FILM · 1963 · UK
The Haunting
- Directed by
- Robert Wise
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Studio
- Argyle Enterprises, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
220 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Dr. John Markway recruits three strangers for a sleep-disorder study at the eerie and isolated Hill House. It soon becomes clear his real interest lies in the mansion itself and its sinister history, as they are forced to confront the nature of its horror…
220 Interesting Facts About The Haunting
Interesting Facts (20)
- #001
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- #003
- #004
- #005
- #006
- #007
Claire Bloom was interested in playing a woman who is attracted to another woman. She said she got along well with everyone on set except Julie Harris, who tried everything to avoid her and not speak to her. At the end of shooting, Harris went to Bloom's house with a gift and explained that the reason she had kept to herself was to protect her character, because Harris's role in the film was that of an outsider whom others could not understand or would not listen to. Bloom was happy when she heard the real reason behind Harris's behavior, because Bloom said she truly liked Harris and could not understand what she had done wrong to be treated that way by her co-star.
- #008
One of Nelson Gidding's first concepts for the screenplay was that Eleanor suffers a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized, the house is the hospital, the other characters are staff and patients, and the banging and pounding are the result of shock treatments. The whole story would take place inside the head of a mentally ill woman. However, after discussing it with author Shirley Jackson (who regarded it as simply a haunted house story), he decided to back away from the idea, though he still emphasized Eleanor's crumbling mental state in his final screenplay.
- #009
- #010
- #011
The walls of Eleanor's bedroom are a floral pattern of white plaster tiles; something rigid and a little tense. Theo's bedroom walls are covered in leaf-patterned wallpaper, reflecting her character's bohemian and secretly savage nature. Markway's wallpaper has an alternating design, with twisted leaves on one panel and vases on another, reflecting his scientific mindset of taking the disordered and putting it in order.
- #012
According to Robert Wise, the spiral staircase presented some unique difficulties. "It was very frightening when you were on that thing, and it swayed around. The shot we did on it that fascinated people the most was when the camera was at the bottom and went up. We designed the banister to be wide and thick enough to accommodate a small rig with wheels on it — a small, lightweight cart that could carry the handheld camera. We had our camera on it and a control wire underneath it, all the way down. We brought the camera up to the very top. I operated it on this rig, rolled it down, and then reversed the film. It was all done on that banister."
- #013
- #014
The exterior of Hill House in the film was not a set but a real house (the Ettington Park Hotel in Warwickshire, England), while all of its interiors were carefully designed sets on soundstages. Russ Tamblyn shared a story about choosing to take a walk in the cemetery behind the property while the real house's exterior night scenes were being shot, and having an experience almost as terrifying as the film itself; his story can be heard on the commentary track included on the film's DVD.
- #015
The screenplay made many changes to the story. The number of characters was reduced, the backstory was significantly shortened, most of the supernatural events depicted in the novel were kept off-screen, and much of the action took place inside the house to heighten the audience's sense of claustrophobia. Eleanor's role as an outsider was also emphasized. The character of Theodora was given a sharper, somewhat crueler sense of humor to make her an obstacle to Eleanor and at the same time to heighten Eleanor's status as an outsider. Luke's role was made more brash, and Dr. Markway (Montague in the novel) was turned into a more self-confident character.
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Production Story (103)
- #021
Russ Tamblyn was initially not very interested in playing the role of Luke Sannerson, but MGM insisted under the strict terms of their contract with him. Years later he confirmed that he had changed his mind and now considered Luke Sannerson his best role from those years and the film one of the best roles he had ever played.
- #022
Robert Wise had a contract with MGM and owed them one more film, so he brought them The Haunting. They would only give him 1 million dollars to make the film, and Wise insisted he needed a bigger budget. He eventually moved the project to MGM in London, where, along with other cost savings and tax breaks, they agreed to give him 1.05 million; he accepted and decided to shoot the film in England.
