House on Haunted Hill (1958) OAR (1 Viewer)

Most sources claim aspect ratio to be 1.85:1 but it says "ORIGINAL FULL FRAME EDITION" on the back of the Legend Films release.

The Warners DVD release of the 1958 film was in widescreen 1.85:1. The DVD was released in 1999 and is now out of print. This film has been in PD hell for years until Warners re-did it when it released the remake in 1999. I guess is it is now back in PD hell again.

You can still pick up original Warner disc double-featured with a remake. That disc is in print.

It's 1.85 and I just bought the double-feature DVD (with the re-make) for 3 bucks at Big Lots!

I just bought this DVD at Big Lots. I'll return it and hope to find the double feature dvd.

Originally Posted by ahollis

The Warners DVD release of the 1958 film was in widescreen 1.85:1. The DVD was released in 1999 and is now out of print. This film has been in PD hell for years until Warners re-did it when it released the remake in 1999. I guess is it is now back in PD hell again.

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As I recall, the original WB DVD had both a 1.33 full frame and a 1.85 version on each side, and I may be wrong, but the double feature DVD with the remake only presents the 1.85 version. I'd just as soon get the original DVD - I like Geoffrey Rush but I'm not interested in the remake.

The film is 1.85:1 for sure. The Legend is open matte but I got it for the Mike Nelson commentary.

I have several version of HoHH and the most interesting one is the Roan release that is letterboxed but you can barely see through the black bars. So Vinnie Price walks by and you can see his feet under the letterbox bar .

I also saw that HoHH double feature at Big Lots as well as the release from Legend Films with the Mike Nelson commentary track and colorized version.

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is probably the best known of William Castle's horror features - and, for good reason.
The quick set-up with the heads of Vincent Price and Elisha Cook Jr. seemingly disembodied and floating above the location of the mansion is perfect. Robb White's screenplay gets directly to the point and Castle keeps the film moving along. Price and Cook take the acting honors, but even the smaller parts are well cast including the breathy Carol Ohmart as Price's duplicitous wife.

Being a Castle film, one knows to expect cheap thrills to take center stage over deep characterizations, but, it's a fun little chiller even if the ending is a bit of a cheat (also a Castle hallmark). There are some hokey lines, but they are delivered with grand guinol gusto as to invite laughing with the actors not at them.

Castle's theatrical gimmick was 'Emergo' which involved a real skeleton on a wire flying over the audiences' heads. The exterior of the haunted house is the Ennis Brown estate located in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles - it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

And, DEFINITELY seek out a Widescreen copy to watch.

I've got a 35mm print of the 1999 release but like the original it got some hokey scenes. Fun to watch but I'd rather watch the original.

I own the Alpha Video budget disc of this awesome legendary title (which we watch several times around Halloween), and it's in a pretty nasty 4:3 format with a lot of noise and weird blacked/matted-out stuff around the edges of the frame.

I have been wanting to upgrade, but the version I wanted -- the one included in Scream Factory's Vincent Price Collection Blu-ray set (forgot which volume) -- is ridiculously expensive because it's been long out of print (if you can even find it).

I love the remake, as well, and recall seeing it theatrically when it came out around the time of Jan Be Bont's Haunting remake. I have the Warner snapper case DVD of that one (didn't pick up Scream's BD reissue because there's really nothing wrong with the DVD version).

They indeed flew "Emergo" over the crowd during theatrical screenings of the original, which was a Castle "gimmick," as mentioned; there were also "buzzing" seats when The Tingler came out, if I'm not mistaken.

At any rate, it would be nice if an entity like Scream, Vinegar Syndrome or Kino Lorber released a standalone Blu or 4K of the original House on Haunted Hill; as it stands, what's the best version to pick up to replace my aging and cruddy looking Alpha Video version?

Kaskade1309 said:

At any rate, it would be nice if an entity like Scream, Vinegar Syndrome or Kino Lorber released a standalone Blu or 4K of the original House on Haunted Hill; as it stands, what's the best version to pick up to replace my aging and cruddy looking Alpha Video version?

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The best version is the double disc version put out by Warner Brothers with both versions of the film on two discs. It has the best master for the 1959 version

JoeStemme said:

The best version is the double disc version put out by Warner Brothers with both versions of the film on two discs. It has the best master for the 1959 version

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Thanks Joe. Much appreciated.

These are DVDs, yes? No studio has released a standalone Blu-ray of it?

