The Haunting (1963 film)
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| The Haunting | |
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 The Haunting film poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Wise |
| Produced by | Robert Wise |
| Written by | Novel: Shirley Jackson Screenplay: Nelson Gidding |
| Starring | Julie Harris Richard Johnson Claire Bloom |
| Distributed by | MGM |
| Release date(s) | September 18, 1963 (U.S.) |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Haunting is a 1963 horror film directed by Robert Wise and adapted by Nelson Gidding from the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. It stars Julie Harris as Eleanor, Richard Johnson as Dr. Markway, Russ Tamblyn as Luke, Claire Bloom as Theo, Valentine Dyall and Rosalie Crutchley as Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, and Lois Maxwell as Mrs. Markway. The film centers around the conflict between a team of paranormal investigators and the house in which they spend the night.
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[edit] Plot
Eleanor Lance, Theodora, and Luke Sanderson accompany Dr. John Markway during an investigation into the paranormal. Markway believes that an old mansion with a sinister past called Hill House will provide him with the proof he seeks of the existence of the supernatural. Luke is the next in line to inherit the house, and is volunteered by the current owner to join Markway both as a skeptic and overseer. Eleanor and Theodora are the only responders to an invitation Markway sent out to various people who had come in contact with the supernatural at some point in their lives. After the four meet up in Hill House, strange things begin to happen, most of which seems centered on Eleanor. Eleanor finds that she enjoys the attention the house affords her, and becomes drawn deeper and deeper in by the forces within the house.
[edit] Differences between film and novel
The film follows the plot of Shirley Jackson's novel very closely. Two of the characters' names are changed: Dr. Montague of the novel becomes Dr. Markway and Eleanor Vance's last name becomes Lance in the film. Theodora's name remains the same though she introduces herself in the novel as "Just Theo" while in the film she says "Just Theodora." Two significant character elements were changed for the film. The first is the nature of Eleanor's relationship with Dr. Markway. In the book, Eleanor develops a bit of a crush on Luke, though he appears to favor the company of Theodora. The film version finds Dr. Markway carelessly forgetting to mention that he's married, and consequently Eleanor mistakes his academic interest in her, coupled with his kindness and charm, for genuine affection. The second element concerns Mrs. Markway, who is portrayed as a flighty mystic in the book, but in the film is a hard-nosed skeptic who wants to convince her husband to give up his research and return home. While her character does not get much screen time, it is apparent that she feels somewhat differently by the end of the film. Also, Mrs. Markway's companion Arthur in the book is not present in the film.
[edit] Cast
- Julie Harris - Eleanor Vance
- Claire Bloom - Theodora
- Richard Johnson - Dr. John Markway
- Russ Tamblyn - Luke Sanderson
- Lois Maxwell - Grace Markway
[edit] Production
Production of the film began on 1 October 1962 at MGM Borehamwood, England with a budget of $1.5 million. The external shots of the house are of Ettington Hall, near Stratford-upon-Avon (now the Ettington Park Hotel, which has been in the Shirley family since before the Norman Conquest[1]). Wise used infra-red film for exterior shots to emphasise the "striations of the stone" and make it look "more of a monster house".
The film was remade in 1999, also titled The Haunting, but with little critical appreciation.
[edit] Reception
On the Bravo network television show 100 Scariest Movie Moments, The Haunting was listed at eighteenth on the list.
"The Haunting" opened in 1963 to mostly positive reviews, including Pauline Kael's, who praised it as "elegantly sinister... good fun".
The film's stature and following has grown steadily since its original release, with unexpected boosts from the colorization dispute[citation needed] between director Wise and Ted Turner's company (which bought MGM's backlog of classic films in 1986), and from comparison to the Jan de Bont 1999 remake.
The original has consistently made lists of the top 20 most frightening films of all time, and many horror fans place it as the best ghost film ever.[citation needed]
In 2003, Warner Home Video released it to DVD in its original screen format, including voice-over commentary from its director, screenwriter, and four lead actors.
