Halloween 2018 #13: House on Haunted Hill *** (1959)

House on Haunted Hill stars Vincent Price as an "eccentric millionaire" who invites a group of contestants over to his mansion for a night of scares, offering $10,000 to the guest who endures all the shocks. A jovial camp classic from William Castle, Haunted Hill features Price at his best. His deadpan deliveries and verbal sparring with wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart) are entertaining. There's more than enough cheesy gags to sustain the 74 minute running time. There's pistols as party favors, a convenient vat of acid in the basement, walking skeletons, and an Agatha Christie whodunit climax. Released in 1959, the spirit of fun in House on Haunted Hill oddly feels fresh and vibrant. A fun Halloween movie with more laughs than scares, a Scooby Doo episode for adults. Castle employed "emergo" technology to pack the theaters!