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Horror in Black and White: ‘House on Haunted Hill’ (1959)
Welcome back to Horror in Black and White! We had so much fun last week with William Castle’s Strait-Jacket, that I decided we just had to move onto the first of two collaborations between the famed director and Vincent Price: House on Haunted Hill!
Released in January, 1959, House on Haunted Hill starred Vincent Price as Frederick Loren, a man with a lot of money and fierce dislike of his (fourth) wife, Annabelle (Carol Ohmart).
The Lorens have rented out “the only really haunted house in the world” for a very special haunted house party with a carefully curated guest list who arrive in funeral cars following a hearse in procession to the House on Haunted Hill.
As the night progresses, the tension mounts and murder enuses…or does it? With a $10,000 prize on the line for staying the night, however, who wouldn’t try?
For those of you wondering, $10,000 in 1959 would be equal to about $86,000 today.
Much better than it ever should have been, the film had a bit of a casting coup when Castle managed to snag Price for his picture.
A story is told, apocryphally, that Castle met up with Price after he had just been passed over for a role. Castle saw his opportunity, explained what he was working on, and Price agreed to do Haunted Hill and The Tingler, which released later that same year.
Ohmart, as it turned out, was the perfect sparring partner for Price on screen. The two had an incredible chemistry, and her whiskey-voiced threats perfectly matched Price’s suave delivery.
Price and Ohmart aren’t the only standouts in this cast, however.
Julie Mitchum, older sister of Robert Mitchum, is fantastic as Ruth Bridgers. Her wry wit shines in every line, and even in tense moments, there’s a twinkle in her eye as though she’s having the time of her life.
Sadly, it was her final appearance on screen. She left the business after the film, though the two events were apparently unrelated.
Elisha Cook, Jr. also shines as the neurotic drunk, Watson Pritchard who owns the house, and who had lost more than a few family members to its darkness.
House on Haunted Hill really was one of Castle’s better projects mostly because he takes the time to develop mood and atmosphere in ways that were rare to the king of gimmicks, though he had to throw one or two in for good measure.
Who could ever forget Leona Anderson as the weirdo maid, Mrs. Slydes (get it?!) seemingly floating in and out of scenes, her face frozen in a grotesque mask? Or how about that walking Skeleton, who incidentally was listed in the credits as playing Himself!
Castle also set his audience up for terror with the opening scream and sound effects. It might not seem like much now, but in 1959, it terrified audiences and primed them for the film he had in store. It also started a craze for spooky sound effects records which people bought for their own haunted parties.
This is one of those films where the score is absolutely on point thanks to composer Von Dexter. From layered strings to wailing theremin, this score had it all, and it perfectly complements the action on screen.
House on Haunted Hill became one of Allied Artists hottest properties upon its release. The combined power of Price and Castle were box office gold, and it remains a cult classic to this day.
Oddly, however, the film fell into the public domain and there it has remained. which has worked for fans of the film. It is available on numerous streaming services for free!
If you’ve never seen this black and white classic, you’re definitely overdue, and if you have, it’s time you saw it again!
Check out the trailer below and join us again next week for another edition of Horror in Black and White!
Related: Horror in Black and White: Strait-Jacket (1964)
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Movies
The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location
Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.
In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:
“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”
Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.
Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”
Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.
“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted Mansion, Beetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”
Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows, Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.
During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.
Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.
Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.
It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.
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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel
Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.
According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.
Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.
As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:
“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “
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Movies
New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie
Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.
This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.
Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.
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