My World Dies Screaming

This was one of the better B movies of the 50's. The film " Terror in the Haunted House " from 1958, is a creepy little movie with some fine performances by Gerald Mohr and Cathy O'Donnell. She plays a newlywed to husband Mohr, who has recurring dreams about a house she has never been to, or so she thinks. While this house isn't haunted, there is plenty of terror associated with it. With "weirdo" caretaker Jonah lurking about, you can understand why O'Donnell thinks she is losing her mind. I won't spoil the fun, and there's plenty of it in this film, so sit back and enjoy the plot twists and turns and the creepy and foreboding atmosphere! Try to ignore the "Psycho-Rama" gimmick, which flashes subliminal images and words across the screen. It might have been cutting edge back in 1958, but seems silly and unnecessary today.

I have included this film on my list of Ten Best Horror Films of the 1950's. Enjoy!

As a child this movie always scared the daylights out of my sister and me whenever we saw on TV. In fact, in my mind it has always been *the* horror movie of my childhood. After finally discovering its name and seeing it again decades later, I was relieved to see I don't have to be embarrassed to admit that. Sure it's 50 years old, has mediocre acting, and those hokey "subliminal" images, but I still find the situations, especially the woman's dream, haunting. And, though you'll probably think you know what the surprise ending is going to be, there's one or two little twists yet to go. You have to give the filmmakers credit for trying to produce something a bit more psychologically satisfying than the usual 1950's horror movie did.

Worth checking out if you like thriller movies. Just don't spend too much on it!

While the film is watchable to the degree that it does have a story about a woman returning to a house she has seen in her dreams, the ultimate feeling left upon the viewer after seeing this is that it wasn't anything special in any way. The budget is suitably low. That means there are no special effects to speak of, save the house which on the outside looks creepy with huge decaying palm trees but looks rather nice(save the wallpaper in the bedroom) inside. The acting talent is indeed meager with no one giving a good performance. The female lead Cathy O'Donnell is adequate, but the guy that plays her husband is awful. He is the kind of guy that grates on you and you want something to happen to him fast. That was one wish un-fulfilled. His name by the way is Gerald Mohr(he looks kind of like a young Morton Downey Jr.). The most interesting performance is given by John Qualen as an old caretaker. He is at least acting with some ability and able to make a unique characterization. The story is not anything special either as it tells about a woman reliving her past and surrounded by people she cannot trust. Nothing new there nor is it done any differently than countless of other times. The major claim to fame of the film is that it was filmed in Psychorama which is when subliminal pictures pop on for seconds and then disappear. Too bad they didn't disappear altogether as they are very aggravating because you are trying to see what they are, and when you do, you say, "Hey, it's a painted face of a red devil...Big Deal!" At the very least, that will give you something to think about as you watch the film.

Terror in the haunted house resembles a William Castle horror film it has gimmicks,subliminal messages during the film.they flash images of skulls and cartoon monsters and even the word scream in blood red colors,but this movie is pretty good without the subliminal messages.its creepy and pretty entertaining,it stars Gerald Mohr who a few years later starred in the great b movie the angry red planet.and Cathy O'Donnell(related to Rosie?)and William Ching.a new bride is having visions of a haunted house,well nightmares and is later on a trip with her new husband to America from Switzerland.to an old plantation mansion that turns out to be the house from her nightmares, its kind of like the screaming skull only much better.i seen this years ago on VHS from rhino video when they redid all the subliminal messages.and if you run it in slow motion you can clearly see these goofy and cartoonish subliminal images.as a fan of b movies and old horror movies i enjoyed terror in the haunted house,even though it is not as great as the infamous house on haunted hill.but alas it is better then the screaming skull and yes the really inept hillbillies in the haunted house.i recommend terror in the haunted house.7 out of 10.

I will start off by saying that I, personally, enjoyed this movie VERY much. Yes...Sadly, I must place emphasis on the word "personally" because I seem to be the only experimental/nostalgic-viewer that shares this optimism...drag!

I praise this movie for it's decent, but at times in-consistent acting, music-score, and wonderful plot! The male-lead, Philip (Gerald Mohr) was VERY good through the picture especially. The female-lead (and ONLY feature female at that), Sheila (Cathy O'Donnell) had some dull and predictable character moments (characther moments not at all uncommon for Female roles in 1958).

As for the ***"Subliminal Messages"***, they were nothing more than a minor headache at best, and were used VERY sparingly. (Incedently, I own this movie on a Rhino Home Video cassette and took the liberty to view the "subliminal messaging" in slow motion). I found some of the ORIGINAL messages were quite vivid and disturbing once they were slowed-down, but it seems that AT SOME POINT later on, after Rhino Home Video had apparently bought rights to this movie, decided to implement their own messages during the last ten minutes before the climax...("Rent Rhino Videos Every Day" was my favorite) HAHA! Very funny, guys at Rhino! You sure know how to use media...(Kinda scary if you think about it)...

Anyway, after looking beyond the fact that, YES, this movie is OLD, you will discover a VERY true and stirring romance that I REALLY was able to identify with. The idea that you might have met your wife, or girlfriend, or loved-one many many years ago, then became suddenly separated from them during childhood (when young-love is the most impressionable and dream-like)...and then to have met that same person again in the future, not remembering who they were, and yet you fall in love with them just the same :)...if that makes sense!

Seriously, watch this film and try to imagine yourself in Philip's position. What if YOU searched high and low for your long lost loved-one, only to find them decades later in a deteriorating mental state...and only YOU can bring them back to reality! Very moving indeed, I love it!