House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Once, the door is locked, there is no way out. The windows have bars the jail would be proud of and the only door to the outside locks like a vault.

– Fredrick Loren

Yesterday afternoon when I was surfing on the interwebs, I wanted to see a short movie. I logged on to Hulu and found the original House on Haunted Hill and watched it. This movie made want to watch 1999 remake again in a continuous loop. That’s saying a lot.

A wealthy man, Fredrick Loren (Vincent Price) invites half a dozen people to his mansion to stay alive during the night. Just like what I remember from the remake. Nothing much has changed.

This movie fails to deliver the suspense. It was not atmospheric. The dialogue was clunky. The acting left me cold.

It was a short movie, but not a good one.

Judgment: Watch the remake. Avoid this movie.

Rating: **

Posted in 1959, Classic Movies, Running Feature Tagged: Alan Marshal, Carol Ohmart, Carolyn Craig, Elisha Cook Jr, House on Haunted Hill, Julie Mitchum, Richard Long, Vincent Price