A Reel Retro Review: THE HAUNTING (1963)

With no new films to review for the foreseeable future, Reel Speak will randomly review a classic film from the TCM library every week. Not just for the sake of filling time, but to hopefully introduce some overlooked and perhaps forgotten screen gems from the past to those of us who may be unfamiliar or unawares of their existence. 

 

 

Horror seems to be ripe for remakes more than any other genre. They have ranged from good (DAWN OF THE DEAD), to great (THE THING), to bloody awful (ELM STREET). In 1999, director Jan de Bont, helmer of thrillers such as SPEED (1994), and TWISTER (1996), took a stab at adapting the 1963 horror film THE HAUNTING. The results were less than stellar, and with October/horror movie season in full swing, it’s time to take a look back at the original film. 

 

Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson), assembles a group of investigators; Eleanor (Julie Harris), and Theodora (Claire Bloom)…to look into the possible haunting of the 90 year-old Hill House mansion. Joined by the presumptive heir to the estate, Luke (Russ Tamblyn), the group begins to encounter bumps in the night and the house’s grisly past. 

 

Shot in glorious black-and-white, the early goings of THE HAUNTING are as harrowing as any modern horror film. Dr. Markway, via narration, provides the bloody history of the house…as the family encounters one tragedy after another. Years later, fascinated by the supernatural, or the potential for the supernatural, Markway brings his patched-together team to the house to find out where are the creaks and bumps are coming from. 

 

Despite being scary as hell, THE HAUNTING is very much a character driven film. Dr. Markway is the scientific one, Theodora has ESP, and Eleanor coming in with an experience or two of her won with the supernatural. Tagging along is Luke who is a disbeliever and is just there to check out his possible future home and party spot. Once the bumps start bumping, the character’s differing reactions makes for good drama, and bit by bit everyone’s past comes to light. 

 

And those bumps are scary as hell. Director Robert Wise, who was only two years removed from winning Oscars for the musical WEST SIDE STORY, does tremendous work with light and sounds. Thumps and bangs come out of nowhere during the night, leaving our imagination to run wild in trying to figure out what’s behind that door. Shot in a rarely used, widescreen 30mm lens, every shot captures a lot and yet feels claustrophobic. There’s something off-putting about the shot compositions and the film makes us squirm more than once. There’s also some hand-held camera-work (new at the time), that also unsettles things. 

 

Acting is excellent all around. Most of the heavy lifting goes to Julie Harris, who reacts to everything with emotion and she goes through every one of them convincingly. Russ Tamblyn, nine years removed from his song-and-dance role in SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954), steals the show as a young playboy. 

 

THE HAUNTING does not quite fill in all the gaps in explaining exactly why the Hill House wants to murder everyone, and by today’s standards it would be a glaring gap. The mystery of it all still works, and not knowing is perhaps part of its charm. Despite its age, THE HAUNTING does feel modern, and can stand up right next to any scary movie. 

 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

 

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Claire Bloom’s character of Theodora is a lesbian character, and is treated as an equal to her co-stars; a rarity for 1963. Bloom has starred in over 60 films so far, and played Queen Mary in THE KING’S SPEECH (2010). Director Robert Wise would take home more Oscars in 1965 with THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and years later would helm STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979).