The Haunted House of Horror

"Behind it's forbidden doors an evil secret hides!"

1969 1h 31m EN

💀

4.9

SKIP

★4.9TMDB · 36

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Teenagers in an old mansion are being murdered one by one. The survivors must discover who among them is the killer before they're all finished off.

“Behind it's forbidden doors an evil secret hides!”

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Cast

Frankie Avalon
Chris
Jill Haworth
Sheila
Dennis Price
Inspector Bill Bradley
Mark Wynter
Gary Scott
George Sewell
Bob Kellett
Gina Warwick
Sylvia Fuller
Richard O'Sullivan
Peter
Carol Dilworth
Dorothy Pulman

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Armstrong
Writers: Michael Armstrong
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

57 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Armstrong, shot by Jack Atcheler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Reg Tilsley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Pitt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Frankie Avalon and Jill Haworth and Dennis Price carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Behind it's forbidden doors an evil secret hides!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0064443 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Armstrong directs. Jack Atcheler behind the camera. Reg Tilsley scores. Peter Pitt cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

157 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Michael Armstrong, shot by Jack Atcheler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Reg Tilsley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Peter Pitt shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Frankie Avalon and Jill Haworth and Dennis Price carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Behind it's forbidden doors an evil secret hides!".
8IMDB entry: tt0064443 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 36 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jack Atcheler
Original score: Reg Tilsley
Editing: Peter Pitt
Makeup / hair: Cliff Sharpe
Runtime: 91 min · 1h 31m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): 18
IMDB: The Haunted House of Horror (1969)

Also by

Michael Armstrong

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-10-08
★ 4/10
Swankers and Slashers! OK! It should be noted that the finished film is not the film that director Michael Armstrong set out to make. Pretty much taken away from him in the writing department by the producer (Deke Heyward), and on the directing front by Gerry Levy, the garbled mess that is this film should not be held against the talented Armstrong. A bunch of young adults in swanky London get bored at a friend's house party and decide to move on to a nearby derelict house that is rumoured to be haunted. When one of them is found murdered, panic, mistrust and bad decision making ensue... Well, a third of the film passes before the group get to the supposed haunted house of the title. Up till then we are introduced to an intriguing stalker sub-plot and an introduction to the youngsters and their way of life. Sadly, what transpires is that the stalker angle proves to be pointless, and that the house is not haunted or indeed very horrific! In fact it's quite a funky old house. The characters just mope about and nothing much really happens, when the blood comes it just isn't enough to fulfil the patience that has been asked of the viewers. Cast are run of the mill, with Frankie Avalon badly out of place and Dennis Price as a police detective wandering in to proceedings for the easiest pay check he ever made. As a period piece it soars. The fashions, all paisley shirts, flares, mini skirts and kipper ties, are wonderfully garish, as is the colour schemes and decoration of the houses (woodchip wallpaper - oh my!). The cars, also, are a treat for nostalgists interested in a Britain that time forgot. While in the play some will note and enjoy the phallic symbolisms and attempts at guignol malarkey. But ultimately it's a poor film, and annoying because there are hits of what might have been. From the boring first third to the daft finale, this is another Tigon production that smells off. 4/10
CinemaSerf2023-06-03
★ 4/10
You've got to watch this - if only for the wonderfully flowery clothing (particularly the boys) that is worn. Otherwise, it's a relatively run of the mill horror-flick featuring Frankie Avalon and Richard Barnes in a gang of young trendies who head to an abandoned country house for a séance. One of them is brutally murdered, they bury the body and head back to normality. Once the police (Dennis Price) start to investigate the missing man our gang of party-goers get spooked and head back to the scene of the crime and our slasher strikes again. It's quite tautly directed but the writing is terrible - it's really just a showcase for some good looking people with little substance and certainly no menace.