The Legend of Hell House

“The Legend of Hell House” is definitely one of the best films in the career of John Hough, a decent hack director of genre films whose work was marked by far more lows than highs. With a screenplay written by Richard Matheson, based on one of his own novels (1971’s “Hell House”), the film is a series of “haunted house” tropes, putting a commendable classic spin on all the key elements (creaking doors, nocturnal moans, poltergeists, etc.).

Hough directs with a terse, straightforward style, bordering on documentary. The film’s no-frills opening (we start pretty much in the thick of things) is somewhat dry, and the subsequent events are presented with the detached viewpoint of a man of science, namely the protagonist, Dr. Barrett, who’s a sort of belated adherent of the optimistic philosophies of the 1800s, from Hegelianism (“What is rational is real, and what is real is rational”) to early positivism.

At any rate, he never comes to terms with the unnatural horrors lurking in Hell House, and so the ongoing succession of events which totally defy scientific analysis, combined with an obdurate skepticism towards any sort of supernatural phenomenon, will lead directly to his demise.

Visually, the film is rather atmospheric, thanks to meticulous set design and to Alan Hume’s fine cinematography. Top-notch cast (Roddy McDowell’s passionate performance particularly stands out, but Pamela Franklin also turns in a rather credible performance). The legendary Michael Gough “plays” the embalmed corpse of the diabolic Emeric Belasco.