- #023
The film is notable for keeping its most frightening elements off-screen and for using noise, performance and camera angles to create its scares. This recalls Robert Wise's tutelage under the low-budget horror producer Val Lewton, who could not afford to show anything very frightening; instead they relied on atmosphere, and for that very reason were especially effective.
- #024
Director Robert Wise decided to acquire the rights to Shirley Jackson's novel 'The Haunting of Hill House' after reading a review of it in Time magazine. He later met with the author to exchange ideas for the film. Believing the novel's title would not suit the film, Wise asked Jackson whether she had thought of another name. When the author's only alternative was 'The Haunting', the film took that title.
- #025
One of screenwriter Nelson Gidding's early drafts was a scenario in which Eleanor suffers a nervous breakdown and is committed to a hospital, and the house is actually the hospital, with the other characters being staff and patients. Gidding had planned the entire story to take place inside the mind of a mentally ill woman. However, upon learning that Shirley Jackson saw the novel as a straightforward ghost story, he abandoned this radical idea; even so, in the final screenplay he brought Eleanor's unraveling sanity to the forefront.
- #026
While doing pre-production work on 'West Side Story', Robert Wise read a review of Jackson's novel in Time. Finding the book deeply frightening, Wise passed it on to screenwriter Nelson Gidding, with whom he had previously worked on 'I Want to Live!'. Before beginning the adaptation, Gidding prepared a comprehensive story outline for Wise.
- #027
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- #029
Under his contract with MGM, Robert Wise owed the studio one more film, and he brought 'The Haunting' to them. When MGM allocated a budget of only 1 million dollars, Wise said he needed more. He eventually moved the project to MGM in London, where he agreed to shoot the film in England for 1.05 million dollars, along with additional cost advantages and tax rebates.
- #030
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- #032
The screenplay included an early scene set in Theodora's city apartment. 'I hate you' is written in lipstick on a mirror, and Theodora is shouting curses at her ex-lover from the window; from the context it is clear that she has recently broken up with her female lover. However, Wise cut this scene, finding it too explicit for a film built on innuendo.
- #033
The screenplay changed many elements of the novel. The number of characters was reduced, the backstory was shortened, most of the supernatural events were kept off-screen, and much of the action was moved inside the house to heighten the audience's sense of claustrophobia. Eleanor's sense of being an outcast was emphasized, while Theodora was given a sharper, crueler wit to balance her. Luke became more carefree, and Dr. Markway became a more self-confident character than Montague in the novel.
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It is claimed that some final scenes were shot but cut because the studio found them too dark and bleak. One of these is a scene, after the crash in which Eleanor dies, that cuts to the house's nursery, where Eleanor stands in the middle of the room with a blank expression. As the camera pulls away from her, the doors slowly close, implying that Eleanor's spirit is trapped in the house. In another deleted scene, Eleanor's silhouette is seen in a lit window during the closing narration. No trace of these deleted images has ever been found.
- #041
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- #043
- #044
- #045
The walls of Eleanor's bedroom are covered with white plaster flower patterns that look rigid and somewhat tense. The leaf-patterned wallpaper in Theo's room, on the other hand, carries a bohemian and secretly savage quality, just like her character. Dr. Markway's wallpaper has curling leaves on one panel and rows of vases on another, reflecting his scientific mentality, which brings order to disorder.
- #046
According to Robert Wise, the spiral staircase posed unique difficulties: 'It was frightening the way that thing swayed when you were at the top of it. The shot that fascinates people the most is the one where the camera comes up from the bottom. We designed the stair railing wide and thick enough to carry a small wheeled rig on it. We put the camera on this rig and controlled it from below with a control wire. We moved the rig up and ran the camera, slid it down, and then reversed the film. It was all done on that railing.'
- #047
The exterior of Hill House in the film was not a set but a real building in England (Ettington Park Hotel in Warwickshire); however, all the interiors were sets carefully built in the studio. Russ Tamblyn recounts that during the night exterior shoots he went for a walk in the cemetery behind the building and had an experience almost as terrifying as the film itself. You can hear his story on the commentary track on the film's DVD.
