Saturday, November 1, 2014

The Haunting 1963


The Haunting

     This film is based on a book by Brandt Sponseller.  Dr. John Markway has permission to investigate ghosts in an eerie mansion with a bad history of death and insanity.  He assembles a team to observe and fill out reports of what they see and experience.  Eleanor experienced rocks pelting her home when she was a child.  She feels the spirits living in the old mansion.  Theodora is a clairvoyant and she can tell what people are thinking.  Luke is next in line to inherit the old home, he wants to see what they are doing and find out what he can about the place.  Eleanor and Theodora are the ones most touched by the house but John and Luke hear the pounding in the night.  Luke almost falls from the spiral staircase.
     I’ve seen this film before so I could watch it without being nervous about what was going to happen.  I was still glad to watch during the daylight too.  The house itself and what is going on inside it are the stars of this film.  The choice of filming in black and white adds to the mystery.  I don’t think it has aged but still can how to be eerie after 51 years.  3 ½* (I liked this movie) 

112 min, Horror directed by Robert Wise with Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley, Lois Maxwell.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 86% critic 83% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 594 reviews.






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