Okay, here we go... Today we have a European horror production from 116 years ago!! The short is also considered to be one of the first 'haunted house' films, and boy, have there been a lot! And I swear, it's much more fun to watch than most of the stuff today.
The movie was distributed in the US in 1906 under the title, THE HOUSE OF GHOSTS.
It starts with three weary travelers, a woman and two men, looking for a spot to rest and get out of the incoming storm.
Out of nowhere, an old house appears, and the storm is coming fast. They all rush inside the house just as the storm hits... What luck!
After they're inside, the front of the house changes into a monster with googlie eyes! Like, what in the Hell's going on here! It even has a top hat.
Once the group is inside, one guy opens the front door to see how bad the storm is and a lightning bolt hits right in front them. They ain't going nowhere!
They are straightening the place up after the hectic entrance when a spook appears in the painting. One of the guys sees it, and tells the others to look at the thing in the painting, but it's gone when they turn around, a great gag!
Then their clothes pick themselves up and wander out the front door!
Finally, they find some food for dinner and prepare the table for the meal.
As they watch, the knife cuts the salami into pieces and places them neatly on a plate. The knife then slices the bread and stacks them on another plate.
The tea or coffee pot rises up and pours a cup full for each of the visitors.
They used a set that could be tilted from side to side, making for this hilarious scene.
The fun just never ends, now a bunch of little ghosties attack them and they all pile onto the bed to escape the mayhem.
The spook in the painting, now a giant, has returned and finds the three travelers in the bed with the covers over their heads. He grabs the three with the sheets around them, and...
The house is gone now, and the monster holds the sheets up and starts shaking and the three travelers tumble out...
The weirded out threesome find themselves in the forest, where they collect their senses and make a bee-line outta there! Well, hope you enjoyed this blast from the past, we did!
4 comments:
Real nice picture quality here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d51csmlUdo
It is fun to watch, it's like "The Motorist".
This reminds me of the old Melies films and others of the like. Very creative and imaginative, especially for the time! Can you imagine just how mind-blowing this must have been to the audiences of the time? Wow!
And thanks much for that link, Realm of Retro!
Thanks, Mr. Retro! :)
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