Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

William Castle (1914-1977) built his film career by making and then carny barking low-budget horror films that make use of a gimmick of some kind. In the case of 1959's THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, the gimmick was Emergo, a moment in which a skeleton flew over the audience on wires, an effect that inspired a lot of laughter and popcorn-throwing among the film's largely teenaged audience. But for all this, and in spite of a corny script and next-to-nothing production values, HAUNTED HILL is actually a very enjoyable film--largely due to the over-the-top performances and unexpectedly witty dialogue.

The story itself is pretty standard: millionare Frederick Lauren and his wife Annabell have dreamed up a haunted house party, to which five guests are invited. Each guest will receive $10,000... or their next of kin if they themselves do not survive! But there are, of course, several hidden agendas among both hosts and guests, and before too long there are plenty of screams in the night! Vincent Price's performance is a miracle of sardonic humor; leading lady Carol Ohmart is a deadpan knock-out and matches him line for line; and the supporting cast, which includes Elisha Cook Jr., is both expert and entertaining. It's all a lot of fun in the William Castle style.

THE BAT is a different matter entirely. The story actually has a history in pop-culture: author Mary Roberts Rhinehart was never liked by the critics, but the public loved her. Her play THE BAT (co-written with Avery Hopwood) was a smash in the 1920s and went on to success in two earlier film versions, and the 1959 film version is well-paired with HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL in the sense that it too stars Vincent Price and looks, sounds, and generally plays like the "B" movies for which William Castle was famous. But THE BAT isn't a William Castle film and it shows. Castle films might be cheaply made and extremely hokey, but they are fun; directed by Crane Wilbur, THE BAT is more of a dead duck.

The story concerns mystery writer Cornelia van Gorder, who has rented a remote country house for a summer vacation. Unfortunately, the area is being plagued by a mysterious serial killer and thief called The Bat--and a stolen money hidden in the house has attracted his attention, and once more there are sudden screams in the night. Although Price receives star billing, he is more a supporting player in the role of Dr. Wells; it is really Agnes Moorehead who drives the cast. Both were remarkable actors, but neither plot nor dialogue offer them much to work with, and the end result is distinctly dry. The most entertaining thing about the movie are the costumes into which Moorehead is plunged: terse business attire; nightgowns with lots of unexpected clevage; and an oddly tulip-shaped gown that makes her hips look as wide as a barn door.

In terms of quality, it is worth pointing out that both HAUNTED HILL and THE BAT were throw aways. No one expected them to have any lasting market value and as such no one made any attempt to preserve them in their original condition. So it is surprising that both are found here in unexpectedly good condition--you can certainly argue over format and screen ratios if you like, but the picture quality is crisp and without major streaks or artifacts and the sound is reasonable.

THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, of course, is a cult classic, and if you like cult films it is a "must-see"--and even if you don't Price, Ohmart, and Castle's silliness make for an entertaining 90 minutes. THE BAT is too dry to have much appeal, but die-hard Price and Moorehead fans will want to see it, and so far as I know this is the only DVD release of the film to date. Recommended... but primarily for HAUNTED HILL with THE BAT as an added attraction.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This double-sided DVD by Goodtimes contains two black&white thrillers. Both center around a haunted/eerie house and needless to say "House on Haunted Hill" is very effective. "The Bat" simply pleasant. So from that point of view, this double-feature does ok.
Now to the technical side.
Goodtimes informs you that "best sources available" have been used. I may ask what good are those sources if you spoil the transfer.

HoHH is in 4:3 ratio, not widescreen, but that does not hurt as much as the contrast/sharpness that has been obviously pushed up to the maximum. I mean the movie really looks black/white and NO grey. This leads to good-looking black color but far too sharp edges. The print however is ok. Sound too.

TB is widescreen, even anamorphic, but the "best source" must have been a s-vhs tape. It simply doesn't look attractive. Here, everything is grey, no real black, no real white and no real edge. Sound is also s-vhs standard only.

Could have been a bargain with the attractive cover provided by Goodtimes, but in the end you get what you pay for. Nothing less and nothing more.