The Legend of Hell House

Last updated

The Legend of Hell House
The Legend of Hell House.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Hough
Written by Richard Matheson
Based on Hell House
by Richard Matheson
Produced by Albert Fennell
Norman T. Herman
Starring
Cinematography Alan Hume
Edited by Geoffrey Foot
Music by Delia Derbyshire
Brian Hodgson
Production
company
Academy Pictures Corporation
Distributed by Fox-Rank Distributors (UK)
20th Century Fox (US)
Release date
15 June 1973
Running time
95 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom [1]
  • United States [1]
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.5 million (US/Canada rentals) [2] [3]

The Legend of Hell House is a 1973 gothic supernatural horror film directed by John Hough, and starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt. It follows a group of researchers who spend a week in the former home of a sadist and murderer, where previous paranormal investigators were inexplicably killed. Its screenplay was written by American author Richard Matheson, based upon his 1971 novel Hell House .

Contents

Plot

Physicist Dr. Lionel Barrett is enlisted by eccentric millionaire Rudolph Deutsch to undertake an investigation on the afterlife at Belasco House, the "Mount Everest of haunted houses." The house was originally owned by Emeric Belasco, an imposing, perverted millionaire and supposed murderer, who disappeared soon after a massacre occurred at the home. The house is believed to be haunted by the victims of Belasco's twisted and sadistic desires.

Accompanying Barrett are his wife, Ann, as well as two mediums: mental medium and spiritualist minister Florence Tanner and physical medium Benjamin Franklin "Ben" Fischer, who is the only survivor of an investigation conducted 20 years before. The group arrive to begin their investigation a week before Christmas Eve, and the rationalist Barrett is rudely skeptical of Florence Tanner's belief in "surviving personalities", spirits which haunt the physical world, and he asserts that there is nothing but unfocused electromagnetic energy in the house. Barrett brings a machine he has developed, which he believes will rid the house of this energy. Though not a physical medium, Tanner begins to manifest physical phenomena inside the house. When, after a quarrel with her, Barrett is attacked by invisible forces, he suspects that Tanner may be using the house's energy against him. Meanwhile, Fischer remains aloof, with his mind closed to the house's influence, and is only there to collect the generous paycheck.

Ann is subjected to erotic visions late at night, which seem linked to her lackluster sex life. She goes downstairs and, in an apparent trance, disrobes and demands sex from Fischer. He strikes her, snapping her out of the trance, and she returns to herself, horrified and ashamed. A second incident occurs a day or so later after she has become drunk. Her husband arrives a moment later to witness her advances to Fischer. He is resentful, and spurns Fischer's warnings that the house is affecting Ann. Stricken by the accusation, Fischer drops his psychic shields, but he is immediately attacked.

Tanner is convinced that one of the "surviving personalities" in the home is Daniel, Belasco's tormented son, and she is determined to prove it at all costs. She finds a human skeleton chained behind a wall. Believing it to be Daniel, she and Fischer bury the body outside and she performs a funeral. Nevertheless, Daniel's "personality" continues to haunt her; she is scratched violently by a possessed cat. Barrett suspects that Tanner is mutilating herself. In an attempt to put Daniel to rest, she gives herself to the entity sexually, but the entity brutalizes her and possesses her body.

Barrett's machine is assembled. Possessed by the malevolent spirit, Tanner attempts to destroy it, thinking that it will harm the spirits in the house, but she is prevented from doing serious damage. She enters the chapel, "the unholy heart" of the house, in an attempt to warn the spirits, but she is crushed by a falling crucifix. As she dies, she leaves a symbol written in her own blood. Barrett activates his machine, which seems to be effective. Fischer wanders the house afterwards, attempting to sense psychic energy; in astonishment, he declares the place "completely clear!" But violent psychic activity soon resumes, and Barrett is killed.

Fischer decides to confront the house, and Ann accompanies him despite her misgivings. Deciphering Tanner's dying clue, Fischer deduces that Belasco is the sole entity haunting the house, masquerading as many. He taunts Belasco, declaring him a "son of a whore", and that he was no "roaring giant", but instead more likely a "funny little dried-up bastard" who fooled everyone about his alleged height. Even as objects begin to hurl themselves at Fischer, he continues to defy the entity, and insults Belasco's physical stature. At that, all becomes still. Fischer then concentrates, and a stained-glass partition in the chapel shatters, revealing a hidden door.

