John Hough knows how to make a horror movie. The Incubus? Twins of Evil? American Gothic? Yeah, I’m a fan.
Richard Matheson? Yes, him too.
Man, team them up and throw in AIP producer James H. Nicholson, making one of two non-AIP pictures before he’d die, and you get some magic.
You don’t have to look up the other movie he produced. It was Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry.
Dr. Lionel Barrett is enlisted by eccentric millionaire Mr. Deutsch to look into life after death at the Mount Everest of haunted houses, the Belasco House. It was once owned by “Roaring Giant” Emeric Belasco, a huge pervert and millionaire who tortured and killed enough people at his home that it’s filled with ghosts long after his disappearance.
He brings his wife and two experts: mental medium and spiritualist minister Florence Tanner (Pamela Franklin, Necromancy, Satan’s School for Girls) and medium Ben Fischer (Roddy McDowall!) who is the only survivor of the last time someone tried to get to the bottom of this house of secrets.
Fischer is soon battling not only the advances of Barrett’s wife, but also the spirits of the home, including Daniel, the son of Belasco. His ghost not only sexually assaults Florence, but then dumps a giant crucifix on her.
Man, the reveal of this movie is so berserk that I don’t feel like sharing it here, despite this movie come out a year after I was born. I’m old, so imagine!
There are some lessons here. Don’t go to haunted houses. Don’t neglect your wife sexually. And if a ghost cat attacks you, leave.
You can get this from Shout! Factory.
2 thoughts on “The Legend of Hell House (1973)”
Comments are closed.
Mrs. Barrett was played by Gayle Hunnicutt, who did a credible performance, indeed. He had co-starred with James Garner in Marlowe (1969) and had appeared in 2two episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies in 1966, which makes you Hollywood nobility at least. And, finally, she was married to David Hemmings (Blowout) for seven years…
You can see that I’m a fan!