(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)