This classic film begins with a prologue that
gives the audience the sinister history of Hill House, a "house
born bad."
Director Robert Wise's THE HAUNTING is a gripping
horror/suspense classic. The film begins with Dr. Markway (Richard
Johnson) inviting a mixed group of psychics and cynics to a supposedly
haunted house, said by town tradition, to have been "born
bad." Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn), the next in line owner
of Hill House, Theodora (Clair Bloom), a clairvoyant and psychic
Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris) all agree to spend some time at Hill
House, to investigate the existence of ghosts in this mansion
that has a notorious reputation for being haunted.
The audience is introduced to Eleanor, who has
taken care of her ill mother most of her life. When her mother
dies, she must live with her sister, her brother-in-law and her
bratty niece, who aren't the nicest people in the world. While
Eleanor has psychic ability, she is also emotionally unstable.
When invited to take part in Markway's study, she takes the car
without permission, and travels to Hill House, where she is the
first one to arrive. She feels the house watching her.
When the others arrive, it doesn't take long
for manifestations to begin, in scary, insideous ways, giving
the living more than they can handle, as evil, deranged presences
let the living know that they are trespassing, while they slowly
take control of fragile Eleanor, wanting only her to stay.
The spooky events that transpire have a profound
effect on all of those involved.Without using the blood and gore
of today's horror flicks, Wise creates great tension, and some
genuine shocks, thrills and spills. With the aid of black and
white photography, odd angles, unsettling music, and superb acting,
"The Haunting" is memorably creepy.
Julie Harris is fascinating as a somewhat mentally/emotionally
disturbed woman who becomes unhinged during her stay at haunted
Hill House. Because of her mental problems, she was slowly possessed
by an evil presence in the house. Under Wise's astute direction,
she gives the kind of performance with which she wowed stage and
screen audiences for years.
While no ghost makes a visual appearance, everything
that points to a haunted house is present in this house. Unseen
presences, mostly angry, evil, disturbed ones, make their presences
clearly known to the people staying at Hill House. The characters
experience the uncomfortable feeling of being watched, cold spots,
hear crazy, insane laughter, running down the halls, door knobs
turning, see eyes in the wooden walls watching them, mumbling,
loud knocking noises on the doors & walls, bending walls,
and even being physically touched by an unseen child presence,
as described below in the favorite scene selection. Also, there
was writing on the wall with a chalky substance, and the character,
Eleanor, who perhaps had some psychic medium ability; slowly becomes
under the influence of an evil presence in the house. She found
it hard to fight against it, because of her vulnerability caused
by her emotional needs and mental problems.
A favorite scene takes place at night, in the
room shared by Harris and Bloom. After complaining that Bloom
is holding her hand too hard, the camera quickly moves back to
reveal that Harris and Bloom's beds are VERY far apart. "Then
whose hand was I holding?" a disturbed Harris inquires. Whose
hand indeed! Goosebumps, anyone?
Russ Tamblyn ("West Side Story") gives
an interesting layered performance. He makes a credible transition
from a wise cracking cynic, to a sober believer in the supernatural.
Along the way he has a few moments to show off the dancer's athleticism
he was famous for.
Lois Maxwell went on to some fame as "Miss
Moneypenny" in the James Bond film series. She appears to
have had more fun there then here.
The film benefits from a top notch screenplay,
by Nelson Gidding, adapted from Shirley Jackson's novel, "The
Haunting of Hill House."
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