Our friends over at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago are reviving the spirit of late gimmick-master William Castle with a special screening of the horror classic The House on Haunted Hill next month, and they’re pulling out all the stops to recreate the wild theatrical experience that Castle employed at select movie theaters way back in the late 1950s.
The Music Box Theatre tells BD, “William Castle is throwing a party and you’re invited! We’re rigging up the theatre the way Castle intended. See all your favorite gimmicks and gags at the MUSIC BOX THEATRE on JUNE 7th at 7:00pm and JUNE 8th at 9:30pm.”
In the 1959 horror classic, “Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive $10,000 each. The guest of honor is Loren’s estranged wife, Annabelle, who, with her secret lover, Dr. Trent, has concocted her own scheme to scare Loren’s associate, Nora Manning, into shooting the potentially crazy millionaire. However, spooks and shocks throw a wrench into the plan.”
William Castle, who passed away back in 1977, pioneered the art of the in-theater gimmick, with films including The Tingler, 13 Ghosts, and Homicidal all being released with special themed gimmicks that included “Ghost Viewer” glasses, insurance policies, and buzzing seats.
Grab your tickets over on the Music Box’s official website today!
