Known primarily for his campy B-movie thrillers released during Hollywood’s Golden Age, William Castle is one of the era’s most recognizable directors. Beginning his movie career in the 1940s, Castle quickly developed a reputation for pumping out surprisingly good B-movies quickly and on a modest budget, establishing himself as an incredibly prolific filmmaker.
To help sell the movies, Castle would also concoct a series of gimmicks to run alongside them, dramatically increasing audience interest. Much like Alfred Hitchcock, William Castle also become well-known for ‘presenting’ his stories, appearing in the promotional material for his movies – sometimes even showing up during introductions and interludes to talk to the audience. Here are ten of the director’s most beloved shockers, according to IMDb.
13 Ghosts (1960) – 6.1
Easily amongst William Castle’s most iconic movies, 13 Ghosts tells the story of the unfortunate Zorba family, who inherits a creepy old house that plays host to twelve sadistic specters. While the movie wasn’t well-received by critics at the time, it has since developed a strong cult following and was even remade in 2001 – though this version of the movie fared even worse than its predecessor critically.
The movie is also notable for its implementation of the ‘Illusion-O’ gimmick, which involved wearing a special pair of glasses that allowed audiences to witness the otherwise absent ghosts throughout the movie.
The Night Walker (1964) – 6.4
Starring Hollywood legends Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck, The Night Walker follows Irene Trent, the widow of a recently deceased inventor who begins to have terrifying nightmares following her husband’s untimely demise.
The Night Walker remains one of Castle’s most bizarre movies, along with one of his most nightmarish. The movie also marked the end of an era, serving as both Stanwyck’s final feature film role and Universal’s final black and white movie.
The Whistler (1944) – 6.5
One of Castle’s earlier movies, 1944’s The Whistler tells the story of depressed industrialist, Earl C. Conrad, who hires a hitman to kill him following the death of his wife. After learning his wife is still alive, Earl quickly changes his mind, only to find out the wheels have already been set in motion – forcing him to flee from his own hired killer.
Clocking in at a svelte 60 minutes, The Whistler is an effective, efficient, and atmospheric thriller. In fact, the movie proved to be so popular that it spawned a whole series of movies, with another seven being released in the following few years.
When Strangers Marry (1944) – 6.6
Known in its subsequent re-releases as Betrayed, When Strangers Marry tells the story of a young, naïve housewife named Millie, who quickly begins to regret her hasty marriage to salesman Paul Baxter after learning that he may be a killer.
Arguably one of Castle’s most underrated movies, When Strangers Marry was even praised by Citizen Kane director Orson Welles, who suggested that the movie’s direction and performances were superior to those of Laura and Double Indemnity, both of which are considered Hollywood classics.
Mr. Sardonicus (1961) – 6.7
By the time 1961’s Mr. Sardonicus was released, Castle had firmly settled into his role as the master of shock cinema, something this movie exemplifies perfectly. The film follows its titular baron, who finds his face stuck in a grotesque grin after robbing his father’s grave for a winning lottery ticket.
As is the case with many of Castle’s movies, Mr. Sardonicus is also well-known for its central gimmick, which allowed audiences to vote for the movie’s ending via glow-in-the-dark tickets. Sardonicus could either be punished or shown mercy at the movie’s climax; however, it’s rumored that the ‘merciful’ ending was never actually shot, with only the ‘punishment’ ending being shown in theaters, regardless of audience opinion.
The Tingler (1959) – 6.7
Starring horror legend Vincent Price, 1959’s The Tingler is one of the most endearingly campy horror movies of the 1950s and is often considered one of the best of William Castle’s career. The movie sees Price’s fictional scientist Dr. Warren Chapin discover the existence of a deadly parasite known as ‘the Tingler,’ a creature that thrives on fear and produces an intense tingling in the spine of its victims.
The movie also featured one of the most elaborately put-together gimmicks of all time, which was referred to as ‘Percepto!’ The stunt promised that theaters would be invaded by the Tingler at some point during the screening, with several theater chairs being fitted with vibrating motors to simulate the tingling of the spine. Additionally, actors were placed in theaters, who would scream before ing out, and a fake ‘Tingler’ was even placed in front of the projector beam to make the gimmick appear as authentic as possible.
The Mark Of The Whistler (1944) – 6.8
Released in the same year as its predecessor, The Mark of the Whistler is the second entry in The Whistler series of movies, and also happens to be the highest rated on IMDb, boasting an irable score of 6.8.
While the movie once again stars Richard Dix, the character he plays is different this time around. The story focuses on a drifter named Lee Selfridge Nugent, who runs afoul of his old partner’s sons after Nugent’s actions land him in prison.
Homicidal (1961) – 6.8
Taking place in a seedy, small town in Southern California, Homicidal is a twisted thriller centering on the bloodthirsty Emily, a young woman with a penchant for murder. The movie appears to be heavily influenced by Hitchcock’s Psycho – which was released only a year before – and bears more than a ing resemblance to the movie.
While this ultimately makes its big twist a little obvious, Homicidal is an undeniably fun time, with its corny, schlocky vibe making the film a must-see for B-movie fanatics.
Strait-Jacket (1964) – 6.8
1964’s Strait-Jacket tells the grisly story of Lucy Cutler, who’s released from a psychiatric hospital twenty years after murdering her unfaithful husband and his lover with an ax. After going to live with her family – including her now-adult daughter, Carol – a new series of gruesome murders begin to surface, calling Lucy’s sanity into question.
Starring iconic Hollywood actress Joan Crawford, critics weren’t fond of Strait-Jacket when it was first released, but heaped praise on Crawford’s incredible performance, nonetheless. Still, the movie has since become a cult favorite and is often regarded as one of Castle’s greatest works.
House on Haunted Hill (1959) – 6.9
Arguably the most beloved movie of William Castle’s entire career, House on Haunted Hill is the quintessential Castle shocker. The story sees an odd millionaire offer a hopeful group of five $10,000 to stay in a supposedly haunted house overnight. As one would expect, things soon begin to go awry when it becomes clear that the rumors surrounding the house may just be true after all.
Although Castle employed the ‘Emergo’ gimmick during several screenings of the film – in which a skeleton on a wire is flown over the audience – House on Haunted Hill wasn’t as reliant on gimmicks as many of his other movies, but still remains his most influential and successful regardless. In fact, Alfred Hitchcock was so impressed by the modestly budgeted movie’s success that it inspired him to make Psycho the following year.
