The House on Haunted Hill: A Retro Review

Director: William Castle.

Writer: Robb White.

The original House on Haunted Hill was released in 1959 and starred Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart. Currently being distributed by Cheezy Flicks, the House on Haunted Hill has more to tell viewers of the progression of horror rather than being reviewed as a stand alone film. Fifty years later, the faults of the film can be seen, but what is also worth a look at is the emphasis on dialogue, character interaction, and plot driven stories.

In brief, the House on Haunted Hill involves five strangers being invited to a desolate mansion for a night of survival. Whoever lasts until the morning will earn $10,000. That is a pretty good sum for seven hours work. However, what is not told to the invitees, before they arrive, is that seven people have died at that location before they entered the premises. The seven current guests drink, turn hysterical, and experience paranoia before battling each other, ghosts, and murderers.

In black and white, the film is a big departure from the films of today that often, but not always show greater attention to gore and blood effects, while forgetting the story, in order to show an interesting visual display. This style of photography was not possible in 1959, with an almost total absence of visual effects in the House on Haunted Hill. Yet, on some level these simpler films from a bygone era are still successful in entertaining audiences by utilizing cleverly developed plots.

The plot of the House on Haunted Hill cannot totally be revealed here, but the tension throughout the film heightens in the final scene with the intelligent use of misdirection. Not unheard of in the present, misdirection is an often used director's tool to mislead the audience into believing one person is the antagonist when in fact the murderer is someone else.

Coming in at just under seventy-five minutes the film runs by in a short clip, while horror films of today clock in at an average of ninety minutes. This means that every minute within the House on Haunted Hill must deliver something important to the film as there is no time for fluff. One error that often happens in the thrillers of today is the addition of extra scenes, which do not always serve the film fully. In order to make it to ninety minutes some directors of the day are forced to stretch scenes, especially in the independent film market, to deliver the expected ninety minutes. These additional scenes do not serve audiences well.

The House on Haunted Hill is an enjoyable film and an entertaining ride through the nostalgic horror films of yesteryear. Dark, intense, character driven, and heavy in complex plot, this reviewer recommends that you, the viewer, try something off the beaten path and watch this film. The film is available through Cheezy Flicks at the link below along with several other titles from the past, which are the building blocks for the current slate of horror films of today.

The House on Haunted Hill can be purchased here:

The House on Haunted Hill at Cheezy Flicks

Or here:

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