 First edition cover | |
| Author | Robert Arthur, Jr. |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Three Investigators |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Published | 1964 (Random House) |
| Pages | 179 (first, hardback edition) |
| OCLC | 1417052 |
| Followed by | The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot |
The Secret of Terror Castle is an American juvenile detective novel written by Robert Arthur, Jr. [1] It is the first book in the "Three Investigators" series.
Three boys are investigating a known haunted house, Terror Castle, in hopes that perhaps the film director Alfred Hitchcock would use it in his upcoming movie. Having just launched their investigation firm, the Three Investigators are hoping for a triumphant success to gain publicity and build their credibility. They briefly gain an audience with the skeptical Hitchcock, who is dismissive but agrees to introduce their case if they are able to demonstrate that the castle is truly haunted.
Terror Castle is the former home of movie actor Stephen Terrill, who died in a possibly suicidal car accident that occurred as his career was on the verge of collapse. Terrill had pledged to haunt his former home to keep anyone else from living there. During their investigations, the boys find very scary and seemingly real activities going on in the abandoned structure, such as the Fog of Fear and the Blue Phantom.
A film based on this book aired on Disney XD on March 19, 2010, and then aired another one in April 2010.
The plot of the film differs significantly from that of the book. In the film, Stephen Terrill is an inventor rather than a silent film actor; and many of the apparently supernatural occurrences are actually Terrill's inventions which continue to operate in the house. The 'haunting' is also partly the work of art thief Victor Hugenay.
In 1984, an audio adaptation based on the book was released on cassette (BOW-100) by Rainbow Communications Limited of England. It was adapted by Edward Kelsey and directed by Tony Bilbow. [2]
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 feature films, many of which are still widely watched and studied today. Known as the "Master of Suspense", Hitchcock became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews, his cameo appearances in most of his films, and his hosting and producing the television anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–65). His films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins, although he never won the award for Best Director, despite five nominations.
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Robert Albert Bloch was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime, psychological horror and fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small amount of science fiction. His writing career lasted 60 years, including more than 30 years in television and film. He began his professional writing career immediately after graduation from high school, aged 17. Best known as the writer of Psycho (1959), the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock, Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over 30 novels. He was a protégé of H. P. Lovecraft, who was the first to seriously encourage his talent. However, while he started emulating Lovecraft and his brand of cosmic horror, he later specialized in crime and horror stories working with a more psychological approach.
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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.
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