(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 and.
- Doctor? - David: I'll have the same.
Fredrick: Now, before the party begins, let's go over the details.
The caretakers will leave at midnight,
locking us in here, until they come back in the morning.
Once the door is locked, there's no way out.
The windows have bars that a jail would be proud of.
And the only door to the outside locks like a vault.
There's no electricity. No phone. No one within miles.
So, no way to call for help.
Watson: Like a coffin.
Fredrick: So, if any of you decide to not stay for the party,
you must let me know before midnight.
Of course, if you leave, I shan't be able to pay you anything.
David: I'm interested in your reasons for this "party".
Aside from present company.
Fredrick: Ghosts, Doctor!
I think everyone wonders what they would do
(Fredrick) if they saw a ghost.
Fredrick: And now my wife has given us the opportunity to find out.
David: Hm. Amusing.
David: Ghosts, etcetera, being only creations of hysteria,
your party should be a success!
Fredrick: Pritchard here promises us genuine ghosts.
Watson: Seven, now. Maybe more before morning.
Fredrick: That's cheerful.
Watson: Four men have been murdered in this house.
And three women.
David: You've planned your party very well, Mr. Loren.
Four of us are men. Three are women.
A ghost for everybody.
Fredrick: Pritchard, why don't you take us on a tour through the house?
Let's see what happens?
Watson: See that stain? Blood.
Watson: A young girl was killed here.
And whatever got her, wasn't human.
- Don't stand there! - Ruth: What do you mean? Where?
Watson: It's too late. They've marked you.
David: Ridiculous. The roof probably leaks.
Ruth: That must be what it is. Who'd want to haunt me?
Fredrick: I'd say any self-respecting male ghost.
Watson: I hope it doesn't come back.