- #048
The film stands out for keeping its most terrifying elements off screen; it creates its frightening effects through sound, performance and camera angles. This approach is based on the training Robert Wise received from Val Lewton, a horror producer of low-budget films who could not afford to show terrifying things and instead relied on atmosphere. Lewton's films were far more effective for precisely this reason.
- #049
- #050
- #051
The overhead shots showing Eleanor parking her car, getting out and scrutinizing the house were a subtle method the director used to plant in the viewer's subconscious the idea that the house is watching its victims from its own point of view. When Eleanor is first alone in the bedroom and later when she lies down on her bed, the camera starts from overhead and drops rapidly to floor level, scrutinizing her from above; as if the house were examining her.
- #052
The film's composer, Humphrey Searle, followed the modernist musical tradition that began in the late 19th century and largely chose atonal orchestral music. For a time, using atonal music in horror films became fashionable. Prominent examples of this trend include 'The Exorcist' (1973) and 'The Shining' (1980).
- #053
- #054
It is highly likely that Wise asked his production designer to make the heavily carved doors in the Hill House parlor resemble the doors in Henry Frankenstein's bedroom in the original 'Frankenstein' (1931). He knew this film, released in the early days of his own cinema career, very well.
- #055
- #056
Richard Johnson said he received invaluable film-acting advice from Robert Wise. Wise advised him to keep his eyes steady, blink less and not try to time his acting, noting that he would handle that himself in the editing. Johnson stated that with this guidance he delivered a much more natural performance.
- #057
Claire Bloom was drawn to the idea of playing a character attracted to another woman. She said she got along well with everyone on set except Julie Harris, who avoided her and did everything she could not to talk to her. When filming ended, Harris brought a gift to Bloom's home and explained why she had kept her distance: her character was an outsider whom no one understood or listened to, and she had maintained that isolation to stay true to the role. Bloom was relieved to learn that Harris genuinely liked her and that the behavior was not personal.
- #058
Russ Tamblyn was initially not very interested in the role of Luke Sannerson, but had to accept it due to the strict terms of his MGM contract. Years later he said his mind had changed and that he considered Luke Sannerson the best role of his career at that time, and the film one of the best productions he had been in.
- #059
According to Julie Harris, film censors stipulated that Theo should never touch Eleanor so that the lesbianism would be less explicit. However, no evidence supporting this claim can be found in either the British or American censorship archives; moreover, no other actor or crew member mentioned such a thing. Furthermore, the film does contain a scene in which they cling to each other in bed when they hear frightening noises.
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- #062
Robert Wise decided Julie Harris was perfect for the lead after seeing her in a stage play. Harris later admitted that the shoot was very difficult for her; she interpreted the character of Eleanor differently from Wise, but since she thought it was not her place to object, playing the role became a struggle for her. Even so, she said Wise was a perfect gentleman and that they remained friends for decades.
- #063
- #064
At the same time as filming The Haunting, Richard Johnson was playing Father Urbain Grandier in John Whiting's The Devils for the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych Theatre. During the day he filmed at Borehamwood Studios, and in the evenings he traveled to London by ambulance to perform on stage.
- #065
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Director Robert Wise decided to acquire the rights to Shirley Jackson's novel 'The Haunting of Hill House' after reading a review of it in Time magazine. He later met with the author and exchanged ideas for the film. Wise, who thought the novel's title would not suit the film, asked Jackson whether she had thought of another name. When the author's only alternative was 'The Haunting,' the film took that name.
- #069
One of screenwriter Nelson Gidding's early drafts was a scenario in which Eleanor suffers a nervous breakdown and is committed to a hospital, and the house is in fact the hospital, with the other characters as staff and patients. Gidding planned for the entire story to take place inside the mind of a mentally ill woman. But when he learned that Shirley Jackson saw her novel as a straightforward ghost story, he abandoned this radical idea; even so, in the final screenplay he brought Eleanor's unraveling sanity to the fore.