Fischer and Ann discover a lead-lined room, containing Belasco's preserved body seated in a chair. Pulling out a pocket knife, Fischer rips open Belasco's trouser leg, discovering his final secret: a pair of prosthetic legs. Fischer realises that Belasco had had his own stunted legs amputated, and that he had used the prosthetics with which they were replaced in a grotesque attempt to appear imposing. Belasco also had the specially built room lined with lead, presaging the discovery of the electromagnetic nature of life after death.

With the room now open, Fischer activates Barrett's machine a second time, and he and Ann leave the house, hoping that Barrett and Florence will guide Belasco to the afterlife without fear.

Cast

Production

Development

Production began on 23 October 1972. The Legend of Hell House is one of only two productions of James H. Nicholson after his departure from American International Pictures — a company he had run, along with Samuel Z. Arkoff, since 1954. Nicholson died of a brain tumour in 10 December 1972, before the film's release on 15 June 1973. Nicholson's company, Academy Pictures Corporation, also released Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry through Twentieth Century Fox on 17 May 1974.

Matheson's screenplay drastically reduced some of the more extreme elements of the novel, particularly its graphic sexuality and BDSM. [4] [5] It also changed the location of the events to England, whereas the novel took place at an estate in rural Maine in the United States. [1]

Filming

The external shots of the house were filmed at Wykehurst Park, West Sussex. Mr. Deutsch's mansion in the opening sequence is Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. The interior shot of the long room is the palace's library.

The role of Belasco was played by an uncredited Michael Gough. His part consisted of a couple of recorded lines and an on-camera appearance as an embalmed corpse seated upright in a chair.

The plot of both this film and the book on which it is based, both written by Richard Matheson, have several details in common with Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House (and subsequent 1963 movie adaptation The Haunting ) in which a party of four (some psychic, some skeptical, some British, some Americans) stay in an extremely haunted Gothic mansion house with a terrible history, for the purposes of scientific study, and all are plagued by unseen terrors. It is to both of the films’ credit that they only partially resemble each other.

Soundtrack

The film features a score with an electronic music bassline (with occasional woodwind and brass stabs). The score and electronic sound effects were created by Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson, recorded at Hodgson's Electrophon studio in London. The soundtrack remains unavailable commercially.

Release

Critical response

Critical response to The Legend of Hell House varied. In 1976, Roger Ebert wrote in his review of Burnt Offerings, another movie about a haunted house, that "The Legend of Hell House brought out the fun in this sort of material very well." [6] In his 2002 Movie & Video Guide, Leonard Maltin gave the film three of four stars and called it "Not the usual ghost story, and certain to curl a few hairs." [7] The Time Out Company called the film disappointing, but it approved of Pamela Franklin's performance. [8] TV Guide stated that "While director John Hough does a fine job with the things-that-go-bump-in-the-night aspects of the material, he fails to breathe any life into Richard Matheson's woefully underdeveloped screenplay." [9]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 65% of 23 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10.The website's consensus reads: "The Legend of Hell House makes up for its disappointing lack of outright scares with a top notch cast and a suitably macabre atmosphere." [10]

Home media

The Legend of Hell House was released on DVD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on 4 September 2001. The DVD included the theatrical trailer as a special feature.

On 26 August 2014, the Shout! Factory label Scream Factory released the film on Blu-ray. The release included a 30-minute interview with director John Hough, a commentary track by actress Pamela Franklin, stills gallery, original theatrical trailer, radio ads and reversible cover art featuring the theatrical artwork and customized artwork for the Blu-ray release.

Matheson's screenplay was published in the 1997 collection Screamplays [11] and again in 2000 as a stand alone text. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Matheson</span> American fiction writer

Richard Burton Matheson was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres.

<i>Scary Movie 2</i> 2001 film by Keenen Ivory Wayans

Scary Movie 2 is a 2001 American supernatural parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans. It is the sequel to Scary Movie and the second film in the Scary Movie film series. The film stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, as well as Tim Curry, Tori Spelling, Chris Elliott, Chris Masterson, Kathleen Robertson, David Cross and James Woods. The film is the last in the series to feature the involvement of stars Marlon and Shawn Wayans, and director Keenan. Marlon would eventually go on to produce a similar horror-themed parody, A Haunted House, and its sequel, both starring himself. In the latter film, Wayans pokes fun at the Scary Movie series' decline in quality after his family's departure.

