House On Haunted Hill (1959)

Prior to this writing, my only experience of this film was the 1999 remake, which I saw around this time some years ago while recovering from dental surgery.  I remember it being serviceable, but not particularly good or memorable, as is the case with many remakes.
The original House On Haunted Hill begins in a jarring, but effective way.  A black screen is presented, followed by a number of sounds, such as rattling chains, and blood-curdling screams.  Then, out of the blackness appears the head of Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook Jr.), warning the audience of the harrowing experience that awaits them.  After this, we're introduced to the rest of the cast, via the narration of eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren (Vincent Price).  Loren has offered five guests a chance at ten thousand dollars if they are willing to spend the entire night in a haunted house, along with him and his wife.  Of course, things aren't quite as simple as this, as Loren's wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart) is planning to murder her husband that night.  The guests are each given a gun 'for protection', and are left to defend themselves from the threat of the supernatural, as well as each other.
Technically speaking, House On Haunted Hill was ambitious for its time, but the effects are laughable by today's standards.  Thankfully, the film takes a greater focus on the paranoia caused by the hauntings, rather than the spirits themselves.  There is a great deal of storytelling surrounding the house's dark history that serves to build atmosphere and builds the tension for the scares that follow.  The cast does a good job of performing the terror of the situations, but it's clear from the beginning that Vincent Price is the star.  His scenes with Carol Ohmart are particularly good.  Price has a way of reading a line that might seem romantic drip with murderous subtext.  Ohmart provides the prefect foil for his sinister character, and responds in kind with a coldness and dark subtext of her own.
I didn't find myself particularly surprised by any of the film's events, but I think this is a case of personal context more than anything else.  House On Haunted Hill uses several horror tropes that by today's standard seem cliched and common, but in 1959, these were likely a little fresher to horror audiences.  For that reason, I think it stands as one of the more important films in the 'haunted house' sub-genre of horror.  If you don't mind a few campy effects and are looking for a decent scare leading up to this Halloween, this is a good place to start.