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House on Haunted Hill

Play trailer Poster for House on Haunted Hill Released Feb 17, 1959 1h 15m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 44 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive $10,000 each. The guest of honor is Loren's estranged wife, Annabelle, who, with her secret lover, Dr. Trent, has concocted her own scheme to scare Loren's associate, Nora Manning, into shooting the potentially crazy millionaire. However, more spooks and shocks throw a wrench into the plan.

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House on Haunted Hill

House on Haunted Hill

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Critics Consensus

Campy by modern standards but spooky and atmospheric, House on Haunted Hill is a fun, well-executed cult classic featuring a memorable performance from genre icon Vincent Price.

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Critics Reviews

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Newsweek Staff Newsweek It couldn't cure a child's hiccups. Sep 20, 2022 Full Review Helen Bower Detroit Free Press It moves but jerkily, and with a lot of ridiculous and unexplained "horror" effects. Sep 20, 2022 Full Review Mildred Martin Philadelphia Inquirer Children may cringe, adults will laugh this one off. Sep 16, 2022 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com William Castle's 1959 B-Movie horror classic retains its goofy charm with a litany of gimmicky sight gags that, however tame by today's standards, keep their childish appeal. Rated: FOUR STARS Oct 2, 2024 Full Review Kristin Battestella InSession Film There are some fun jump scares, skeletons, revolvers, and mini coffin party favors to accent this short seventy-five minutes. Apr 19, 2024 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy One of William Castle’s most enjoyable flicks. Rated: 3/4 Oct 14, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Omar G House on Haunted Hill (1959). Directed by William Castle, with Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Carolyn Craig and Elisha Cook. The plot involves people spending the night in a house because Frederick Loren needs witnesses because he must kill his wife Annabelle Loren and her lover in self-defense before they kill him. Too bad the wife Annabelle Loren played by Carol Ohmart has a very sexy body, a waste. The brunette Nora Manning played by Carolyn Craig, they want to drive her crazy. Maybe Loren should get his beauty wife hooked on drugs but he didn't want to keep her, he can get another wife anyway. The face well known from several movies in the TV in the 80s and 90s of Vincent Price is supposed to have the size of Q.B with 6'4". The romantic interest between jokes and anger between Nora and Lance which contrasts with the Lorens. The best would be Carol Ohmart in a baby doll, going down the stairs. The concept was like Dial M for Murder (1954), but in reverse the wife and the lover want to kill the cuckold who does not let him, maybe this was the fourth wife who kills. Some nonsense like the drop of blood worthy of scientific studies, the old woman who floats, the scene of the rope moved by telekines and the teleportation of Annabelle Loren hanging, the severed head and maybe the pool with acid. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/18/24 Full Review John W It was a decent movie, much better acting than most modern actors, but the movie is a little bit boring. Its good but not worth a rewatch. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/14/24 Full Review DanTheMan 2 Deliciously goofy yet exceptionally spooky, House on Haunted Hill is a classic in its own right, combing a dry sense of humour with moments of genuine chills. It could be a carnival funhouse; an abode of ghouls and ghosts. William Castle was often better known for his gimmicks more so than for his films, but this haunted house chiller is fabulous, one that greatly benefits from his directorial crassness. Although, sadly, there is no proper way to experience Castle's gimmick of the spooky scary skeleton flying around the room any more. A jumped-up B-movie horror for sure, but it retains its goofy charm with a litany of gimmicky sight gags that, however tame by today's standards, keep their childish appeal. Vincent Price is utterly divine in this film, his withering sarcasm providing many of the film's best lines, I'm making the effort to watch a few of his films this year as I've never really delved into his filmography that well. The rest of the cast all fulfil their roles well and deliver performances that more than match the film's tone, it's dumb, corny and reliant to a ludicrous degree but it not only knows what it is, it loves being what it is. As campy fun, House on Haunted Hill is truly timeless, expertly executed and still delivers its fey thrills and worldly laughs. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/02/24 Full Review Dallas H Vincent Price and William Castle movies are always fun to watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/07/24 Full Review Julian S Delightfully devilish fun that continues to feel eerie and innovative. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/31/24 Full Review Robson C Um milionário convida cinco estranhos para uma festa na sua mansão, um local conhecido por ser assombrado e pelos crimes que aconteceram lá. Ele oferece US$ 10.000,00 para quem passar a noite até às 8 horas da manhã do dia seguinte. A partir daí, mortes e assombrações passam a atormentar o grupo. William Castle ficou conhecido pelos seus filmes de terror B baratos. Mas ele consegue criar climas de suspense muito bons. Diferente dos jump scares tão comuns hoje em dia, o espectador do filme é mais um cúmplice das assombrações, esperando pelas reações dos personagens. Vincent Price é um dos maiores mestre de cerimônias de filmes desse gênero, com sua voz postada e gestos elegantes. Os diálogos com Carol Omhart, que faz sua esposa, cheios de ironia e sarcasmo, são um deleite a mais. No mais, um filme eficiente em criar o seu ar de mistério, mas que perdeu um pouco da sua força, devido aos atuais filmes do gênero. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/24 Full Review Read all reviews
House on Haunted Hill

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Movie Info

Synopsis Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive $10,000 each. The guest of honor is Loren's estranged wife, Annabelle, who, with her secret lover, Dr. Trent, has concocted her own scheme to scare Loren's associate, Nora Manning, into shooting the potentially crazy millionaire. However, more spooks and shocks throw a wrench into the plan.
Director
William Castle
Producer
William Castle
Screenwriter
Robb White
Distributor
Allied Artists Pictures
Production Co
William Castle Productions
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 17, 1959, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.5K
Runtime
1h 15m
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