The Haunting (1963) Queer Film A-

The Haunting
DIRECTOR: Robert Wise
As the chic Greenwich Village lesbian Theo—short for Theodora—Claire Bloom is a knockout inThe Haunting, Robert Wise’s chilling 1963 adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House. Shot in England (standing in for New England), the film features Theo in couture designed exclusively by Mary Quant, the queen of Carnaby Street. It remains one of the finest, if not the finest, haunted‑house films ever made.

LESBIAN CHIC COURTESY OF CLAIRE BLOOM

Theo is one of several guests invited by Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson), a paranormal researcher, to spend a weekend investigating the notorious Hill House. For ninety years—and likely ninety more—the mansion has been marked by tragedy, insanity, and violent death. Joining Theo are Eleanor (Julie Harris), a lonely woman with psychic sensitivity, and Luke(Russ Tamblyn), the skeptical heir to the estate.
The group soon experiences terrifying phenomena: pounding on doors, ghostly voices, shifting architecture, and a sense that the house itself is alive. Eleanor, fragile and yearning for belonging, feels a deep personal connection to Hill House, believing it speaks directly to her. Her psyche deteriorates as she becomes increasingly isolated and obsessed. In the film’s devastating final act, Eleanor drives her car into a tree on the estate—an act that may be suicide or supernatural compulsion. The film closes with the unforgettable line:

AND WE WHO WALK HERE, WALK ALONE!

This is perhaps Julie Harris’s most emblematic screen performance; no one played fragility mixed with a troubled mind better. And it’s easy to see why Theo is drawn to her. Bloom’s portrayal is subtle, elegant, and deeply humane. Theo’s attraction is expressed with care and restraint, making her one of the most enlightened gay characters to appear in mainstream cinema up to that point.
Cheers, Claire. You always were a class act!
As the caretaker’s wife, Rosalie Crutchley, has a great departure scene when bidding Theo and Nell goodbye on their first night in the house:

I DON’T STAY AFTER SIX. I LEAVE BEFORE THE DARK COMES, SO THERE WON’T BE ANYONE AROUND IF YOU NEED HELP. NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU IF YOU SCREAM IN THE NIGHT. NO ONE LIVES ANY NEARER THAN TOWN. NO ONE WILL COME ANY NEARER THAN THAT. IN THE NIGHT. IN THE DARK!

The haunting atonal music score, one of my personal favorites, is by Humphrey Searle

Cinematography

Davis Boulton

MGM

STREAMING: AMAZON PRIME VIDEO AND APPLE TV+

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