The Haunting (1963)
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Cast
as Eleanor Lance
as Theodora
as Dr. John Markway
as Luke Sanderson
as Mrs. Sanderson
as Mrs. Dudley
as Grace Markway
as Mr. Dudley
as Carrie Fredericks
as Eldridge Harper
as Second Mrs. Crain
as Abigail at 6
as First Mrs. Crain
as Hugh Crain
as Landlady
as Dora
as Bud
as Fat Man
as Nurse
as Abigail at 80
as Companion
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Critic Reviews for The Haunting
All Critics (37) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (5) | DVD (8)
People stare about in terror and squeak: 'The house, it's alive!' The picture, it's dead.
The artful cinematic strokes of director Robert Wise and staff are not quite enough to override the major shortcomings of Nelson Gidding's screenplay.
Pretty effective when it came out; it may be a little stiff in the joints by now, but it's still a much better scare show than the recent stinker remake.
What makes the film so effective is not so much the slightly sinister characterisation of the generally neurotic group, but the fact that [director] Wise makes the house itself the central character, a beautifully designed and highly atmospheric entity.
Makes more goose pimples than sense.
...one of the most fascinating aspects of The Haunting is the multiple interpretations available for many events, which might be supernatural, or might be the product of a disturbed mind or distorted perceptions.
Audience Reviews for The Haunting
Julie Harris' narration gets a little excessive at times but otherwise, great classic horror film that sports a great brooding atmosphere, mesmerizing cinematography, and a great ensemble cast.
Super Reviewer
A sophisticated Gothic tale that doesn't show us anything that would actually frighten us to death but still manages to create an eerie sense of dread as it probes into the psychological and emotional unbalance faced by its protagonist and blurs the line between reality and illusion.
Super Reviewer
The Haunting is a stellar haunted house flick with a great cast. Director Robert Wise crafts a memorable film that has some genuine scares, something that is missing from many horror films of today. The Haunting is a brilliantly acted film with a great cast and it has such atmosphere to create memorable terror. The Haunting is one of the greatest haunted house films ever filmed. Director Robert Wise creates a terrific film, and The Haunting is one of the most memorable, most efficient haunted house films in the horror genre. This film relies on atmosphere to create the horror and Robert Wise has a terrific eye of what makes a memorable and effective horror flick. The cast deliver great performances and The Haunting is a perfect ghost story. Director Robert Wise genius direction keeps you imagination guessing and what the horrors are that lurk in the dark. This is superb filmmaking at its terrifying best, and remains the quintessential haunted house film to watch. This is a masterful horror classic that is still scary after all these years. The film relies heavily on the unseen to create the terror, and it proves that at times you don't need blood or gore to create the terror on-screen. Sometimes all you need is the fear of the unknown, what you can't see brings even more genuine terror than most psychotic mad men. The Haunting set the standard for all haunted house films that would follow. Robert Wise has crafted a must see horror flick, a definite classic of the genre. This film will definitely give you a few good scares. If you want a great atmospheric horror film, then The Haunting is a definite must see. Robert Wise definitely knows how to create effective horror with a dark atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A flawless classic.
Super Reviewer
The Haunting Quotes
| Dr. John Markway: | That proves it: one of you is a witch! |
| Eleanor Vance: | Hill House has stood for ninety years and will probably stand for ninety more. And we who walk at Hill House, walk alone. |
| Dr. John Markway: | You're liable to have that shut door ripped right off it's hinges |
| Dr. John Markway: | You're liable to have that shut door ripped right off it's hinges. |
| Eleanor Vance: | And whatever walks there walks alone |
| Eleanor Vance: | And whatever walks there walks alone. |
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