Eleanor Lance (Julie Harris) is a meek and mild middle-aged woman who has spent most of her adult life caring for her invalid mother. Now that her mother has died, she doesn’t know what to do with her life. She’s wracked with guilt, thinking she is responsible for her demanding mother’s death, but also filled with a new hope that she might actually do something with her life.
When Dr John Markway (Richard Johnson) invites her to Hill House, a supposedly haunted old mansion, to study the paranormal activity there, she excitedly accepts. Also on the adventure is Theodora (Claire Bloom) a much more worldly and cunning young woman, and Luke Sannerson (Russ Tamblyn) the heir to the house who would rather it not be haunted so he can sell it for a large profit.
The film is slow and meditative. There are scares, but they rarely jump out at you, and you are never quite sure if they are real or not. This is slow-burn horror, designed to build a mood and atmosphere, not to make you leap out of your seat.
Theodora is clearly coded as a lesbian. It is interesting how this mainstream 1960s film deals with that and how the other characters react to it. She attempts to seduce Eleanor, who is completely oblivious. Theodora says kind things to her and comforts her when she’s scared. Late at night, when things go bump, she’ll hold her hand and hold her close. It is never overt, but it’s there. Later, Eleanor will say something cutting and mean, letting Theodora know she knows what’s been going on.
The main focus is on Eleanor. She’s a jangle of nerves and anxieties. Dr. Markway encourages her at first, but the more disturbed she becomes, the more he begins to think she should leave. But she refuses. She tries to be strong. But the house, the noises, the strange occurrences all seem to be happening to her and no one else.
Director Robert Wise shoots it in stark black and white (with some gorgeous cinematography by Davis Boulton). There are plenty of disorienting angles in this monstrous house. This is very much a mood piece. Perhaps a little too much. With a run time of just under two hours, I could have used a little more straight horror.
The acting is good. Eleanor’s emotional plight is an interesting one. I especially enjoyed her ever-changing relationship with Theodora. It is a good film, just don’t go expecting any real ghosts.