- #070
While Robert Wise was doing the pre-production work on 'West Side Story,' he read a review of Jackson's novel in Time. Finding the book deeply frightening, Wise passed it to screenwriter Nelson Gidding, with whom he had previously worked on 'I Want to Live!' Before beginning the adaptation, Gidding prepared an extensive story outline for Wise.
- #071
- #072
- #073
Under his contract with MGM, Robert Wise owed the studio one more film, and he brought 'The Haunting' to it. When MGM allocated a budget of only 1 million dollars, Wise said he needed more. In the end he moved the project to MGM in London, where he agreed to shoot the film in England for 1.05 million dollars, along with additional cost advantages and tax rebates.
- #074
- #075
The screenplay included an early scene set in Theodora's city apartment. 'I hate you' is written in lipstick on the mirror, and Theodora is shouting curses at her former lover out the window; from the context it is clear that she has just broken up with her female lover. Wise, however, cut the scene for being too explicit for a film built on innuendo.
- #076
The screenplay changed many elements of the novel. The number of characters was reduced, the backstory was shortened, most of the supernatural events were kept off screen, and much of the action was moved inside the house to heighten the audience's sense of claustrophobia. Eleanor's sense of being an outsider was emphasized, while Theodora was given a sharper, crueler humor to balance her. Luke became more carefree, and Dr. Markway a more self-confident character than Montague in the novel.
- #077
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It is claimed that some final scenes were shot but cut when the studio found them too dark and bleak. One of them is a scene, after the crash in which Eleanor dies, that cuts to the house's nursery, where Eleanor stands in the middle of the room with a blank expression. As the camera pulls away from her, the doors slowly close, implying that Eleanor's spirit is trapped in the house. In another cut scene, Eleanor's silhouette is seen in a lit window during the closing narration. No trace of these cut images has ever been found.
- #083
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- #085
As Eleanor searches for the door to the dining room, she likens the situation to the 'lady and the tiger' story. In Frank R. Stockton's 1882 story 'The Lady, or the Tiger?,' the accused person must choose one of two doors; behind one is a spouse the king deems suitable, and behind the other is a hungry tiger.
- #086
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The tree at the house kills every 90 years. Eleanor's date of death is October 21, 1963; Markway notes that his car struck the same tree that the first Mrs. Crain crashed into 90 years earlier. Eleanor's spirit finally says that 'the house has stood for 90 years and may stand for 90 more,' suggesting that her death was a propitiatory sacrifice the house was waiting for.
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The large statue of a saint in Hill House is thought to represent the Italian mystic Francis of Assisi, who founded the Franciscan order. Born the son of a wealthy silk merchant, after military service and captivity he began to have strange visions, left his family and became a wandering beggar and preacher.
- #109
Luke Sannerson guesses that the group of statues in Hill House represents Hugh Crain, his two wives, his daughter Abigail and her companion. Dr. Markway rejects this idea, saying that the companion lived about a century after the original owners; Theodora, however, notices that the mysterious statue resembles Eleanor, implying that Eleanor is a fated addition to the house's victims.
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Luke finds a book that Hugh Crain wrote for his daughter, filled with hellfire sermons and terrifying pictures. They notice that the book's completion date is October 21, 1873; this shows that they are at Hill House on the book's 90th anniversary and may explain why the house is cold and drafty.
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Behind the Scenes (25)
- #124
Richard Johnson later said he received very valuable film-acting advice from Robert Wise. Wise told him to keep his eyes steady, blink less, and try not to take time with his acting (Wise said he would handle that in the editing room). Johnson also noted that Wise helped him create a much more natural performance.
- #125
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The walls of Eleanor's bedroom are covered with white plaster flower patterns that are rigid and somewhat tense. The leaf-patterned wallpaper in Theo's room, by contrast, carries a bohemian and secretly savage quality, just like her character. In Dr. Markway's wallpaper, curling leaves line one panel while vases are arranged on another, reflecting his scientific mentality, which brings order to disorder.
