The Legend of Hell House

[Nesacat]

I found a copy of Richard Matheson's Hell House at a second hand bookstore recently and in the blurb it says that ... "Hell House is a classic novel of supernatural horror and the basis for the terrifying motion picture The Legend of Hell House".

I've finished the book and it's very good.

Has anyone seen this movie? Can someone tell me more about it please?

 

[j d worthington]

Yes, I've seen it... in fact, I own a copy of the film. Matheson wrote the screenplay, so it has much of his approach; but, being filmed when it was, he had to tone down certain aspects (the rape of Florence Tanner, for instance) a bit for the screen, and so on....

Good cast, though: Roddy McDowall as Benjamin Franklin Fischer, Pamela Franklin as Florence Tanner, Clive Revill as Dr. Lionel Barrett, and Gayle Hunnicutt as Ann Barrett. Even the smaller roles were well cast, with Roland Culver as Deutsch, and Peter Bowles as Hanley.

It makes for an interesting set: The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson, which was an obvious influence on Hell House by Matheson, which novel actually bears more of a resemblance to the film version of The Haunting, directed by Robert Wise, while The Legend of Hell House has more of the feel of Jackson's novel, in many ways....

 

[Nesacat]

Thank you kindly JD. It does sound like a good movie and I'll see if it is possible to find it. I would like to see it. I liked the book very much.

 

[littlemissattitude]

I saw this one when it first came out in theatres, back in 1973. I liked it a lot.

 

[ravenus]

Haven't read the book but I liked the film a good deal. The characters were very nicely written and it was this more modern and cynical take on The Haunting. The end was a bit underwhelming but otherwise all good. It was a Brit production if I recall right.

 

[j d worthington]

Haven't read the book but I liked the film a good deal. The characters were very nicely written and it was this more modern and cynical take on The Haunting. The end was a bit underwhelming but otherwise all good. It was a Brit production if I recall right.

I've got to admit that, even when I read the novel for the first time, the ending threw me. After some thought, however, I realized this was actually very "true-to-life", if you will, and explained an enormous amount. It was also a nice change in the handling of endings with such tales; quite unexpected....

 

[Nesacat]

I'll definitely have to look out for the film. Have always had a very soft spot for haunted houses and it will be good to see a decent movie featuring one.

As for the book I liked the ending, though I had to go back and read it again. Threw me for a loop the first time, I think because we are used to seeing bells and whistles usually; but as JD has already mentioned; the ending here fits the tale and I am glad for it.

 

[ravenus]

The Hell House movie has awesome photography, I must say.