Kaskade1309 said:

Thanks Joe. Much appreciated.

These are DVDs, yes? No studio has released a standalone Blu-ray of it?

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Problem is that it's in Public Domain. Seems like nobody wants to spend the money on it only to have it on youtube 48 hours after its released

I realize it's public domain -- much like what Romero went through with Night of the Living Dead -- but is that Warner two-disc edition still available?

Kaskade1309 said:

I realize it's public domain -- much like what Romero went through with Night of the Living Dead -- but is that Warner two-disc edition still available?

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It's on Amazon!

Shout/Scream Factory released the film as part of their second collection of Vincent Price films.

They released it in 1.78.1

Here is my humble suggestion to Warner Bros/George Feltenstein/Warner Archive (and perhaps Shout/Scream Factory)...

Let's see a blu-ray "double feature" pairing of Macabre (1958) and House on Haunted Hill (1958).

Both are Allied Artists titles from director William Castle, kicking off his popular cycle of horror movies. Macabre previously saw release as a Warner Archive MOD DVD and Warner controls the copyright on it. While it's a fun film, Macabre doesn't have a lot of star power in its cast --the major, recognizable "name" star in it is Jim "Mr. Magoo/Mr. Howell" Backus-- and, in comparison, House on Haunted Hill is overall just a stronger and more popular horror film.

Pairing the two films in one blu-ray package accomplishes a few things, from both a marketing and a collector's standpoint:

1.) They fit together both thematically (William Castle, gothic horror/suspense) and chronologically.

2.) House on Haunted Hill gives the package a more marketable star name (Vincent Price) for modern fans, which Macabre lacks.

3.) Macabre gives House on Haunted Hill some cover, since Macabre isn't in the public domain, so competitors would have a tougher time ripping this double-feature off than they would a stand-alone House on Haunted Hill blu-ray from Warner. I believe this was part of the reasoning for including HoHH in that out-of-print Vincent Price Collection Vol. 2 blu-ray set from Scream Factory (ditto the public domain perennial, The Last Man on Earth, even though Kino Lorber later released it as a stand-alone).

4.) Both films are brief, running 72 minutes and 75 minutes, and in black & white, so both could be included on one disc, and still have a decent bit-rate, insuring higher quality and a lower manufacturing cost.

Peter M Fitzgerald said:

Here is my humble suggestion to Warner Bros/George Feltenstein/Warner Archive (and perhaps Shout/Scream Factory)...

Let's see a blu-ray "double feature" pairing of Macabre (1958) and House on Haunted Hill (1958).

Both are Allied Artists titles from director William Castle, kicking off his popular cycle of horror movies. Macabre previously saw release as a Warner Archive MOD DVD and Warner controls the copyright on it. While it's a fun film, Macabre doesn't have a lot of star power in its cast --the major, recognizable "name" star in it is Jim "Mr. Magoo/Mr. Howell" Backus-- and, in comparison, House on Haunted Hill is overall just a stronger and more popular horror film.

Pairing the two films in one blu-ray package accomplishes a few things, from both a marketing and a collector's standpoint:

1.) They fit together both thematically (William Castle, gothic horror/suspense) and chronologically.

2.) House on Haunted Hill gives the package a more marketable star name (Vincent Price) for modern fans, which Macabre lacks.

3.) Macabre gives House on Haunted Hill some cover, since Macabre isn't in the public domain, so competitors would have a tougher time ripping this double-feature off than they would a stand-alone House on Haunted Hill blu-ray from Warner. I believe this was part of the reasoning for including HoHH in that out-of-print Vincent Price Collection Vol. 2 blu-ray set from Scream Factory (ditto the public domain perennial, The Last Man on Earth, even though Kino Lorber later released it as a stand-alone).

4.) Both films are brief, running 72 minutes and 75 minutes, and in black & white, so both could be included on one disc, and still have a decent bit-rate, insuring higher quality and a lower manufacturing cost.

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Perhaps you should make the same post over at the Warner Announcement thread in Blu-ray. Somebody at Warner might actually read your suggestion.

darkrock17 said:

Shout/Scream Factory released the film as part of their second collection of Vincent Price films.

They released it in 1.78.1

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Yeah -- I believe this is the only way to get the film in high definition (BD), but this set is sold out everywhere and those who are selling it are asking ridiculous prices for it. It needs a standalone edition already.