House of Mystery (1961) *solved*

[Everett Sloane]

Hello everyone, this may have been asked before in the long history of this forum, but I remember seeing a short British thriller (about 1 hr) on Channel 4 maybe 20 years ago. It was screened round about midnight. My memory's hazy, but it was in black and white, was made round about 1960 I believe, and the plot was about a cheated husband (I think) who booby-trapped the living room of his house so that everything his wife and her lover touched would give them an electric shock. Quite nasty and inventive. Anyone know the title? Many thanks!

[DB7]

It's a fabulous little second-feature called House of Mystery (1961).

[Villageman]

Anyone got a copy of this film? Would be interested to see if available?Thanks

[Everett Sloane]

Thank you, DB7!

[Fletchy]

Hello.



I was talking to somebody about scary moments in films and I remembered a British film from the early 60s.



The story was about a couple who went to view a house. A woman there told them various horrific stories in flashback of people who had previously lived there. Each story was a separate drama with different actors.



At the end the couple asked her how she knew all this. She then said something like "because I lived here" and then walked through the wall! Aargh! What an ending!



It probably isn't very scary now, but does anybody know the film title?



Thanks

[autolycus]

It's strange - i wonder if i was thinking about the same film only the other day. I thought there was a British film with a plot like this from about the same era called "The Vortex" or something like that.



But i've had a search around and i can only find a Noel Coward play by that name which doesn't appear to be this sort of plot at all. I wonder if we're thinking of the same one?



If anyone knows the one i'm thinking of - if it's a different one - i'd be glad to hear.

[Lord Brett]

name='Fletchy']Hello.



I was talking to somebody about scary moments in films and I remembered a British film from the early 60s.



The story was about a couple who went to view a house. A woman there told them various horrific stories in flashback of people who had previously lived there. Each story was a separate drama with different actors.



At the end the couple asked her how she knew all this. She then said something like "because I lived here" and then walked through the wall! Aargh! What an ending!



It probably isn't very scary now, but does anybody know the film title?



Thanks

Sounds a lot like House of Mystery with Peter Dyneley and Jane Hylton.

[Sweeney Todd]

It can't be this one, as it's much older, but the plot is almost similar to "A Ghost for Sale" (Victor M. Gover, 1952), a featurette made around footage from the same director's "The Curse of the Wraydons" (1946). An American couple (Patrick Barr, Tucker McGuire) want to buy a British manor, they are welcomed by the keeper (Tod Slaughter) who narrates the history of the ancient owner (Tod Slaughter again, this time in extracts from the 1946 movie) and at end he simply disappears before the terrorized couple.



Lord Brett is right, your movie is more than probably Vernon Sewell's HOUSE OF MYSTERY, 1961. It was inspired by a French play by Pierre Mills called "L'angoisse". Remarkaby, Vernon Sewell made no less than THREE movie versions of the same play; the previous ones being "The Medium" in 1934, and "Latin Quarter" in 1946.

[Carmel]

it wouldnt be Ghost story aka Madhouse mansion starring Marrianne Faithful from 1974, it is about a group of collage friends stay in an old English Mansion to see if its Haunted and meet people from different times and each one has a story to tell it sounds a little like this film.

[cletus awreetus]

Is it Cottage To Let?

[batman]

name='Sweeney Todd']

Lord Brett is right, your movie is more than probably Vernon Sewell's HOUSE OF MYSTERY, 1961. It was inspired by a French play by Pierre Mills called "L'angoisse". Remarkaby, Vernon Sewell made no less than THREE movie versions of the same play; the previous ones being "The Medium" in 1934, and "Latin Quarter" in 1946.

Make that four versions .... Ghost Ship with Dermot Walsh and Hazel Court (1952).



Bats.

[Fletchy]

Thanks for your help.



I'm sure now it was House of Mystery (1961). I might have been wrong in that there may have been only 1 story being told in flashback.



House of Mystery (1961)



This is the link to the film on this site and the photograph answers my query.



Thanks

[Marty H.]

Please can someone help me with the title of this B&W film made in the 1960s or possibly early 1970s. I'm sure its British.



A psychic investigator is conducting an investigation into the haunting of a large house where a scientist has previously murdered his wife and her lover by electrocution. The scientist has also committed suicide, and appears to the investigator first on a switched-off TV screen and later is standing in the room.



The film then reverts to the earlier murders, where the wife and her lover attempted to kill the scientist by sabotaging a bathroom heater to electrocute him. The scientist discovers their plot by chance and takes his revenge by confining them to the living room of the house after spraying on a chemical solution to electrify the carpets and curtains and has booby trapped the telephone to electrocute anyone attempting to call for help. The following day the three bodies are discovered by a milkman.



Does anyone recognise this film and can provide the title, please?



Many Thanks in anticipation,



Marty H.

[batman]

Sounds like Vernon Sewell's House of Mystery.

[Joe Fraguela]

name='batman']Sounds like Vernon Sewell's House of Mystery.

Yes, it definetley is House of Mystery from 1961 starring Jane Hylton and her husband Peter Dyneley

[faginsgirl]

name='Marty H.']Please can someone help me with the title of this B&W film made in the 1960s or possibly early 1970s. I'm sure its British.



A psychic investigator is conducting an investigation into the haunting of a large house where a scientist has previously murdered his wife and her lover by electrocution. The scientist has also committed suicide, and appears to the investigator first on a switched-off TV screen and later is standing in the room.



The film then reverts to the earlier murders, where the wife and her lover attempted to kill the scientist by sabotaging a bathroom heater to electrocute him. The scientist discovers their plot by chance and takes his revenge by confining them to the living room of the house after spraying on a chemical solution to electrify the carpets and curtains and has booby trapped the telephone to electrocute anyone attempting to call for help. The following day the three bodies are discovered by a milkman.



Marty H.

Sounds like enjoyable viewing

[batman]

name='faginsgirl']Sounds like enjoyable viewing

It's a pretty good little thriller.

[Marty H.]

Many Thanks Batman, Joe Fraguela & Faginsgirl; I'm sure that's the one. It's been driving me nuts for years!!!



I'm most grateful for your kind interest and help with my first post.



Best wishes,



Marty H.