In the second part of “House on Haunted Hill” trivia and facts, you will encounter an interesting tactic used to promote and entertain audiences who came to see this particular film in 1959. You will also become familiar with the plot, actors, and actresses that appeared in the 1999 remake of the film, which includes Geoffrey Rush and Taye Diggs.
William Castle brought the film’s storyline to Vincent Price on the same day that he learned that he did not get a different role that he auditioned for. Over a cup of coffee, Castle described the ins and outs. Price’s interest grew and as a result, a two-picture deal was made to include “The Tingler” (1959).
This film utilized a gimmick known as “Emergo” in the theaters. In the movie, a skeleton is shown rising from a vat of acid. To enhance the effect of this scene, a plastic skeleton with lights was attached to a wire and would appear from a black box situated next to the screen. The theater rigged the skeleton to fly over the heads of moviegoers. When Vincent Price reels in the skeleton in the film, the theater skeleton is also pulled back into the box. Unfortunately, this effect was laid to rest, as troublemakers would bring slingshots and other items to the theater with them to throw at the skeleton when it appeared.
House on Haunted Hill (1999)
In this 1999 remake, the stakes are higher and the promise of money more enticing. This time, participants of this Haunted Hill challenge are offered $1,000,000 to spend the night in the creepy residence.
The Plot
Another eccentric millionaire (Stephen Price) and his wife Evelyn pose a challenge to a group of opposing characters to spend the night in a haunted house. In return, they would receive $1,000,000 for their efforts. Over the course of their stay, odd happenings start to take place.
The house is a former mental institution and the guests are told that the ghosts of inmates that had lost their lives on the premises still haunt the grounds. No one believes that the house is haunted and decides this could be one of the easiest ways to make money. At once, the house locks on its own and it doesn’t take long for the participants to realize that there might be a bit of truth to the legend.
In the film, the eccentric millionaire is played by Geoffrey Rush, while Famke Janssen plays his wife, Evelyn Stockard-Price. Other actors and actresses that appear in the film include Taye Diggs (as Eddie Baker), Peter Gallagher (as Dr. Donald Blackburn), comedian Chris Kattan (as Watson Pritchett), Ali Larter (as Sara Wolfe), and Bridgette Wilson (as Melissa Margaret Marr).
To explore interesting tidbits of information regarding the 1999 remake of “House on Haunted Hill,” continue reading with Part III of this trivia and facts extravaganza, where you’ll learn some of the taglines associated with the film, as well as a couple of role considerations that could have caused the movie to turn out completely different.
