The Haunting (1963 film)

The Haunting is a 1963 British psychological horror film directed and produced by Robert Wise and adapted by Nelson Gidding from the 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. It stars Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, and Russ Tamblyn. The film, about a small group of people invited by a paranormal investigator to stay at a haunted house that comes to life, is often cited as one of the most frightening films ever made.

Dr. John Markway narrates the history of the 90yearold Hill House, which was constructed by Hugh Crain as a home for his wife. She died when her carriage crashed against a tree as she approached the house for the first time. Crain remarried, but his second wife died in the house from a fall down the stairs. Crains daughter Abigail lived in the house for the rest of her life, never moving out of the nursery. She died calling for her nursecompanion. The companion inherited the house, but later hanged herself from a spiral staircase in the library. Hill House was eventually inherited by a Mrs. Sanderson, although it has stood empty for some time.Markway wishes to study the reported paranormal activity at Hill House. He secures a lease from Mrs. Sanderson to occupy the mansion for the duration of his investigation conditional to his acceptance is that he take Luke Sanderson, her heir, with him. Markway has chosen two individuals to accompany hima psychic, Theodora, also known as Theo, and the meek Eleanor Lance, who experienced poltergeist activity as a child. Eleanor spent her adult life caring for her invalid mother, whose recent death has left Eleanor with severe guilt. ........

Source: Wikipedia