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Horror in Black and White: ‘The Haunting’ (1963)

Published

5 years ago

February 28, 2019

In 1961, Robert Wise was finishing up post-production on West Side Story, when he happened upon a review of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House in Time magazine. Intrigued, he sought out a copy of the book and upon reading decided he must bring it to the big screen.

He spent some time talking to the author and had soon optioned the rights to adapt the novel as a film.

It has been said that during their conversations, he asked if she had ever thought of a different title for the novel, and she replied that the only other title she’d ever considered was simply The Haunting.

The rest, as they say, was history.

Wise brought the novel to screenwriter Nelson Gidding who soon found himself crafting what would become one of the greatest haunted house films ever created.

I’ve wanted to write about this film for this series since I started writing about Horror in Black and White a few weeks ago, and today felt like the day.

You see, Robert Wise, rightly, decided that black and white was the perfect medium for this particular story because the monochromatic look would enhance the depth of the shadows and increase the tension of the psychological elements of the story.

When you’re right, you’re right.

For the uninitiated or for those only familiar with the more recent Netflix adaptation, Wise’s film told the story of Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) who, in an attempt to study the paranormal, invites psychically sensitive Nell (Julie Harris) and fully clairvoyant Theodora (Claire Bloom) to spend a weekend at Hill House.

The Haunting Cast — THE HAUNTING, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Claire Bloom, Julie Harris, 1963.

It is said the house is one of the most haunted in the world, and Markway hopes that the gifted women will stir the spirits of the house to present themselves.

Along for the ride are Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn), who stands to inherit the house, and Grace Markway (Lois Maxwell). The latter turns up unannounced and fully in doubt of her husband’s work.

The house is soon alive with echoing booming sounds in the night, and timid, mousy Nell, who wasn’t wholly stable to begin with, soon finds herself the focal point of an increasingly dangerous haunting.

Harris is vulnerable and raw as Nell. While filming, she kept herself isolated from the rest of the cast, rarely joining them for dinner or to chat during filming breaks.

The Haunting Harris — Julie Harris as Nell in *The Haunting*

Apocryphally, it has been said that she suffered terrible depression during the shoot, but Claire Bloom later recounted that Harris turned up at her home bearing gifts and an explanation for her behavior.

Bloom had been worried that Harris kept her distance because the character of Theo was a lesbian. In fact, it was this particular part of the character is what drew Bloom to the role.

By the 60s, the film industry had begun to loosen some of the stringent requirements of its past, and queer-coding, though still alive and well, was giving way to queer characters–though their portrayals were still problematic.

Theo was an exception. While certainly coded in some respects, she was not in any way what had been presented previously. She was not a “hard” woman, nor was she predatory.

On the contrary, she was a lovely, sophisticated woman, and while her sexuality is only hinted at throughout the film, it’s hard to deny who she is when Nell, in a fit of rage calls her one of “nature’s mistakes.” The epithet was a common term at the time.

It’s interesting to note that in an early version of the film there was a scene which involved a recent breakup of Theo’s. Wise went so far as to film the scene, but unfortunately he was forced to cut it.

Harris and Bloom were phenomenal in their respective roles and the rest of the cast was equally good, but the true star of the show was house itself, and the ways in which it seemed to come alive. Much of that has to do with Wise’s direction.

The Haunting Claire Bloom Julie Harris — Julie Harris and Claire Bloom in *The Haunting*

With sound and shadow, he created a terrifying claustrophobic environment without ever actually revealing the spirits of Hill House. In fact, it is incredible just how well those two elements work together in this film.

The shadows seem to elongate and move while deafening sounds from the heart of the house itself unsettle the viewer as much as the actors onscreen.

Furthermore, Wise used lenses that gave a curved appearance to the walls, creating an even more unsettling skewed view of the sets.

The film opened to mixed reviews and an average box office for the time, but its popularity has grown over the years with a devoted fan base.

The film was later remade in the late 90s starring Lili Taylor, Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Owen Wilson, but it lacked the spark of the original.

The Haunting is available for streaming via Vudu and other platforms. Check out the trailer below and for more Horror in Black and White, check out our other entries including Cat People and Strait-Jacket!

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Movies

‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

Published

10 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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Movies

‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

Published

11 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

^{Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott}

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

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The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

_{Alien Romulus}

^{Alien (1979)}

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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News

Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

Published

13 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.