<i>What Dreams May Come</i> (film) 1998 American film

What Dreams May Come is a 1998 American fantasy drama film directed by Vincent Ward and adapted by Ronald Bass from the 1978 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson. Starring Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra, and Cuba Gooding Jr., it won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction. The title is from a line in Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy. The film received mixed reviews, with praise for its scenery, but criticizing the plot. It was also a box-office bomb, only grossing $75.4 million against a budget of $85‒90 million.

<i>Drop Dead Fred</i> 1991 film by Ate de Jong

Drop Dead Fred is a 1991 black comedy fantasy film directed by Ate de Jong, produced by PolyGram and Working Title Films and released and distributed by New Line Cinema, starring Phoebe Cates as a young woman named Elizabeth Cronin and Rik Mayall as her imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred, with Marsha Mason, Carrie Fisher, Ron Eldard, Tim Matheson, and Bridget Fonda in supporting roles. It follows Elizabeth as she is haunted by Fred in adulthood. It received negative reviews from critics.

<i>The Haunting</i> (1963 film) 1963 British horror film by Robert Wise

The Haunting is a 1963 British horror film directed and produced by Robert Wise, adapted by Nelson Gidding from Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House. It stars Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, and Russ Tamblyn. The film depicts the experiences of a small group of people invited by a paranormal investigator to investigate a purportedly haunted house.

<i>The Haunting</i> (1999 film) American horror film by Jan de Bont

The Haunting is a 1999 American supernatural horror film directed by Jan de Bont, and starring Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, and Lili Taylor, with Marian Seldes, Bruce Dern, Todd Field, and Virginia Madsen appearing in supporting roles. Its plot follows a group of people who gather at a sprawling estate in western Massachusetts for an apparent volunteer study on insomnia, only to find themselves plagued by paranormal events connected to the home's grim history. Based on the 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, it is the second feature film adaptation of the source material after Robert Wise's 1963 film adaptation of the same name.

<i>My Cousin Rachel</i> (1952 film) 1952 film by Henry Koster

My Cousin Rachel is a 1952 American romantic mystery film directed by Henry Koster and starring Olivia de Havilland, Richard Burton, Audrey Dalton, Ronald Squire, George Dolenz and John Sutton. The film is based on the 1951 novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier.

<i>The Virgin Spring</i> 1960 Swedish drama film by Ingmar Bergman

The Virgin Spring is a 1960 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in medieval Sweden, it is a tale about a father's merciless response to the rape and murder of his young daughter. The story was adapted by screenwriter Ulla Isaksson from a 13th-century Swedish ballad, "Töres döttrar i Wänge". Bergman researched the legend of Per Töre with an eye to an adaptation, considering an opera before deciding on a film version. Given criticism of the historical accuracy of his 1957 film The Seventh Seal, he also invited Isaksson to write the screenplay. Other influences included the 1950 Japanese film Rashomon. Max von Sydow played Töre.

<i>Hell House</i> (novel) Novel by Richard Matheson

Hell House is a horror novel by American novelist Richard Matheson, published in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Franklin</span> British actress

Pamela Franklin is a British former actress. She is best known for her role as Sandy in the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), for which she won a NBR Award and received a BAFTA Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed and Lorraine Warren</span> American paranormal investigators

Edward Warren Miney and Lorraine Rita Warren were American paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of alleged hauntings. Edward was a self-taught and self-professed demonologist, author, and lecturer. Lorraine professed to be clairvoyant and a light trance medium who worked closely with her husband.

<i>Tales of Terror</i> 1962 film by Roger Corman

Tales of Terror is a 1962 American International Pictures comedy horror film in colour and Panavision, produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff, James H. Nicholson, and Roger Corman, who also directed. The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson, and the film stars Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Basil Rathbone. It is the fourth in the so-called Corman-Poe cycle of eight films, largely featuring adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories and directed by Corman for AIP. The film was released in 1962 as a double feature with Panic in Year Zero!.