- #132
According to Robert Wise, the spiral staircase posed unique challenges: 'It was frightening the way that thing swayed when you were at the top of it. The shot that fascinated people the most was the one where the camera came up from the bottom. We designed the stair railing wide and thick enough to carry a little wheeled rig on it. We put the camera on this rig and controlled it from below with a control wire. We brought the rig up and ran the camera, slid it down, and then reversed the film. It was all done on that railing.'
- #133
The exterior of Hill House in the film was not a set but a real building in England (Ettington Park Hotel in Warwickshire); however, all the interiors were sets carefully built in the studio. Russ Tamblyn recounts that during the night exterior shoots he went for a walk in the cemetery behind the building and had an experience almost as terrifying as the film itself. You can hear his story in the commentary track on the film's DVD.
- #134
Since the film's action takes place largely inside the house, Robert Wise built the tension slowly and deliberately, paying attention to every scene. By keeping the small cast together in different rooms of the house, he emphasized the story's claustrophobic nature and heightened the dramatic tension.
- #135
The film stands out for keeping its most terrifying elements off-screen; it creates its frightening effects through sound, performance and camera angles. This approach is based on the training Robert Wise received from Val Lewton, a horror producer who, in his low-budget films, could not afford to show terrifying things and instead relied on atmosphere. Lewton's films were far more effective for precisely this reason.
- #136
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- #144
The overhead shots showing Eleanor parking her car, getting out and scrutinizing the house were a subtle method the director used to plant in the viewer's subconscious the idea that the house is watching its victims from its own point of view. When Eleanor is first alone in the bedroom and later when she lies down on her bed, the camera starts from above and drops rapidly to floor level, scrutinizing her from below; it is as if the house is examining her.
- #145
The film's composer, Humphrey Searle, followed the modernist musical tradition that began in the late 19th century and opted largely for atonal orchestral music. For a time, using atonal music in horror films became fashionable. Prominent examples of this trend include 'The Exorcist' (1973) and 'The Shining' (1980).
- #146
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- #148
It is highly likely that Wise asked his production designer to model the heavily carved doors in the Hill House parlor on the doors in Henry Frankenstein's bedroom in the original 'Frankenstein' (1931). He knew this film very well, as it was released in the early days of his own cinema career.
Characters & Cast (23)
- #149
- #150
According to Julie Harris, the film's censors demanded that Theo never be shown touching Eleanor, in order to keep the lesbianism less explicit. It should be noted that no evidence for this claim has been found in the archives of either the British or American censors, and no member of the cast or crew mentioned it. There is also at least one scene in which they do touch: in bed, no less. They are frightened by the loud noises and cling to each other in terror.
- #151
Because much of the film's action takes place inside the house, Robert Wise took his time building tension slowly and deliberately, paying careful attention to every scene. Wise kept his small cast together in the house's various rooms, emphasizing the story's claustrophobic nature, which helped increase the dramatic tension.
- #152
Robert Wise had seen Julie Harris in a play and decided she was perfect for the lead role. He later admitted that photographing her was very difficult for him. She saw her character, Eleanor, differently from director Wise but felt it was not her place to disagree, so playing the role was a struggle for her. Even so, she says Wise was a perfect gentleman and that they remained friends for decades.
- #153
- #154
- #155
Richard Johnson said he received invaluable film-acting advice from Robert Wise. Wise advised him to keep his eyes steady, blink less and not try to time his acting, noting that he would handle that himself in the editing. Johnson said these directions led him to give a much more natural performance.
- #156
Claire Bloom was drawn to the idea of playing a character attracted to another woman. She said she got along well with everyone on set except Julie Harris, who avoided her and did everything she could not to speak to her. When filming ended, Harris brought a gift to Bloom's home and explained why she had kept her distance: her character was an outsider whom no one understood or listened to, and she had maintained that isolation to stay true to the role. Bloom was relieved to learn that Harris genuinely liked her and that the behavior was not personal.
