The Legend of Hell House (1973)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1973
Running Times: 90m (Germany)/94m (USA)/95m (UK)
Length:
Format:
Colour Format: colour
Aspect Ratio:
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Director: John Hough

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Twentieth Century Fox / Academy Pictures Corporation
Executive Producer: James H. Nicholson
Producers: Albert Fennell, Norman T. Herman
Production Manager: Ron Fry

SCRIPT
Script / Novel: Hell House by Richard Matheson

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Bert Batt

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Alan Hume
Colour: DeLuxe

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Geoffrey Foot

MUSIC
Music: Brian Hodgson, Delia Derbyshire

SOUND
Sound Effects: Electrophon Ltd

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Roy Whybrow
Photographic Effects: Tom Howard

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Robert Jones

MISCELLANEOUS
Technical Advisor: Tom Corbett

LOCATIONS
Locations: Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

CAST

Pamela Franklin (Florence Tanner)
Roddy McDowall (Ben Fischer)
Clive Revill (Dr Chris Barrett)
Gayle Hunicutt (Ann Barrett)
Roland Culver (Rudolph Deutsch)
Peter Bowles (Hanley)
Michael Gough (Emeric Belasco - uncredited)

A team of four investigators is hired to study the notorious Hell House, the "Mount Everest of Haunted Houses" to either find proof of or dispel the myth of life after death. Schisms appear in the team straight away, particularly between the psychic Florence Tanner and the hard-nosed scientist Barrett and before long the quartet are starting to fall prey to the malign spirits that haunt Hell House.

A fabulous haunted house chiller that explores some of the same ground mapped out by Nigel Kneale (the "science-vs.- superstition" theme runs throughout much of Kneale's work). A top notch cast work well with each other in a beautifully designed series of creepy sets, and the bizarre, percussion led soundtrack is sparse but effective. Next to The Haunting (1963), this is the best haunted house movie ever.

UK
Video Distributor: CBS Fox

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-16

Norway
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG

1973
November
28: Sweden - theatrical release

1974
January
25: Finland - theatrical release

For the sake of your sanity, pray it isn't true!

La maison des damnes - French title

SEE ALSO
Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)
Scary Movie 2 (2001)

PERIODICALS

Flesh and Blood 3 pp.36-37
credits, review

NEWSPAPERS

Guardian, The 27 September 1973 (UK)
review (by Derek Malcolm)

BOOKS

Elliott's Guide to Films on Video p.454
credits, review

book into film; haunted houses; scientists; mediums; psychics; poltergeists; ghosts; possession; the occult; old dark house; the supernatural; gadgets; ectoplasm; cats

Last Updated: 22 November, 2009