House on Haunted Hill (1959)
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House on Haunted Hill Movie Review
House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 horror film directed by William Castle and starring Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart. It’s such a fun, classic genre flick.
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“Don’t stay up thinking of ways to get rid of me,
it makes wrinkles“
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A millionaire and his wife invite five people to the party in their supposedly haunted house with the promise that they will earn money if they manage to stay until morning locked in the house. Yes, the premise itself is fantastic, quite original and perfect for a horror film. It’s also utilized very well, albeit the short runtime is simply way too slim. I was having so much fun that I wanted much more.
This is the kind of horror film from Old Hollywood that might be too campy to some viewers today, but I personally really liked that aspect to it. Yes, some scenes were too over-the-top, but mostly such scenes were entertaining and charming.
And besides that, the film is actually stupendously executed when it comes to its scares. The old woman in the basement is one of the highlights and the chains sequence is fantastic. The skeleton is also one of the standouts. But the film is mostly terrific because of its great twist conclusion which makes sense and gives the film a real momentum by moving away from supernatural elements. That was smart and it really worked.
The acting is hit-or-miss admittedly as some actors are really terrific, but some are downright mediocre. Carolyn Craig as hysterical Nora is so bad. She is never believable, not even for a horror film, and her character is a helpless, hysterical female stereotype. I really disliked her, albeit she’s important for the narrative.
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Julie Mitchum as Ruth is entirely underutilized. I found her character very intriguing as this tough on the exterior woman who desperately wants some money, but she never really got anything to do in the house itself which frustrated me as she had a lot of potential.
Lance is somewhat annoying, but Dr. Trent is obviously terrific and a very interesting character. Pritchard is way too theatrical in his performance, but his goofy character demanded it. The standouts are undoubtedly Carol Ohmart and Vincent Price. Carol plays Annabelle Loren so well and I just loved her cool, sexy and competent villainous character.
But Vincent Price is the highlight in what is one of his finest performances. He’s suave, charming and demanding your attention per usual. His amazing voice is wonderful to listen to. I loved his character and I really liked how they ended his story. He’s the puppeteer and the biggest reason why the movie works as well as it does.
House on Haunted Hill features terrific technical aspects. The score is yes, overloud, but definitely striking and accompanying the creepy action on screen stupendously. The direction from William Castle is also pretty strong and I found both the script and the dialogue to be very good. The humor is present here from time to time and it really worked to loosen the tension. The movie can be quite playful and dynamic, not to mention hugely entertaining throughout.
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But its cinematography is the technical standout without a doubt. The film is beautifully shot, featuring stark black-and-white photography and absolutely phenomenal, very memorable house interiors. I loved how well the house was utilized and some of the camera angles are quite inspired here including some close-ups.
House on Haunted Hill can be over-the-top and Carolyn Craig is mediocre in her role, but Carol Ohmart is excellent and quite intriguing whereas Vincent Price expectedly steals the show with his suave presence and an amazing voice. The film is gorgeously shot with some beautiful interiors, the house is so well utilized and the score is very good too. But above all else, its dynamic, playful tone, solid character interactions and undeniable entertainment value make it a horror classic.