- #157
Russ Tamblyn was initially not very interested in the role of Luke Sannerson, but had to accept it because of the strict terms of his MGM contract. Years later he said his mind had changed and that he considered Luke Sannerson the best role of his career at that time, and the film one of the best productions he had been part of.
- #158
According to Julie Harris, film censors stipulated that Theo never touch Eleanor so that the lesbianism would be less obvious. However, no evidence supporting this claim can be found in either the British or the American censorship archives, and no other actor or crew member ever mentioned such a thing. Moreover, the film does include a scene in which the two cling to each other in bed when they hear frightening noises.
- #159
- #160
Although the other actors enjoyed working with Julie Harris, they thought her isolation was her own choice. Claire Bloom said Harris refused to speak to her, while Russ Tamblyn said he found her 'distant.' Bloom, Tamblyn and Richard Johnson often got together during breaks and at dinner, while Harris rarely joined these gatherings. Bloom later understood that this was a method Harris chose to make the role more effective and did not take it personally. When filming ended, Harris said the isolation had been necessary for the role, and the two became friends.
- #161
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- #163
After seeing Julie Harris in a stage play, Robert Wise decided she was perfect for the lead. Harris later admitted that the shoot was very difficult for her; she interpreted the character of Eleanor differently from Wise, but since she felt it was not her place to object, playing the role became a struggle for her. Even so, she said Wise was a perfect gentleman and that they remained friends for decades.
- #164
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- #166
At the same time as filming The Haunting, Richard Johnson was playing Father Urbain Grandier in John Whiting's The Devils for the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych Theatre. He would shoot during the day at Borehamwood Studios and travel to London by ambulance in the evening to perform on stage.
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Deeper Meaning (49)
- #172
The screenplay included a scene early in the film showing Theodora in her city apartment, where the context makes clear she has just broken up with her female lover: "I hate you" is written in lipstick on the mirror, and Theodora shouts curses at her through the window and does more. Wise decided to cut the scene, however, because he believed it was too explicit for a film that worked hard to keep certain things implicit.
- #173
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- #177
As Eleanor searches for the dining room door, she compares the situation to the 'lady and the tiger' story. In Frank R. Stockton's 1882 tale 'The Lady, or the Tiger?', the accused must choose one of two doors; behind one is a spouse the king deems suitable, behind the other a hungry tiger.
- #178
- #179
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- #182
The tree at the house kills every 90 years. Eleanor's date of death is October 21, 1963; Markway notes that his car struck the same tree the first Mrs. Crain hit 90 years earlier. Eleanor's spirit finally says 'the house stands for 90 years and may stand for 90 more', suggesting her death is a propitiatory sacrifice the house was waiting for.
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When Eleanor is woken by banging sounds on her first night at Hill House, she thinks she is in Boston and that her sick mother is calling her. This implies that Eleanor is used to being woken at night and to sleeplessness; her fragile mental state can be attributed to years of sleep deprivation.
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- #202
The large statue of a saint in Hill House is thought to represent the Italian mystic Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order. Born the son of a wealthy silk merchant, after military service and captivity he began to have strange visions, left his family and became a wandering beggar and preacher.
- #203
Luke Sannerson surmises that the group of statues in Hill House represents Hugh Crain, his two wives, his daughter Abigail and her companion. Dr. Markway rejects this idea, saying the companion lived about a century after the original owners; Theodora, meanwhile, notices that the mysterious statue resembles Eleanor, implying that Eleanor is a fated addition to the house's victims.
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Luke finds a book Hugh Crain wrote for his daughter, filled with sermons on the torments of hell and terrifying pictures. They notice that the book's completion date is October 21, 1873; this shows that they are at Hill House on the book's 90th anniversary and may explain why the house is cold and drafty.
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Sources & editorial notes
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