This eerie film tells the story of a wealthy oddball named Frederick Loren. The movie follows the wacky aristocrat as he plans to propose to his estranged wife Annabelle at the haunted mansion. Annabelle, who plays the character of Carolyn Craig, has a plan to frighten her husband’s associate Nora Manning before the event. However, the couple’s plans are put into jeopardy when more spooks start to show up.
Vincent Price
In this 1959 horror film, Vincent Price stars as the eccentric rich oddball Frederick Loren, who is planning to propose to his estranged wife Annabelle at a haunted mansion. Annabelle’s primary goal is to scare her husband’s associate, Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig), into accepting the proposal. When more spooks start popping up, Annabelle’s plan is thrown into a tangle of paranormal activity.
In the film, Frederick Loren, a rich oddball, invites five people to an extravagant birthday party at his haunted mansion. He promises each guest $10,000 in exchange for their attendance. But before the party begins, he locks the doors, windows, and even phones and radios. Annabelle tries to scare one of his guests, but more spooks come to the party and throw a wrench in the plan.
This hambone performance by Vincent Price helps the film become one of the most entertaining and fun horror movies ever made. His portrayal of the wife Annabelle is utterly hilarious, but the rancid tone of his voice makes it clear that Frederick Loren doesn’t find Annabelle amusing. The sardonic tone of his narration helps create an ambiance of heightened fun in the movie.
The infamous movie has become a beloved classic and a favorite of horror enthusiasts. Directed by William Castle, House on Haunted Hill was one of the first B-movie horrors to win awards, and was remade in 1999 as a television series. The film stars Vincent Price as the eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren, who has invited five people to his house for a “Haunted House” party. When the guests arrive, they are trapped inside the house, with the ghosts trying to kill them.
Allied Artists
The House on Haunted Hill movie 1959 was an American horror film. It was produced by popular B-filmmaker William Castle, who was known for his stage gimmicks. This film quickly gained a cult following. Vincent Price stars as a sleuth who is haunted by an old house. The film was also filmed in the Gothic style.
The film’s climax occurs when a wealthy man rents the haunted mansion to two young girls. Frederick Loren’s wife Annabelle has been trying to take his fortune, and so he rents the house for one night. He gives the guests pistols to fend off ghosts, and he offers $10,000 for whoever survives the night. Frederick Loren is not alone in his fears, though, as Annabelle warns his guests that he is out to get her. The spooky guests include Dr. Trent, a doctor who plots to trick one of the guests into shooting the spook.
The House on Haunted Hill movie is a classic of the horror genre. Vincent Price plays the eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. He invites five strangers to stay in his mansion, but his wife is against the move, and his new wife is not ready to accept the offer. Meanwhile, his wife has a plan to divorce him, and Watson Pritchard, the house owner, tells Loren that his brother and sister-in-law were murdered in the mansion. Vincent Price and Catherine McElroy play the other four guests, including pilot Lance (Richard Long), secretary Nora (Carolyn Craig), Dr. Trent (Alan Marshes), and columnist Ruth (June Bridges).
William Castle
In the 1959 horror film “House on Haunted Hill,” William Castle plays an oddball rich man who is planning a wedding for his five guests at a haunted mansion. One guest is his estranged wife, Annabelle. Annabelle has devised a plan to scare off the other guest of honor, Carolyn Craig, his associate. As more spooks show up, however, the plans are thrown out the window.
The film’s gimmick is the presence of a plastic skeleton. Its soundtrack was composed by Von Dexter and Richard Kayne. The film’s soundtrack inspired record albums filled with ghostly sounds. William Castle and Rosemary Horvath co-directed the film, though they are not credited. Although the film is an uncredited remake of an old silent horror film, the movie still boasts some notable performances from the two-time Academy Award winners.
The 1958 horror film has a long and illustrious history. Although Castle and Vincent Price worked together on the film twice, they were never credited as co-writers. The film was released by Allied Artists in theaters. In 1985, Lorimar Productions released it for VHS cassettes on CBS/Fox Video. Warner Home Video released the film on DVD in conjunction with the 1999 remake. Legend Films also colored the film and released a version in color in 2005.
Production
“House on Haunted Hill” is a 1959 American horror film directed by William Castle. Screenplay by Robb White, the film stars Vincent Price as the eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. The millionaire invites five people over for a “Haunted House” party, but it turns out that the party is actually haunted! Frederick lays out the rules for the party, which include power outages, locking all doors at midnight, and a $10,000 reward for anyone who survives the night!
William Castle originally intended to make a horror movie, a remake of his 1950’s “Old Dark House.” However, Robb White changed the script and it was almost a film noir. Although the film features some supernatural elements, the story revolves around a femme fatale killing her husband and his lover. While the movie is a gimmick, its story is still a compelling and well-paced ghost tale.
William Castle, the director of the movie, was a huckster, which led him to experiment with stunts and insurance policies for his audience. He even wired theatre seats with buzzers, so that audiences could feel the electric shock if they got too close to a ghost. He also winched a skeleton across the theatre on a wire, which was eventually used to chase the heroine.
Review
In the film, rich oddball Frederick Loren is getting ready to propose to his estranged wife at a haunted mansion. While Frederick’s estranged wife Annabelle is the guest of honor, her plan to scare his associate Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) goes awry when more spooks show up. The plot thickens as more ghosts and goblins appear to throw a wrench in the plan.
I’ve never seen a ghost movie this entertaining, and I was not expecting much from House on Haunted Hill. Despite its low budget, the film’s spooky atmosphere and cleverly-written story make it a fun, brisk watch. The acting is believable, and there are plenty of creepy details in this slasher classic. If you’re a fan of horror films, you’ll love this one.
William Castle’s film is atmospheric and full of gimmicks. The film’s skeleton – aka Emerg-O – flies over the audience, and makes the audience laugh more than it gives them chills. Castle’s spooky film is a classic with snappy one-liners and tricky writing. If you’re a fan of Vincent Price, this movie will be a welcome companion piece to Clue.
The cast is a dazzling group of actors, including Richard Long as a test pilot, Julie Mitchum as a newspaper columnist, Alan Marshal as a psychiatrist, and Carolyn Craig as an office worker. The film’s scores are moody and haunting. Even the cast is impressive, and the ghouls and ghosts in the movie are scary. While it may not be the scariest film of all time, the film’s ghouls will surely make you jump to the theater in fear.
Extras
One of the first horror films to hit the silver screen, House on Haunted Hill is an unorthodox combination of fright flicks and campy Haunted House ghoulishness. Directed by William Castle (the low-rent P.T. Barnum of horror movies), it is one of Castle’s more atmospheric, atmospherically-driven films. It also features some of the most memorable lines from the film.
The film features an imposing cast, including Geoffrey Rush, who was inspired by John Waters. Rush, however, looks much more like Vincent Price than he does in the film. Among the others who appeared briefly are Peter Graves, Lisa Loeb, and Jason Marsters, who would go on to star in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other classic horror movies.
Castle, an expert in gothic atmosphere, was also known for adding special effects. In addition to buzzers and countdown clocks, he also put an elaborate pulley system in theaters, allowing a plastic skeleton to float over the audience. This PR stunt proved to be a huge hit, as Castle was also known for making sure his audience had checked their blood pressure before entering the theater.