The Haunting of Hill House

It's Halloween, so time to talk about one of my favorite scary tales--"the Haunting of Hill House." God, how I love this book and it's 1963 movie version "the Haunting." The book was written by Shirley Jackson, who's known for her famous Pulitzer short story "the Lottery." She had such a way of creating miserable characters trapped in bleak depressing situations, that are suddenly shaken up and taken in an even worse direction. With a hope that somehow they'll escape and be OK again. The story centers on a haunted house but it's all very psychological--is it ghosts or is it in their minds--are they losing their grip on reality? Or truly facing ghostly dangers? And it gets you lost as well in the character's doubts of what they're experiencing at this haunted mansion. It's all suspense, and being on edge, where simple moments become twisted and frightening. The movie "the Haunting" is a great black and white thriller, that always seems to make the list of top 50 horror movies and probably top 10 list for haunted house movies. And like any old black and white movie--it has everyone smoking like chimneys and drinking like fish :)

Not to be confused with the BAD 1990's remake staring Catherine Zeta Jones. It had better effects and production but horrible acting and rewritten story---they pissed all over the best selling book's original story. But I did like the movie's poster.

The GOOD original 1963 movie was directed by Robert Wise. He directed "Westside Story" right before it, and then "the Sound of Music" just after. Time magazine had given the book a good review so Wise started reading it. And while caught up in a chapter, he didn't hear someone walk into his room and when they spoke it scared the crap out of him. He thought if the book could keep him so intently interested, a movie version of it would too. The movie stars Richard Johnson (the original choice over Sean Connery to play James Bond--Richard didn't feel he had the toughness that the character needed so he turned it down--he was right--and Sean should be kissing his ass daily) he plays Dr. Markway. Russ Tamblyn, who had just finished working with Wise on Westside story, plays Luke. Julie Harris (so great with James Dean in "East of Eden") plays Eleanor the main character. And sexy Claire Bloom plays the cat like Theo.

The story of a ghost experiment inside a haunted house---A mansion built to be bad---With deceiving angles to lose your sense of direction, Victorian decor with faces built into everything. Once inside the house it's like a confusing maze of doors and halls, rooms within rooms, and the chilly breath of death all around. The house makes it almost impossible for anyone to feel comfortable, it keeps them on edge, jangling their nerves, causing them to jump at the slightest sound. It also, doesn't help that the ghosts who haunt the mansion want to kill again and add new ghosts to join them.

For myself, this story connected with me at a particularly dark time in my life. I was unhappy on all levels with my career, family, friends, love life---everything. And like the main character Eleanor, who after years of neglect and hard work for her family, she had nothing to show for it. She had no friends, no place of her own, no job----no life. And what little she had she could no longer stand. She was ready to take the chance to runaway from it all. Getting in her car, fantasizing about where she might stop and start her life over. She could stop anywhere, make up a new past for herself, become someone exciting. Her yearning for something more I related to but, the story shows how a yearning--following it blindly--can take you from a bad place to somewhere even worse. Luckily, my life got much better, in all areas--those miserable days are way behind me. And for anyone out there unhappy, you just have to keep busy to improve your life while waiting for the scenery around you to change. And it will change--it always does. Just be ready when it finally happens to take advantage of it.