House on Haunted Hill (1959)
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A group of strangers is lured to a remote mansion for a high-stakes party where they must survive the night to claim a cash prize.
The story
Millionaire Frederick Loren invites five strangers to a party in an allegedly haunted house he has rented for his fourth wife, Annabelle. He promises each guest $10,000 if they stay the entire night after the doors are locked at midnight. The house is isolated, with barred windows, no electricity, and no phones or radios. The guests, including a test pilot, a columnist, a psychiatrist, a company employee, and the house's owner, must navigate a tense atmosphere of suspicion and fear. As the night progresses, the group is trapped within the house with an assortment of terrors.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Frederick Loren invites five strangers to a haunted house, promising $10,000 to anyone who stays until midnight. The guests include Lance Schroeder, Ruth Bridges, Dr. David Trent, Nora Manning, and the owner Watson Pritchard. Tensions rise as Frederick suspects his wife Annabelle of trying to poison him, while Watson claims the house is haunted by murdered residents. During a tour, Lance and Nora explore the basement, where Lance is struck and Nora is confronted by a ghost. Annabelle warns Lance that Frederick is a murderer. After the doors are locked early, the guests are given guns. They find Annabelle's body hanging, but the lack of a perch suggests murder. Nora is later found 'strangled.' Suspecting Frederick, the group decides to stay in their rooms and shoot anyone who enters. However, David and Annabelle—secret lovers—have faked Annabelle's death to manipulate Nora into killing Frederick. Nora eventually shoots Frederick in the basement. David disposes of the body in an acid vat. A skeleton rises from the acid, accusing Annabelle, but Frederick emerges from the shadows, revealing he manipulated the skeleton and knew of their plot. He explains he loaded Nora's gun with blanks and that David and Annabelle are now ghosts. Watson remains convinced the house is haunted.
- First release year
- 1958
- Runtime (minutes)
- 75
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- William Castle
- Writers
- Robb White · writer
- Cast and characters
- Vincent Price · Frederick Loren; Carol Ohmart · Annabelle; Richard Long · Lance Schroeder; Alan Marshal · Watson Pritchard; Carolyn Craig · Nora Manning; Julie Mitchum · Ruth Bridges; Elisha Cook Jr. · Dr. David Trent
- Genres
- horror; mystery; suspense
- Themes
- paranoia; greed; murder; supernatural
- Tone and mood
- campy; creepy; suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- haunted house; murder mystery; survival; party
- Franchise connections
- House on Haunted Hill (remake and sequel)
- Reception
- The film was a financial success and a huge success at the box office. It developed a cult following and received praise for its classical style and performances, though it received mixed reviews from some critics.
- Production trivia
- The film featured a promotional gimmick called 'Emergo' where a skeleton was flown over the audience.; Alfred Hitchcock took notice of the film's success and made Psycho in response.; The exterior shots were filmed at the historic Ennis House in Los Feliz, California.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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