I grew up watching many older pictures and getting exposed to many of the great Hollywood legends. Although not necessarily a "Hollywood great", Vincent Price was a particular favorite in my family. I wasn't afraid of him and neither was anyone else as far as I know. As I child I was fascinated and as an adult I am still fascinated no matter what I see him in.
This specific gem of a film is famous (or perhaps infamous) for being a "great shocker" from shlock horror great William Castle. It stars Vincent Price as Frederick Loren, an eccentric millionaire who is willing to pay five people $10,000 each to spend a night in "The House on Haunted Hill".
His wife Annabelle Loren (played by Carol Ohmart) is also along for the ride so to speak. According to Mr. Loren it was his wife's idea to have the party in the first place. The five "guests" were chosen by Mr. Loren both because he wanted a varied group of people to be there and they each need the money. The five "guests" include young test pilot Lance Shroeder (played by Richard Long) , a middle-aged psychiatrist Dr. David Trent (played by Alan Marshal), a young typist who works for Mr. Loren named Nora Manning (played by Carolyn Craig), a middle-aged columnist named Ruth Bridgers (played by Julie Mitchum), and the owner of the house Watson Pritchard (played by Elisha Cook Jr.).
According to Pritchard, the house is haunted by the ghosts of people who have been murdered in the house. The murders were all gruesome and unusual. The angry ghosts apparently want to add to their ranks so that everyone who stays there overnight is in danger. But there is more to worry about than just ghosts as it turns out.
This film is very good especially for classic horror film lovers. Vincent Price is as delightful as ever in this picture. The rest of the cast does well as their respective characters. If you get the chance I would recommend watching this picture with commentary from former MST3K star and writer Mike Nelson.
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