<i>The Watcher in the Woods</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by John Hough and Vincent McEveety

The Watcher in the Woods is a 1980 American supernatural horror film directed by John Hough and Vincent McEveety and starring Bette Davis, Carroll Baker, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards, and David McCallum. Based on the 1976 novel by Florence Engel Randall, the film tells the story of a teenage girl and her little sister who become encompassed in a supernatural mystery regarding a missing girl in the woods surrounding their new home in the English countryside.

<i>Twins of Evil</i> 1971 British horror film directed by John Hough

Twins of Evil is a 1971 British horror film directed by John Hough and starring Peter Cushing, with Damien Thomas and the real-life identical twins and former Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson.

<i>What Dreams May Come</i> (Matheson novel)

What Dreams May Come is a 1978 novel by Richard Matheson. The plot centers on Chris, a man who dies then goes to Heaven, but descends into Hell to rescue his wife. It was adapted in 1998 into the Academy Award-winning film What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Annabella Sciorra.

Danielle Egnew is an American psychic medium, musician, media personality, actress and activist. Egnew currently resides in Billings with her wife Rebecca Douglas, who she married on November 20, 2014.

<i>The Reincarnation of Peter Proud</i> 1975 American psychological horror film by J. Lee Thompson

The Reincarnation of Peter Proud is a 1975 American psychological horror film directed by J. Lee Thompson, and starring Michael Sarrazin, Margot Kidder, and Jennifer O'Neill. It follows a university professor who, after experiencing a series of bizarre nightmares, comes to believe he is the reincarnation of someone else. It is based on the 1973 novel of the same title by Max Ehrlich, who adapted the screenplay.

<i>Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories</i> American TV series or program

Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories was an American paranormal anthology television miniseries that originally broadcast from May 15, 1991 to November 28, 1995, on CBS and UPN. This short-lived program comprised three primetime specials that featured re-enactments of ghost stories told by real people who experienced alleged paranormal activity. The docudrama series used actors and special effects, and then introduced the witnesses who reported such phenomena.

<i>Haunt</i> (2013 film) 2013 American film

Haunt is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by Mac Carter in his feature film directorial debut. The film premiered at the Film Society of Lincoln Center on November 6, 2013, and was later released on video on demand on February 7, 2014. Haunt stars Harrison Gilbertson as a teenager who moves into a new house and goes through not only a sexual awakening but also a terrifying haunting.

<i>Haunts</i> (film) 1976 American film

Haunts is a 1976 American psychological horror film directed by Herb Freed, and starring May Britt, Cameron Mitchell, and Aldo Ray. Its plot follows a young woman living on a farm with her uncle, whom she suspects of committing several murders of young girls in the area. The screenplay was written by Freed and his wife, Anne Marisse, and was inspired by a series of repressed memories Freed experienced after his wife witnessed a car accident.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Legend of Hell House". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . American Film Institute . Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  2. "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974 p 19
  3. Solomon 1989, p. 232.
  4. A. H. Weiler (16 June 1973). "The Legend of Hell House (1973) The Screen: 'Hell House':The Cast". The New York Times .
  5. Rigby 2000, pp. 241–245.
  6. Roger Ebert, "Burnt Offerings," RogerEbert.com , 8 October 1976, URL accessed 4 February 2013.
  7. Leonard Maltin, ed., Leonard Maltin's 2002 Movie & Video Guide. A Signet Book, 2001, p. 53. A Signet Book, 2001, p. 778.
  8. "The Legend of Hell House," Time Out London, URL accessed 4 February 2013.
  9. "The Legend Of Hell House: Review," TV Guide's Movie Guide, URL accessed 4 February 2013.
  10. "The Legend of Hell House". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 23 January 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  11. Chizmar, Richard (1997). Screamplays. Del Rey. ISBN   0345394291.
  12. Matheson, Richard (2000). The Legend of Hell House: The Screenplay. Harvest Moon Publishing. ISBN   1929750021.
  13. Orbital. (1999). I don't know you people. Nowhere to run [CD]. UK: London Records
  14. Marvunapp.com
  15. "ITV Nighttime continuity (early 1990s)". Rewind at The TV Room. Retrieved 16 September 2023.

Sources