable damsel in distress – Loren is likely counting on her innocence and naivety to sway a potential jury – as the bulk of the spills and chills fall squarely on her delicate shoulders; and she also serves as a narrative counterpoint to the scheming Annabelle. Costumer Norah Sharpe took great advantage of giving the two ladies looks representative of their personalities – Craig wears a ‘plain Jane’ and modest dress with a reserved neckline while Ohmart is a screen queen baring enticing flashes of porcelain skin – so their limited time together makes it obvious we’re looking at two sides of the same feminine coin.
I’ve read that – for a certain group of people – House is the kind of film they’d rent and/or purchase on home video with the specific purpose of showing it to their own gathered flock at Halloween and/or costume-style parties. (I don’t understand the costume appeal as there are literally none anywhere in this.) Hoping to set the mood for the haunted festivities that would follow, the hosts felt that Price and friends were exactingly perfect entertainment to get things going with a hoot. For me, it’s far too tame – desperately too schlocky – to amount to anything other than a passing fancy; but – as I always remind readers – “it takes different strokes to rule the world.”
Sequel, anyone?
Otherwise, there’s no substance to so very much of House. It’s only occasionally clever, and the performances – including Price – rely far more on respectable, low-grade camp than anything stronger. Craig makes a perfectly acceptable damsel in distress – Loren is likely counting on her innocence and naivety to sway a potential jury – as the bulk of the spills and chills fall squarely on her delicate shoulders; and she also serves as a narrative counterpoint to the scheming Annabelle. Costumer Norah Sharpe took great advantage of giving the two ladies looks representative of their personalities – Craig wears a ‘plain Jane’ and modest dress with a reserved neckline while Ohmart is a screen queen baring enticing flashes of porcelain skin – so their limited time together makes it obvious we’re looking at two sides of the same feminine coin.
I’ve read that – for a certain group of people – House is the kind of film they’d rent and/or purchase on home video with the specific purpose of showing it to their own gathered flock at Halloween and/or costume-style parties. (I don’t understand the costume appeal as there are literally none anywhere in this.) Hoping to set the mood for the haunted festivities that would follow, the hosts felt that Price and friends were exactingly perfect entertainment to get things going with a hoot. For me, it’s far too tame – desperately too schlocky – to amount to anything other than a passing fancy; but – as I always remind readers – “it takes different strokes to rule the world.”
House On Haunted Hill (1959) was produced by Allied Artist Pictures and William Castle Productions. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Film Masters. As for the technical specifications? Well … while I’m no trained video expert … House has been in public domain for quite some time, so I’ll accept that this is likely about as good as it’s ever going to look and sound. It’s not bad, but it’s muddled audibly in a few spots. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts an audio commentary from Heath Holland along with a collector’s booklet of assorted details from Jason A. Ney. It’s a solid assortment, though I found the commentary underwhelming.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
If its goofy overplayed schlock that you’ve a hankering for, then 1959’s House On Haunted Hill will definitely fit the bill. At a lean 75-minutes, the sometimes-light-hearted chiller hosts a predictable central performance from Price, some reasonable eye candy from Ohmart and Craig, and a short parade of jump scares which – sadly – don’t exactly make a great deal of sense come the finale. Is the place haunted? Is everything an elaborate ruse? What’s up with the creepy caretakers? Are they paid overtime, and couldn’t they afford a good dental plan? Clearly, it’s best not to overthink the recipe, otherwise you risk pulling this gothic cake flat out of the oven. A cult(ish), brainless delight, for sure (!!!) but little else.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Film Masters (via Allied Vaughn) provided me a complimentary Blu-ray of House On Haunted Hill (1959) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
If its goofy overplayed schlock that you’ve a hankering for, then 1959’s House On Haunted Hill will definitely fit the bill. At a lean 75-minutes, the sometimes-light-hearted chiller hosts a predictable central performance from Price, some reasonable eye candy from Ohmart and Craig, and a short parade of jump scares which – sadly – don’t exactly make a great deal of sense come the finale. Is the place haunted? Is everything an elaborate ruse? What’s up with the creepy caretakers? Are they paid overtime, and couldn’t they afford a good dental plan? Clearly, it’s best not to overthink the recipe, otherwise you risk pulling this gothic cake flat out of the oven. A cult(ish), brainless delight, for sure (!!!) but little else.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Film Masters (via Allied Vaughn) provided me a complimentary Blu-ray of House On Haunted Hill (1959) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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