House on Haunted Hill
1958  NR  HORROR  1h 15min
CAST— Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Elisha Cook, Jr., Carolyn Craig, Leona Anderson
MUSIC— Richard Kayne, Richard Loring, Von Dexter  DIRECTOR— William Castle

     You are invited to a party. But not just any party. This is a party that takes place in a huge old deserted house far up on a hill. But here’s the catch: the house is reported to be haunted. If you can survive the night in this house— the entire night, mind you— you will receive the tidy sum of $10,000 (okay, that’s not as much money nowadays as it was back in ‘58, but go with it!). Are you in, or are you out? Hurry up, time is running out! Ah, so you showed up right on time. Very prompt of you. Now, let’s get back to business. At midnight, the caretakers are leaving for the night, locking the doors behind them. When the doors are locked, sorry, that’s it, you’ll be trapped inside the house with absolutely no way out. No one in here but you and the ghosties. Whoops! The caretakers left early. Too bad, so sad. It seems as though they made the decision for you. Oh, well. Let’s make the best of it, shall we? That’s the situation facing five strangers invited to a “party” by bickering couple Vincent Price and wife. Soon things start to take sinister and creepy turns for the worst in this surprisingly good low budget ‘50s shocker. If you’re in the mood for a satisfying Vincent Price flick, you could do much worse. Colorized version also available.
OUR RATING— ***
REMADE AS— House on Haunted Hill (1999)