Amanda Norman
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The Legend of Hell House
FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR SANITY, PRAY IT ISN’T TRUE!
What an amazing scary film from 1973 starring Roddy McDowell and Pamela Franklin and directed by John Hough.
An annoying ginger haired physicist played by Lionel Barrett is enlisted by an eccentric millionaire to investigate ‘survival after death‘ in the ‘Mount Everest of haunted houses’, which is Belasco House. Accompanying the sceptical Barrett is his sexy wife, lord knows how he managed to catch her, and two mediums. One of these mediums, (Roddy McDowell) is returning after being the only sole survivor of an earlier investigation.
The Belasco house was the scene of debauchery and murder and this investigative team are about to find out how dangerous it really is. The annoying physicist certainly finds out that that there isn’t an answer for everything. How many will survive?
When we remember the great non gore horror films, lots of us tend to mention Universal Horror, American International Pictures, Hammer Horror and even RKO, but we forget about this gem of Horror, which totally freaked me out as a teenager.
From the start, the imagery and the music set the tone of the film. Do you remember that eerie like bongo music and then seeing the Belasco House shrouded in mist behind those black wrought iron gates?
How many of you remember the possessed black cat that attacks the female medium? When I was watching this film last night (lost count of how many times I’ve watched it), during the attack scene and the wailing cat noises as the medium rips the claws off her skin and throws the cat across the room, my identical black cat sprang up on the back of the couch looking alarmed and I can tell you that I must have looked alarmed as well. Each time she threw the cat, it came back for more until she locked herself in the bathroom.
The same medium eventually succumbs to the spirit that is haunting her and she offers her body in the hope that the spirit will go to heaven. We all knew that she was being fooled and the woman who played her was fantastic, especially when she turned around and started laughing hysterically. Her face was deranged and scary.
How did Roddy McDowel’s character resist the forward desires of the annoying physicist?
This is a great film and there is lots of freaky stuff happening in this film to keep you entertained.
While looking up information, I found out that this is one of only two productions of James H Nicholson after his departure from American International Pictures. I also found out that the Blasco house does exist and it is called ‘Wykehurst Place’, a Gothic revival mansion in Bolney, West Sussex. It was designed in 1871. This is a mansion that I have to visit and take photographs of as it is beautiful and haunting.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
I’ve just had the pleasure of watching the 1945 film ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and it was wonderful.
This film brought back memories of the old black and white films and how the directors played with lighting and music to enhance the thrill or scare of the moment. There was no need for special effects and it makes me wonder, do we really need them now to entertain us?
One scene in particular was when the camera panned onto Dorian Gray played by Hurd Hatfield after he had stabbed Basil Haward (Lowell Gilmore). The light was swinging violently and each time it swung in Dorian Gray’s direction, his shadow was cast upon the wall behind him. It looked so menacing and it is cinematography like this that inspires my photography.
Everything about this film is wonderful and Gothic. The headboard of Dorian Gray’s bed was wonderfully carved. What I would give for a bed like that!
The Picture of Dorian Gray
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ was directed by ‘Albert Lewin’ and is based on the novel written by ‘Oscar Wilde’.
Dorian Gray was awestruck with his painted portrait and he wished that he would remain eternally youth. Dorian’s wish was granted, thanks to some sort of statue of a God cat, so instead of him growing old, the painting did. It showed all of Dorian Gray’s ugly sins and showed him for the monster he became with the help of ‘Lord Henry Wotton’ (George Sanders).
For more information about this film, visit the IMDB website.
It’s a fantastic story and I wonder what the new release will be like.
Will it live up to this 1945 version?
I guess it will as it will have special effects to enhance it and I suppose it is good to have effects like these for new generations to see, but I think it is a shame that some directors don’t use old lighting techniques to stir our imagination.
I strongly recommend you to watch this version though and see if it captures your imagination like it did mine.
Oh finally, I can’t get over how pretty Angela Lansberry (Murder She Wrote) was back then.