Out of all the sub-genres in the horror industry, haunted houses are tied for first place with me. Maybe it’s because I’ve wandered through my share of creepy old places feeling the history within the very bones of the structures we live in. Or maybe it’s just the thought of battling the unknown that really wigs me out. Either way it is difficult to find a good haunted house movie without a lot of splash and gore as the modern film makers throw at us. So it is with no big surprise that today’s feature is a classic black and white movie from 1963: The Haunting.
I first saw this movie in high school after reading the book, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, in a comparison class (book vs. movie). I fell in love with both. I will say it is frustrating on many levels to try and hold a discussion about this movie with other people. I have been talking about my blog and my 31 Days of Horror and when I mention this movie, they are confused. They mention every other movie with the word ‘Haunting’ and still do not know this one. When I can take it no more I finally resort to mentioning the remake in 1999 by the same name starring Liam Neeson and Catherine Zeta-Jones. This is the point where they shut down and walk away.
Insert heavy sigh.
The Haunting stars Richard Johnson as Dr. John Markway, an anthropologist who investigates the supernatural, paranormal and preternatural. Upon learning of Hill House and her history, he is given permission to complete a study of the mansion and gathers together his team of investigators. To his chagrin, only two on his list of six arrive along with the owner’s nephew, Luke, who is set to inherit Hill House.
What sets The Haunting apart from many other haunting movies is the fact that they are not investigating a spirit per se. It is the house itself that isn’t right. Something deep within its bones from the moment it was built. Something ominous that causes death to the women of Hill House.
Julie Harris plays Eleanor “Nell” Lance, a timid woman who is struggling to find her own identity after spending her entire adult life taking care of her invalid mother who recently died. From the beginning she is wrought with an internal struggle of being the person everyone has told her to be and being the person she wants to be. Though she is terrified of the house she is also drawn to it on a primal level even she doesn’t understand. Though Theo, played by Clair Bloom, is the resident psychic, it is Nell who experiences the most, and this causes jealousy to ripen within Theo.
Hill House doesn’t disappoint and the first evening they begin experiencing noises at night that disrupt their sleep and lead them on wild goose chases. As the days continue, the events escalate until one night when Dr. Markway’s wife arrives and the house shows what it truly wants of them.
Beautifully filmed this movie is still creepy to this date. As with most movies with remakes attached to them, if you have seen the 1999 version, do not for a moment believe that you know the story. The original may not carry the gore of modern movies, but the acting, and filming prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that these elements are not necessary when developing a truly scary movie.
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