Like most Castle films, HAUNTED HILL's plot reworks a well-worn theme. Millionaire Price and his wife Carol Ohmart give a "haunted house party" for five strangers chosen at random and promised ten thousand dollars if they last the night. The catch: the doors lock at midnight, after which there is no escape until the caretakers return in the morning. While the story itself doesn't hold many surprises, the script is unexpectedly witty, and Price plays it in a slightly prissy, very high-camp manner with a tremendous dose of the black humor for which he was so famous--and the little known Carol Ohmart is every bit his match, snapping out memorable lines ("Darling, the only ghoul in the house is you!") in every scene. Together they elevate the film well above what you might otherwise expect, and when combined with the largely wooden supporting cast and some of the silliest this-is-supposed-to-scare-you effects imaginable the result is a cult classic with plenty of camp appeal.

In addition to Price and Ohmart, the film is also surprisingly atmospheric. Shot in and around one of Frank Lloyd Wright's more famous structures, the grainy "late show" look of the film (due more to accident and age than deliberate intent) is very entertaining, the cinematic devices (everything from disembodied heads, irises, and jump-cuts) are very appealing, and the sound track (which sounds like a mix of piano bass keyes, sythesizer, and soprano vocals) is exactly what you'd want for this obvious but extremely entertaining flick. Of all the Castle films, THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is my personal favorite, and it should rate very high with fans of cult, camp, and Vincent Price. And I'll go further than that: of all his memorable appearances, I do believe this was Price's best. A great choice for both family movie night or a sophistocated Halloween howl--very recommended!


Castle's camp horror master work!   August 17, 1999
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

This movie shames current films like the Haunting. It's more scary, more funny and more entertaining. This film featured "Emergo" when it was released in 1958. "Emergo" was an inflatable skeleton that would appear at a key point in the film and roll over the audience on a line. How's that for an interactive movie experience? "House on Haunted Hill" also features a fantastic performance from the legendary Vincent Price. You are commanded to buy this film!!

A cool post-script: The House used in the movie is an actual house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that is in Los Angeles.


FORGET THE REMAKE......   October 21, 2002
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

You can't go wrong with this classic old chestnut. William Castle presents Vincent Price at his most sinister and debonair as the millionaire hosting a "haunted house party". A group of needy (i.e."broke") people are invited to attend with the ones who survive getting a big sum of money. The house is a veritable fortress with a legacy of evil and murder. Ghosts supposedly roam the place seeking new victims. Blood drips from the ceiling onto the hand of a woman---"marking" her as one soon to die. Carol Ohmart as Price's spoiled greedy wife slinks around telling everyone that Price is dangerous. Elisha Cook Jr. is at his looney weirdest as the lone survivor of a previous "party"-- drunkenly intoning omens of doom for one and all. Richard Long (from TV's "The Big Valley") is the level headed hero and pretty Carolyn Craig is the innocent damsel-in-distress screaming her head off at every spooky turn. The skeleton in the cellar gimmick is still fun. Great to watch on Halloween. And perfectly OK for kids too. But those adults who remember who Castle was and know Vincent Price like a relative will cherish this lovable old goodie the most.


Classic Vincent Price Film   July 28, 2006
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I remember watching this film when I was a kid on the Saturday creature-features shows. It doesn't have the gore that the newer version has but it keeps you in suspense as only a Vincent Price movie could.

I specially recommend the Warner Brothers version which is shown both in Full and Widescreen formats. The picture quality is great. There is a colorized version available also but, in my opinion, black and white is the best way to watch these classics.

I recommend this film.


Must see for the horror afficianado   November 2, 1999
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

I seen this movie at the local neighborhood theater on a Saturday afternoon when I was just a kid (I'm 43 now) and I'm here to tell you, It left a lasting impression on me. I couldn't get to sleep at night for the longest time. To make matters worse my older brother and sister knew this and did all sorts of mean tricks to scare me. (such as removing one of my sister's doll's eyes and putting in a hole in the wall FACING MY BED.) Imagine waking up to that! Anyway, Vincent Price is PRICELESS. His typical wonderful performace. The rest of the cast was alright too. Mainly the scares were the star of the movie. Nothing grisly, but old fashioned scares. A must see for all you Scream and Haunting fans. Much better!