Where the Dead Reside, Their House is Alive: A Retro Review of “The Haunting” (1963)

From left: Claire Bloom, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Harris,
and Richard Johnson in "The Haunting"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

In 1963, director Robert Wise spooked audiences by giving them one of cinema’s ultimate haunted-house movies, “The Haunting,” an adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel.  In a decade that gave us its share of horror classics, such as “Psycho,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” and “Night of the Living Dead,” this movie has made just as strong of an impression with subtle scares and distinguished characters.  This was my first time watching it, and it’s one of the earliest examples of knowing how to use the minimal to maximal effect.

The story follows paranormal researcher Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson), who wishes to investigate the supposed haunting of the 90-year-old Hill House.  To do so, he enlists the help of Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris), who encountered a poltergeist as a child; Theodora (Claire Bloom), a psychic; and Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn), the heir to the mansion.  As their time in the house goes on, their experiences with the supernatural will grow more malevolent and threaten their lives.

Harris provides an emotional performance as a woman who’s consumed by grief and guilt over the death of her mother.  It’s a role that explores her character’s need to belong when her remaining family seems like they wish to shut her out, and Harris exhibits a hopelessness in feeling disconnected from those around her, being a loner who connects more with the house then she does with people.

Johnson’s performance is one where he seems to be having fun with his role as someone who’s enthusiastic about supernatural discoveries.  He does superb work in showing his character’s interest in uncovering the hauntings of the mansion, which is highlighted in the opening five minutes where he explains the compelling and disturbing history of Hill House.  Besides this, Johnson also shows Dr. Markway’s caring side as this character tries to help Eleanor when she becomes more and more consumed by the house, and he exhibits a palpable urgency as he tries to talk Eleanor out of her delusions.

Bloom and Tamblyn are very entertaining as the well-rounded comic relief, providing us with a laugh here and there, particularly Bloom, who’s quick with her verbal barbs and proving her character to be someone with whom you wouldn’t mind exploring a ghostly house if it meant being able to crack a laugh in between being frightened.

The screenplay by Nelson Gidding takes plenty of time establishing the characters and setting.  We’re given a chance to explore the house with the quartet of explorers, while also getting to learn about them as they traverse the endless number of rooms and corridors.  It isn’t until about 40 minutes into the movie where we get the characters’ first night in the mansion, but when it occurs, Gidding makes it last for several minutes as we feel the terror of not knowing what’s going bump in the night.

A main part of the story is the exploration of Eleanor’s character feeling out of place, both within her family and the group at the house.  As the film goes on, she feels as though Hill House is where she’s supposed to be.  While this relationship has an ominous start, with Eleanor saying, “I’m like a small creature swallowed whole by a monster, and the monster feels my tiny movements inside,” she soon becomes accustomed to the house, showing an unsettling attachment that becomes stronger as the movie goes on, one that keeps us anchored to her character as we wait to see what kind of effect this bond will have on Eleanor.  Eleanor soon longs to stay there, to be accepted somewhere, to roam the halls, rooms, and shadows of Hill House, as if wanting to be an eternal resident herself, a ghost.  This makes the movie succeed as not only a horror film, but as a character-driven drama.

It might be cliche to say that the setting is every bit as much of a character as the people, but in this case, it couldn’t be more true.  Within the film’s last 20 minutes, we have a scene where the characters are spending the night in the parlor.  When they begin hearing noises, they see the parlor door expand outwards, then return back, almost as if it’s inhaling and exhaling, a living and breathing entity with a mind of its own.

The cinematography by Davis Boulton captures every fascinating detail of the house, using many medium shots in order to present the rooms and hallways in their entireties, as well as imposing, low-angle shots of the outside of the house.  He does a masterful job in presenting the size of the openness of the mansion, giving us a full knowledge of the house’s layout and a feeling of how the terror within can be hiding anywhere.

Wise employs haunted-house sounds and darkness to memorable effect, all of which makes this a compelling ghost story that ranks among cinema’s finest.  He creates scares that are effective in their simplicity, and he keeps us riveted with his great use of atmospherics and the characters’ responses to the increasing dread.

If you’re in the mood for a terrific nail-biter, you’ll want to pass through the doors of Hill House and find out what scary surprises await you. 

Grade: A