Who's the bigger bitch? Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart |
Annabelle Loring (Carol Ohmart of The Scarlet Hour) has conceived of the idea of holding a party in a supposedly haunted house and having the guests arrive in hearses. Unfortunately, her husband, Frederick (Vincent Price), has his own ideas, and chooses the guests himself, offering all of them $10,000 if they stay locked in the house all night. There's no love lost between Frederick and Annabelle, whom her husband sees as nothing more than an amoral gold-digger. The guests -- test pilot Lance (Richard Long); gambling columnist Ruth (Julie Mitchum); psychiatrist David (Alan Marshal of Lydia); Loring's employee Nora (Carolyn Craig of Giant); and the house's weird owner Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook Jr.) -- can only wonder what, if anything, the Lorings are up to. Then somebody is found hanging ...
Carolyn Craig and Richard Long |
As to the colorization, which is well done, I have to wonder if it really adds anything to the picture. At least the addition of color doesn't strip the film of atmosphere, thank goodness, which it has in abundance despite its often silly but always-macabre tone. Julie Mitchum was the older sister of Robert Mitchum; this was the last of her eight credits.
Verdict: Perfect Halloween viewing. ***.
2 comments:
Have never seen this one, but it looks like fun. Just recorded The Bat with Price to watch over the weekend. I love Vincent!
-Chris
Then you have got to beg, borrow or steal a copy of "House on Haunted Hill," as he is delightfully droll in this one, and matched by the wonderful Carol Ohmart. This movie is a hoot. Don't be fooled with the terrible remake. Accept no substitutes!
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