13 GHOSTS (1960)
Director/Showman extraordinaire William Castle brings us writer Robb White’s story centered around a quirky, dilapidated mansion once owned by eccentric scientist/occultist Dr. Plato Zorba, who collected ghosts from around the world and invented goggles that enable you to see them. When Dr. Zorba dies, he wills the strange house and its contents to his nephew Cyrus Zorba (Donald Woods) and family, wife Hilda (Rosemary De Camp), son Buck (Charles Herbert), and daughter Medea (Jo Morrow). The Zorba family is broke; the bank has even reclaimed the last bit of furnishings. While blowing out the candles on his birthday, Buck wishes for a house with furniture that can’t be taken away.
So, the fortuitous inheritance comes just in time. Not long after moving in, they discover that the house is haunted. Cyrus finds Uncle Plato’s notes and learns about the 12 ghosts that inhabit the house, including Dr. Zorba himself, who also leaves his housekeeper, Elaine Zacharides (Margaret Hamilton), whom Buck constantly refers to as a witch, not a subtle homage to her role in The Wizard of Oz. Hamilton adds a nice bit of nostalgic camp to the creepy environment: floating objects, hidden panels, a bed canopy that closes up like a vice grip to crush the person sleeping in it, and lurking cobwebby fiends who lunge from the shadows. Trapped within the walls of the house are the 12 manifested ghosties: the crying lady, a feisty skeleton, a meat-cleaving Italian chef who murdered his wife and her lover in the kitchen, a roaring lion alongside its headless tamer, and Dr. Zorba himself. They need a 13th ghost to set them free. The family is in danger because of the fortune hidden in the house. Martin Milner plays Benjamen Rush, the lawyer who handles the estate for the Zorbas. Is there a flesh-and-blood killer among them looking for the hidden fortune? Well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself… A true William Castle fun house ride.
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL 1959
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House on Haunted Hill (1959) “Only the ghosts in this house are glad we’re here”
William Castle’s House on Haunted Hill (1959) is a quintessential campy horror film that has become a cult classic. Starring Vincent Price as the eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren, the movie follows a group of strangers invited to a supposedly haunted mansion for a night, with the promise of $10,000 each if they survive until morning.
The film’s plot revolves around Loren and his wife, Annabelle (Carol Ohmart), who have a tumultuous relationship filled with suspicion and accusations of attempted murder. Loren even gives out guns, which are presented as little party favors set inside mini coffins. The guests encounter various terrors as the night progresses, including apparent ghosts, gliding white-eye-balled witches, mysterious attacks, a severed head, and unexplained phenomena, all while Elisha Cook Jr. revels in the violent history of the house while he drinks himself into a stupor.
Castle’s direction combines gothic horror elements with psychological tension, creating a unique atmosphere that blends genuine scares with campy theatrics. The movie is famous for its use of carnival-style haunted house props and effects, which contribute to its distinctive tone. And his infamous gimmicks like Emergo, which entails a floating skeleton that elicited laughs from theatergoers who threw popcorn boxes at it rather than shiver in their seats.
House on Haunted Hill is particularly notable for its twist ending, which plays with audience expectations about the nature of the haunting. The film keeps viewers guessing whether any of the major players elaborately staged the happenings or if it was supernatural in nature.
The movie’s impact extends beyond its initial release, influencing future horror films and inspiring remakes. Vincent Price’s iconic performance has cemented the film’s place in horror cinema history.
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