The Tingler (1959)

"The Tingler" is the second film to come out in 1959 that was directed and produced by William Castle and starring Vincent Price. This time around the movie opens with a monologue by Mr. Castle, who is speaking directly to the audience, encouraging them to scream out loud because it just might save their lives. Castle had installed a buzzer to the bottom of many of the seats in the theaters that were screening "The Tingler", which would go off at the right moment. A silhouette of the Tingler creature was also made to move in front of the movie projector to indicate that the creature was there in the theater itself. While full of gimmicks, "The Tingler" isn't nearly as dull as "The House in Haunted Hill" although the effects in the movie were just as silly. The one exception is a scene where the water in the sink, bathtub, and a hand rising from the blood filled tub are filmed in color against a black and white setting. The film itself was purposely filmed in black and white just so this scene could have that moment of intensity and awe.

This was the fifth horror film that Vincent Price had appeared in and this is when he earned the moniker as the "Master of Menace".


Dr. Warren Chapin has discovered a parasite attached to the spine of every human that is responsible for the tingling sensation that people feel when they're scared. He becomes obsessed in wanting to know what real terror is like and even tries some LSD to see if he can enter a terrified state of consciousness. Meanwhile, a deaf and mute woman that Dr. Chapin had prescribed some sleeping pills for has died; her husband, an owner of a movie theater that screens only silent movies, is actually the murderer. Dr. Chapin performs an autopsy on the wife and removes her Tingler, which is still alive. The Tingler breaks free and runs amok within the theater, causing terror and panic. Dr. Chapin is able to capture the creature and announces that the only way they can contain it is to place it back into the deceased body in which it came from. Doing so temporarily animates the corpse, which gets it's revenge on it's former husband.

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

William Castle was a famous director who added gimmicks and effects to some of the movie theaters where his films were shown. While this added to the viewing experience to those that went to those theaters, it's a shame that Mr. Castle didn't have the faith that his films were scary enough to stand on their own. Or maybe he did realize that his films weren't that scary and that they needed all the help they could get! A great example of where one his films fails to deliver any real scares is his original version of "House on Haunted Hill". Starring Vincent Price, this film lacked the same intensity and thrills that "House of Wax" had, which was made six years earlier. "House on Haunted Hill" had a great premise but the effects in the movie feel more like set up for the effects and gimmicks that took place in the theaters. As a combined piece of performance art, "House on Haunted Hill" excels while as a horror movie, it's merely adequate.

Seeing this version does increase the entertainment value and appreciation of the 1999 remake.


Frederick Loren is an eccentric million who is throwing a party for his fourth wife's birthday. He has rented an old, haunted house and has invited five guests to come and stay the night with the promise of paying each guest $10,000 if they stay until the morning. One of the guests is actually the owner of the house, who takes the group on a tour and tells them about the various brutal and violent murders that have occurred at the residence over the years. Nora Manning, an employee at one of Mr. Loren's companies, begins to explore the house and witnesses various ghoulish sights. Later that night, when the party truly begins, Mr. Loren gives each guest a loaded pistol for protection. Loren's wife, Annabelle, tries to convince the group that her husband is insane and it trying to kill her. Everyone becomes weary of him as well as the events happening in the house. It is soon revealed that Annabelle is having an affair with one of the invited guests and this is the perfect oppurituninty to kill Mr. Loren. So who will kill who, and will it be the living or the dead that strikes the fatal blow?