House on Haunted Hill
| release date | February 17 1959 |
| studio | 20th Century Fox |
| director | William Castle |
| writer | Robb White |
| starring | Vincent Price, Carolyn Craig, Richard Long, Elisha Cook Jr., Carol Ohmart |
| tagline | See it with someone with warm hands! |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
3 Comments
id rate it a 5 because it was quite crappy but it had its moments (more like 2)
this was a pretty original concept for it’s time , its a fun ride that has a sort of disapointing end to the film that they “fixed” in the remake version, but after seeing how the remake did the ending, it makes me appreciate this ending a little bit more.
I remember watching this as a kid and it scared the hell out of me.I still watch it now and its still a well written scary B/W movie.
i’m surprised this is rated fairly low by the users. i thought this was quite an enjoyable movie. and of course vincent price as usual was fantastic.
As always, Vincent Price brings the charm that only he can plus it has William Castle’s best gimmicks.
It was alright but it had a quite abrupt ending. Had some very funny moments as well.
This movie was a scream! Fans of old and cheesy horror movies should dig in. Director William Castle uses every device to make this one of the spookiest films of all times. Great performance from Vincent Price.
I know that this is considered as a classic but I was surprisingly quite disappointed of it. Sure, there is the great Vincent Price, the infamous skeleton scene, a great soundtrack and 2-3 nice scares but overall it is extremely boring, totally unscary and most of the actors are pretty annoying. Definitely not my cup of coffee.
Vincent Price is his usual great self. I really enjoyed this movie, and thought it did great things for its time. The skeleton scene was pretty cool, and it had a great story.
Good old age horror movie.
a good movie. i liked the actors and it was a fun movie to watch. i liked it a lot
Not great but still worth a watch.
‘House on Haunted Hill’ is the Original 1959 B-Movie classic among William Castles & Vincent Price Movies, The Movie already shit me up with the first scream & the goulash sound with a head coming out of nowhere I know this was already going to be the best spooky ghost story old film styled that will become a classic among Horror Movie that I’ve mainly watched for the past four years. This movie was an old Spooky story that really does make you think what going to happen next & how supernatural the movie was for its time, as William Castles made the film into a classic gimmick but yet very scary & tense terror, the acting was brilliant standard from all the actors & by of course the horror legend Vincent Price, the music really got to me as it was the most frighten sounds that I’ve heard in an only film and I would have to say it a good old fashion Haunted House with abit of gore & loads of terror & scares (for the year that it was made it was very impressive witty & clever gags & smart terror on the audience that one shocking scene with the housekeep got me good, but it was very funny after I found out she was a housekeep, because at first I thought she was a ghost).
The movie did set a dark horror humour tone & was a somewhat magic way of the cavities that was put into this film that is much better than the Remake one (as the original was much smarter and had more character depth) and the ending was one of those did they all die or not as I think they did, but its up to the audience to decide, which I found it to be entering sort of ending for the type 7 year as it keep an old classic horror ending for its years time, all in all for an 1hour 15minute watch it was extremely pure terror, spooky & really terrifying style set of shock & horror & as it time 1958/1959 the movie had really come out before its time & William Castle set House on Haunted Hill standard of the Ghost story/supernatural film for it time & genre, while make the update/Remake version look weak & was soo glad to see the original (even though it was short time & did have much of a storyline un-like the Remake & never found out what that hairy monster hand was about or what or who is was & what he/she was going to do?, as these are only the bad points of them film).
Right from the ridiculous opening scream you know that you’re in for a hilarious fun ride! What a hoot! The acting is atrociously funny with that bloody woman screaming every 5 minutes and running to the next room and screams some more, oh it’s a classic! But the skeleton scene at the end is the icing on top of the cake. I almost fell off my seat with laughter! Don’t miss this one kids, it’s bloody hilarious. A true classic
Classic, William Castle and Vincent Price can do no wrong.
This is a classic film, not just because it’s old (heh heh) but because it was well done. And you have to love Vincent Price, he has such charisma.
The story flowed smoothly and you got a chance to get to know the characters. Like a lot of older films, the focus was not on the shocking ways a person can die but on the story itself. Although I’m sure a few scenes in there may have been more shocking in 1959.
A little cheesy at times, like when the “ghost” floats by one of the guests, but you just have to chuckle a bit at those scenes.
Overall, well worth the watch.
I can understand how this movie could be rated higher, but for some reason it didn’t strike me. There were some genuinely creepy/scary moments, but I felt that some parts were ludicrously complicated–and while I don’t expect tons of realism from a movie, I had to roll my eyes at parts of this. Worth watching once, but I doubt I’ll ever watch again.
Very entertaining and creep at times! I understand why it achieved the status of one of the best haunted house horror movies of all time.
I had no idea that the concepts of Camp had originated from so far back in cinematic time, but “House on Haunted Hill” proves, furthermore, that such things existed even way back in the good old 50′s. It was directed by William Castle; who got his reputation for making cheesy but entertaining and well-executed camp classics such as this. He also had an eye for the atmospheric, the genuinely creepy, and the morbidly humorous; which I kind of admire. Plenty of filmmakers, even today, are reminiscent of people such as Castle; but none come quite close to mastering the artistry that is being able to craft pure fun. Castle was the kind of guy who understood that people need fun in their lives; be it through cinema, life experiences, or whatever else existence itself has in store for us all. And if fun itself is a high art, then “House on Haunted Hill” is a masterpiece, a true classic, and something to remember for years to come. It’s a film so joyously over-the-top and ghoulish that I might revisit it a few times just to have the experience all over again, since it becomes apparent, over time, that it’s less of a film and more of a visit to that titular house, which as the title suggest, is indeed on a hill; but about it being haunted, who knows?
What’s not to like? Here’s a film with an intriguing premise, some crazy and hilarious new gimmicks (which were short-lived, but at least the film invented…SOMETHING), and a leading role played by the legendary (and personal favorite) Vincent Price. It was already an appealing and seemingly worthwhile package, but this film actually surprised me in how good it was. I believe there is a side of cinema that is existent just to entertain (“Demons”), and then there’s the significantly more…popular side, which most good films rest on. “House on Haunted Hill” deserves its reputation as a classic in horror cinema because it entertains through an intelligent, understanding approach to its subjects as well as the performances of its stars. I was quite charmed.
Five people are chosen at random and invited to stay overnight at a rich man’s (Price) mansion. They arrive on time and expect the unexpected, as they have been told that the house is haunted by ghosts of the deceased. What the home-owner does not tell his guests is the fact that he shall lock the doors at midnight; and to get the large sum of money that each person has been promised (as they most certainly have), they must all survive through the madness and mayhem that is about to ensue. A few of the attendees start seeing ghosts; and one tells ghastly stories of the home’s haunted history. This begins the night that we are about to witness; a night to remember, a night difficult to forget. All-in-all, it’s also a pleasant and appropriately ghastly one; filled with surprises, scares, and plenty of unexpected laughs.
Of course, a good number of those laughs come from Price himself; a funny, charming, unique man of the genre. He brings often times snappy, humorous, and brilliant dialogue into a film that normally wouldn’t have any of such a thing. That aside, “House on Haunted Hill” remains a standard, appropriately clichÃ
Vincent Price is delightful. I thought Loren and Annabelle had good chemistry. I enjoyed the playful banter between the two horror hosts. His wife’s morbid party plans amused her and he seemed to think her party favors were cute and original. However, You know something bad is going to happen when you marry an insanely jealous millionaire eccentric that keeps an acid bath in the cellar.
This movie was kind of shitty, but for it’s time its pretty good. I think that there could have been more interesting and less predictable scenes,