It's amazing how this film has seemed to slip through the cracks into the realm of the forgotten. It is the best of its kind, better than "The Haunting" (I'll probably get guff for that remark, but I don't care).
John Hough better established a dark and utterly cold atmosphere for the house in this film. The musical score certainly added to that. And Richard Matheson, I think, did a better job on the screenplay for this film than his original novel "Hell House" (which is a rareity).
The actors all performed excellently as well. All the actors, Roddy McDowall, Pamela Franklin, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt, played their parts well. Their grim visages and soft British accents really fit well with the cold, dark scenery of the film. Heck, even Roland Culver (who had a very small part) did an all right job with his character, Rudolph Deustch (the old rich guy). And yes, let us not forget Michael Gough's performance (which consisted of a spoken part that was cut on a record and played back on a victrola and a cameo appearance at the end). And while I'm at it, I even commend Peter Bowles for his role, even though it was nothing special. Well, that takes care of the entire cast.
That was another thing I liked about this film, a small cast of characters. It let you focus more on the dark scenery. It let you absorb all the spooky elements. All the horror.
John Hough better established a dark and utterly cold atmosphere for the house in this film. The musical score certainly added to that. And Richard Matheson, I think, did a better job on the screenplay for this film than his original novel "Hell House" (which is a rareity).
The actors all performed excellently as well. All the actors, Roddy McDowall, Pamela Franklin, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt, played their parts well. Their grim visages and soft British accents really fit well with the cold, dark scenery of the film. Heck, even Roland Culver (who had a very small part) did an all right job with his character, Rudolph Deustch (the old rich guy). And yes, let us not forget Michael Gough's performance (which consisted of a spoken part that was cut on a record and played back on a victrola and a cameo appearance at the end). And while I'm at it, I even commend Peter Bowles for his role, even though it was nothing special. Well, that takes care of the entire cast.
That was another thing I liked about this film, a small cast of characters. It let you focus more on the dark scenery. It let you absorb all the spooky elements. All the horror.