Review of House on Haunted Hill (1959) by Adam T — 30 Oct 2007

In House on Haunted Hill Vincent Prices plays millionaire playboy Frederick Loren, on of his finest roles, who offers a group of strangers $10,000 to spend a night with him in a haunted house (hey, that was a lot of money in 1959). However, it soon transpires that this could just be an elaborate cover to perform the perfect murder.

Unlike many horror films of the era, it is never clear cut till the end of the film if the house is truly haunted or tricks are being played on the inhabitants. This sense of unknowing leaves an unnerving undertone to the film that so many classic horrors lack. Vincent price seems born for this role, with his creepy voice and shifty eyes never letting you fully trust Loren.

The special effects, whilst great for the time, do not hold up well. However in a time when horror films rely too much on computer generation to provide their scares (as the 1999 remake did) it is refreshing to see a film relying on nothing more than classic prop work.

After all these years, House on Haunted Hill demonstrates the importance of atmosphere and acting talent in creating a great horror. My only regret is never having seen it at the cinema when "Emergo", a plastic skeleton, would swoop over the crowd during the showing, scaring them witless.