(woman screaming)

(pained moaning)

(woman screaming)

(man laughing maniacally over screams)

(creaking door)

(rattling chains and heavy foot steps)

The ghosts are moving tonight - 
restless... Hungry...

May I introduce myself?

I'm Watson Pritchard.

In just a minute I'll show you the only
really haunted house in the world.

Since it was built a century ago,

seven people, including my brother,

have been murdered in it.

Since then, I've owned the house.

I've only spent one night there.

And when they found me in the morning I...

I was almost dead!

[pained moaning]

[jarring musical note, swelling]

I'm Frederick Loren.

And I've rented the house on Haunted Hill
tonight

so that my wife can give a party.

A haunted house party.

[chuckles]

She's so amusing.

There will be food and drink and... 
ghosts.

And perhaps even a few murders.

You're all invited.

If any of you will spend the next 
twelve hours in this house,

I'll give you each ten thousand dollars -

- or your next of kin, 
in case you don't survive.

Ah, but here come our other guests.

(Frederick) It was my wife's idea 
to have our guests come in funeral cars.

She's so amusing.

Her sense of humor is, shall we say, 
original.

I dreamed up the hearse.

It's empty now, but -

- after a night in the house on Haunted Hill -

- who knows?

This is Lance Schroeder, a test pilot.

So, no doubt a brave man.

But don't you think you can be 
much braver if you're paid for it?

And I happen to know that Lance

needs the ten thousand I'll give him,

if he's brave enough to stay all night.

This is Ruth Bridgers.

You've no doubt read her column
in the newspapers.

She says her reason 
for coming to the party

is to write a feature article on ghosts.

She's also desperate for money. 
Gambles.

You've already met Watson Pritchard,

a man living in mortal fear of a house,

and yet he's risking his life 
to spend another night here.

I wonder why.

He says "for money".

This is Dr. David Trent, a psychiatrist.

He claims that my ghosts 
will help his work on hysteria.

But don't you see a little touch of greed there

around the mouth and eyes?

This is Nora Manning.

I picked her from the thousands of people who work for me

because she needed the ten thousand most.

Supports her whole family.

Isn't she pretty?

The part's starting now.

And you have until midnight to find
The House on Haunted Hill.

♪ (title music plays) ♪

Lance: Well, where is everybody?

Nora: It isn't a very warm welcome, is it?

Watson: Only the ghosts in this house
are glad we're here.

Ruth: Are we all strangers to each other?

Don't you two know each other?

Lance: I'm afraid I don't even 
know your name.

- I'm Nora Manning.
- Lance Schroeder.

Ruth: Is Fredrick Loren a friend of yours?

Lance: I've heard of him, 
but I've never met him.

Nora: I work for one of his companies.

But I've never seen him.

Ruth: I've never met the man either.
Just a phone call.

Do you know him?

David: No.

(Ruth) Then you're the only one of us 
who does.

Watson: I don't know him.

All the details about running the house
were done by mail.

David: He's quite wealthy, isn't he?

Ruth: Millions.

- David: And five wives, I believe.
- Ruth: Four, I think so far.

David: A fifty thousand dollar party for
only five people is a little steep.

(David) Even for a millionaire.

Lance: Well, if I were going to haunt 
anybody,

this would certainly be 
the house I'd do it in.

(door creaks and slams shut)

(chandelier tinkles)

Nora: Who closed the door?

♪ (ominous music plays) ♪

Lance: This thing's made of solid steel.

(chandelier crashes)

♪ (ominous music plays) ♪

Fredrick: Annabelle?

Our guests are here and unfortunately
still alive.

Is your face on yet?

Annabelle: Dust and dirt everywhere.

And the water barely trickles.

Couldn't you've had the place cleaned?

Fredrick: Atmosphere, darling. 
You know how ghosts are.

They never tidy up.

That's a very fetching outfit,

but hardly suitable for a party.

Annabelle: I'm not going to the party.

Fredrick: This 'spend the night 
ghost party' was your idea. Remember?

Since it's going to cost me 
fifty thousand dollars,

I want you to have fun!

Annabelle: The party was my idea,

until you invited all the guests.

Why all the strangers? 
Why none of our friends?

Fredrick: Friends? Do we have 
any friends?

Annabelle: No. Your jealousy 
took care of that.

Fredrick: I had a reason for inviting 
each guest.

I wanted a cross section.

From psychiatrist to typist.

And from drunk to jet pilot.

They share one thing. 
They all need money.

Now, let's see if they're brave enough 
to earn it.

Annabelle: And you call this a party?

Fredrick: Could be.

Annabelle: Why do you always do that?

It spoils the champagne.

Fredrick: It might explode.
- (Annabelle) It never does.

Fredrick: Will you guarantee that?

Annabelle: That isn't funny, Fredrick.

Fredrick: It'd make a good headline.

"Playboy kills wife with champagne cork".

- Will you join me?
- Annabelle: No, thank you.

Fredrick: Just a sip 
might improve your humor.

Annabelle: My humor is fine, thanks.

And I haven't poisoned it.

Fredrick: It's always good to know that.

Fredrick: Have some. You'll enjoy 
the party more.

Go on.

Annabelle: Your trust is so touching.

And I'm not going to the party.

Fredrick: Of all my wives, 
you're the least agreeable.

Annabelle: But, still alive.

Fredrick: Would you go away, for 
a million dollars, tax-free?

You want it all, don't you?

Annabelle: I deserve it all.

Your jealousy isn't tax-free.

And your possessiveness is maddening.

Fredrick: If ever a man had grounds 
for divorce...

- Annabelle: But can't prove them.
- Fredrick: The time will come.

Fredrick: You'll slip up 
one of these days.

- Annabelle: You think so?
- Fredrick: If I live long enough.

Fredrick: Do you remember the fun we had 
when you poisoned me?

Annabelle: Something you ate, 
the doctor said.

Fredrick: Yes. Arsenic on the rocks.

You'd do it again if you thought you could
get away with it, wouldn't you?

Annabelle: Darling, what makes you
think that?

Fredrick: Something about you.

I hear that hanging is very uncomfortable,
in case you get any more ideas.

(Fredrick) Don't let the ghosts and the 
ghouls disturb you, darling.

Annabelle: Darling, the only ghoul 
in the house is you.

Fredrick: Don't sit up all night, 
thinking of ways to get rid of me.

It makes wrinkles.

Watson: This is what she used 
on my brother and her sister.

Hacked 'em to pieces.

We found parts of the bodies 
all over the house.

In places you wouldn't think.

A funny thing is, the heads have 
never been found.

Hands and feet and things like that.

But no heads.

David: The wife, probably in a rage, 
threatened her husband with the knife

and then, carried away by hysteria, 
took a swing at him,

and simply went on from there.

Lance: She certainly went on. How many 
people did she kill, Mr. Pritchard?

Watson: Only two.

Her husband and her sister. No one 
else was here.

Lance: So there are two loose heads just 
floating around here somewhere?

Watson: You can hear them at night.

They whisper to each other.
And then cry.

(Lance laughs)

Ruth: Since our host isn't here, 
would anyone care to mix me a drink?

David: Certainly. What will you have?

(door opens)

Fredrick: Good evening.

I'm your host, Fredrick Loren.

Since we're all strangers to each other, 
let's get acquainted with a drink.

Watson: Mr. Loren, I advise you to 
call this party off now.

The ghosts are already moving 
and that's a bad sign.

Fredrick: Let me apologize for my wife. 
She'll join us later.

- What will you have?
- Ruth: Scotch