FILM · 1979 · USA
The Amityville Horror
26 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
26 Interesting Facts About The Amityville Horror
Interesting Facts (18)
- #001
Honey was smeared on Rod Steiger's head to attract flies to him.
- #002
Because of the unwanted fame the book and film brought to the real house in Amityville, its current owners replaced the "evil eyes" windows with normal rectangular windows.
- #003
James Brolin was hesitant when the role of George Lutz was first offered to him. He was told there was no script and that he should get a copy of Jay Anson's novel and read it as soon as possible. Brolin started the book at seven one evening and was still reading at two in the morning. He had earlier hung a pair of trousers in the room, and at the genuinely "tense" part of the book the trousers fell down from where they were hanging. Brolin leaped out of his chair and nearly hit his head on the ceiling. That was when Brolin said: "There's something to this story." He agreed to make the film.
- #004
For years there were rumors that the film would be shot in the real house in Amityville, New York, but the production crew was too frightened to film inside the house. The truth is that the town of Amityville would not allow American International Pictures to shoot any scene in Amityville, in an effort to distance itself from any publicity. AIP therefore found a two-story Dutch Colonial house in Toms River, NJ, where the exteriors would be filmed. Crescent-shaped windows were added to both sides of the house, along with a third-floor facade. Nearly all the interior scenes were shot at the MGM studios in Culver City, CA. A few interior scenes were shot inside the real Toms River house, including the scene in which George returns from the boathouse at midnight and then steps out onto the sun porch to light a cigarette. In that scene you can see there is no wallpaper or door in the living room, whereas on the soundstage the living room has wallpaper and a door beside the bookcase.
- #005
The basement featured in this film is shown as a dark, eerie, dungeon-like room. In reality, the real house in Amityville has a finished basement that was used as a recreation room while the DeFeo family lived there. The other part of the basement was used as a laundry room and storage. The original house also once had a swimming pool, until the new owners filled it in.
- #006
The church in the film is St. Peter's Church in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, located about 32 km north of the movie theater in Toms River. They also used Pleasure Park, the park across from the church, for the scene in which the priest plays basketball. They used local children as players and had to ask them to calm things down and occasionally let the priest get the ball.
- #007
Contrary to popular belief, the music Lalo Schifrin prepared for this film was not the legendary rejected score composed for The Exorcist (1973). The rejected "Exorcist" score was later released on CD and is completely different in every respect.
- #008
Hoping to generate more publicity for the film, the studio would fabricate stories about "weird" events on the set.
- #009
The murder of the family by Ronald DeFeo (who died in 2021) was very real. It is believed that "The Amityville Horror" was a money-making scheme by author Jay Anson and the Lutz family. Later residents of the house reported no unusual occurrences.
- #010
The film never clarifies what happens to Carolyn when she finally sees the red room in the house's basement. Fans and viewers generally believed she was possessed. The question Helen Shaver, who plays Carolyn, is often asked, and her answers, indicate that Carolyn did not experience a demonic possession but sensory overload. Carolyn was clairvoyant and sensitive to supernatural phenomena, so since the red room was said to be the entrance to hell, she was experiencing the pain, torment and sorrow of all the souls trapped in hell being hurled at her at once. On screen she covers her ears because she can hear the agonized screams belonging to all the punished souls in hell, and this caused her sensory overload.
- #011
The film was initially planned as a TV production for CBS until executive producer Samuel Z. Arkoff read Jay Anson's book in one sitting and bought the rights.
- #012
Although the DeFeo family murders are a major plot point for the film, for whatever reason they are never actually named.
- #013
The true story behind the film has a particular connection to two modern horror films, The Conjuring (2013) and Annabelle (2014). Ed Warren and Lorraine Warren were also involved in the investigation of the real house and served as Demonology Consultants on Amityville II: The Possession (1982). Oddly, Amy's doll is a Raggedy Ann, and so is the real Annabelle.
- #014
Epilogue before the credits finish: "George and Kathleen Lutz and their family never reclaimed their house or their personal belongings. Today they live in another state."
- #015
In some shots, painted eyes appear in the background of the "evil eye" windows.
- #016
Rod Steiger does not physically interact with James Brolin or Margot Kidder at any point in the film.
- #017
In Toms River, New Jersey, the real house on Ocean Avenue was used as a double and rented to the production for $12,000. Meanwhile, the accompanying boathouse was built at a cost of $31,000.
- #018
For scenes requiring him to handle an axe safely, James Brolin took lessons from a professional axe thrower.
Production Story (2)
- #019
Because the film was made on a relatively modest budget, James Brolin took less money up front but was promised 10% of the gross after release. After the film became an unexpected box-office hit (it was in the all-time top 10 at the time), he ultimately received about $17 million. Adjusted for inflation, that would be equivalent to a little over $63.5 million in 2021 dollars.
- #020
The film premiered in the United States in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. Stephen King suggested that one reason the theory was so successful was that it reflected people's real fears about home ownership and its costs.
Behind the Scenes (2)
- #021
Cinematographer Fred J. Koenekamp admitted he struggled while shooting the scenes with flies, claiming he was afraid of insects. He says that whenever he shot a scene with a fly's face in close-up in front of the camera, he turned his eyes away or closed them and hoped for a good take. He also refused to eat, saying it made the flies lose their appetite, and lost about 30 kilos as a result.
- #022
James Brolin and Margot Kidder disagreed on how to play their roles. He preferred to follow the script closely, while she favored a more improvisational approach.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #023
James Brolin's brother, Brian Bruderlin, was used for the image of the bearded man (believed to be Ronald DeFeo) seen in the 'red room' in the cellar. The studio was looking for someone with a close resemblance to Brolin and discovered he had a brother who looked very much like the star. Brolin's brother was fitted with a fake beard for the role.
Easter Eggs & References (1)
- #024
The Toms River (NJ) Volunteer Fire Company #1 was used to provide "rain" in one of the exterior scenes. If you look closely, you can see that the weather is sunny on the next street and that it is not "raining" in the background.
Deeper Meaning (2)
- #025
At around the 20-minute mark, Margot Kidder's character can be heard humming the love theme from Superman (1978), in which she played Lois Lane, while she washes the dishes.
- #026
Amy's "imaginary" friend Jodie, who is implied to be the youngest daughter of the deceased family and is later revealed to be the demonic pig seen in the window, is a fictional character. Ronald DeFeo had a younger sister in real life named Allison DeFeo, who was 13 when she died. Jodie is taken from the same novel that inspired this film, which had to change the family's name for legal reasons.
Continue through the archive
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work