The Haunted House (1928 film)
The Haunted House is a 1928 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Benjamin Christensen..[2] Christensen also wrote the script under the name "Richard Bee". The film stars Larry Kent and Thelma Todd and is based on Owen Davis's 1926[1] Broadway play of the same name.[2] The Haunted House is today presumed lost.[3]
| The Haunted House | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | Benjamin Christensen |
| Produced by | Wid Gunning[1] |
| Written by |
|
| Based on | The Haunted House (1926 play) by Owen Davis |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sol Polito.[2] |
| Edited by | Frank Ware.[2] |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures, Inc.[2] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 65 minutes.[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
A group of heirs to a family fortune are summoned to an old dark house to attend the reading of a will. Weird events occur, leading the group to believe the house is haunted. The house features sliding panels, hidden rooms, weird attendants and even a mad scientist. It turns out to be just a gang of crooks trying to scare them off before they can inherit their money.
Cast
- Larry Kent as Billy
- Thelma Todd as The Nurse
- Edmund Breese as Uncle Herbert
- Sidney Bracey as Tully
- Barbara Bedford as Nancy
- Flora Finch as Mrs.Rackham
- Chester Conklin as Mr. Rackham
- William V. Mong as the Weird Caretaker
- Montagu Love as the Mad Doctor
- Eve Southern as the Sleepwalking Girl
- John Gough as Chauffeur
Background
After his success in Europe with his 1922 film Haxan, director Christensen relocated to Hollywood in 1926, where he directed Thelma Todd in The Devil's Circus, Lon Chaney in Mockery and the lost film The Haunted House.[1]
Production started on the film in 26 July 1928.[2]
Release
The Haunted House was released on 4 November 1928.[2]
References
- Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 324. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
- "The Haunted House". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- Soister, John T. (2012). American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913-1929. McFarland. p. 252. ISBN 0-786-48790-9.
External links
- The Haunted House on IMDb
- The Haunted House at the TCM Movie Database
- The Haunted House at AllMovie
- Vitaphone Varieties Collection at the archive.org