The 1963 film "The Haunting," directed by Robert Wise, is a dark, suspense-filled picture from the start. Based on Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House, this film clearly shows the use of a number of important elements in classic horror films. Wise incorporates the use of music, by composer Humphrey Searle, to constantly follow the flow of the plot. The film immediately provokes feelings of suspense and anticipation by retelling the story of the …showed first 75 words of 618 total…

…showed last 75 words of 618 total…is small amount of comic relief provided by the young Luke, who insist that he does not believe in the paranormal and is only there as a way of assuring, for his aunt who inherited Hill House, that nothing inappropriate happens between Dr. Markway and his two female assistants. Luke plays the skeptic, constantly challenging the premise set by Markway. In the end, even Luke must believe that the horror of Hill House is real.