‘The Legend of Hell House’: A Criminally Underrated Supernatural Thriller [The Overlooked Motel]
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This week’s pick is one of my favorite haunted house films and certainly one of the most underrated. John Hough’s The Legend of Hell House is an atmospheric horror thriller that slowly builds to an unbearable level of tension in the third act. The picture is steeped in Gothic atmosphere and features a terrifying supernatural element that comes to a head in a mind-blowing conclusion.
The setup for The Legend of Hell House goes something like this: A man with too much money on his hands enlists the aid of two psychics and a physicist to definitively prove or disprove the existence of life after death. This experiment is no joke. It’s taking place at Belasco House, which is described as “the Mt. Everest of haunted houses”. Among the participants are physicist Dr. Lionel Barrett (Clive Revill); Barret’s wife, Ann (Gayle Hunnicutt); Ben Fischer (Roddy McDowall), a medium and the sole survivor of a similar experiment conducted 20 years prior; and Florence Tanner (Pamela Franklin), a physical medium.
The Legend of Hell House begins with a quote from British psychic Tom Corbett. His statement reads: “Although the story of this film is fictitious, the events depicted involving psychic phenomena are not only very much within the bounds of possibility, but could well be true.” That piece immediately lends an air of credibility to the picture we’re about to watch. It’s as if director John Hough is blurring the lines between what we’re about to see and the paranormal hijinks that might be happening elsewhere at this very moment. It’s an eerie touch that sets the stage for the terror to come.
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Immediately after Corbett’s quote fades away, Hough goes to work establishing an atmosphere of unease. When the participants enter the titular Hell House, all the lights are out and the home is eerily quiet. We can hear the sound of footsteps on the stone floors echoing off the walls. In one early shot, the camera looms behind the cast, gradually drawing closer until it almost seems as if it will swallow each participant whole; like some kind of silent, supernatural force. Flourishes like that establish a profound level of unease long before the first sign of paranormal activity appears.
Also effective is the way the Belasco house brings Gothic vibes that harken back to Hammer’s heyday. The cathedral ceilings and the near absence of natural light give the domicile an ominous aura. Equally impressive is the way Hough manages to make the massive dwelling feel almost claustrophobic with the way he frames his shots.
Richard Matheson’s screenplay (which he adapts from his novel Hell House) conjures a terrifying antagonist that plays well against the eerie atmosphere Hough establishes. Emeric Belasco is revealed to have been a despicable man in life and seems to have somehow continued that distinction in death. Even though he is deceased, Belasco’s presence permeates the home. He has left haunting mementos behind and seems to have substantial posthumous influence over the participants of the study. I won’t say more than that, so as not to spoil any surprises. I will, however, say that the finale is mind-melting in the best possible way. The third act goes all out, proving to be both unhinged and surreal.
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In addition to competent direction and a well-written screenplay, the film also benefits from a strong cast. Everyone is at the top of their game here. But I count Roddy McDowall as the standout. He plays Ben so effectively. He needn’t say much about the life-changing impact of his last visit to the Belasco House for the viewer to know it still haunts him. It’s written all over his face. Ben usually speaks in a near-whisper, with a monotone delivery; giving the impression he’s a hollowed-out shell of his former self.
When Dr. Barrett asks if he has anything he’d like to share, Ben replies, “What’s to tell? The house tried to kill me. It almost succeeded.” He says those words with a detached look in his eyes and nearly no inflection. He’s quite the effective harbinger of doom in that moment. And he proves an asset to the film throughout.
On the whole, The Legend of Hell House is a visually striking film with no shortage of atmosphere. Keen direction, a strong screenplay, and a standout performance by Roddy McDowall make this feature a must-see for anyone who has yet to experience the film.
That’s all for this installment of The Overlooked Motel. If you’d like to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, Threads, or Instagram.
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