Best 5 Things About House On Haunted Hill (1959 film)


5.  A Basic Flaw In The Premise


In House on Haunted Hill, an eccentric millionaire, Frederick Loren (Vincent Price), invites 5 people to a "haunted house" party for his wife.  It's not just any party, however.  Everyone who stays the entire night wins  $10,000!  The problem?  He also tells his guests that the doors are locked at midnight, so no one can get out.  How much sense does that make?  Well, not exactly a lot.  Those who were already motivated by money have an extra reason to stay:  They can't leave!  So, yeah, there are some shortcomings to this night of terror.

4.  The Owner of the House



Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook), one of the guests. is also the woner of the house.  And, damn, is ever creeped out by the place!  It's not without reason, either.  His brother and stepsister were murdered there, and apparently almost died himself after spending the night there.  Why would he stay there again?  To make the movie more entertaining, of course!

3.  The House on Haunted Hill



The house looks like a classic "haunted" house.  Of course, we all know the madness comes from the people living there.  Right?  Possibly, or possibly not.  If the characters were not all together in the house, would events have unfolded quite as they did.  It seems that the haunting is psychological in nature, caused at least partly by the environment of the house.  Food for thought, I'd say.

2.   The Guns



Each guest is given a gun -- humorously called "party favors."  Who is being protected, though?Also, what are they protection against?  Ghosts?  Guests?  If it's a party where each person can win money individually based on their own resolve, is there any need for deadly competition?  Mr. and Mrs. Loren themselves seem like they could potentially use the gusn themselves, particularly on each other.


1.  The Ghosts



Throughout the night, various strange things happen which fright then guests.  Particularly frightened is Nora Manning, who seems to encounter something freakish at every turn, and who is never too shy to scream.  Are the ghosts real or fake?  Well, watch and find out!

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