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Written by Gregg Shapiro
Aug 30, 2011
“Spine Tingler!: The William Castle Story.” – Photo: Courtesy
'Spine Tingler!: The William Castle Story'
Showman and schlock horror-meister William Castle is given his due in Jeffrey Schwarz’s respectful 2007 doc, which has arrived on DVD. Featuring marvelous vintage film footage and informative interviews with renaissance man John Waters, filmmakers Jon Landis and Joe Dante, film critic Leonard Maltin, Castle’s daughter Terry and Castle himself, "Spine Tingler!" is a frightfully fitting tribute.
Often described as the poor man’s Alfred Hitchcock, Castle was born in 1914 and orphaned at 11. A high school dropout who was addicted to applause and attracted to storytelling, Castle had chutzpah and liked to create controversy, beginning with the manipulation of the press.
He got his film start in the B-movie circuit. But his big break came working with Orson Welles on 1947’s "The Lady From Shanghai." That same year he met his wife Ellen, who was a major influence on his life.
During the 1950s, Castle made westerns, melodramas, and sword and sandal pix. His creative turning point was seeing the 1955 French thriller "Diabolique," which inspired him to direct horror films. In 1958, he shot "Macabre" in one week. It cost $100k to make and earned $2 million at the box office.
Always looking for a gimmick, Castle employed the first in a series with Emergo in 1959’s "House On Haunted Hill," which starred Vincent Price. His big box office track record led him back to Columbia Pictures where he made "The Tingler," also in 1959 and also with Price, featuring the Percepto gimmick.
"13 Ghosts," featuring Illusion-o followed in 1960, with "Homicidal" and its "fright break" money-back guarantee for those who had to leave the theater in 1961. The gimmick in 1964’s "Strait-Jacket" was an ax murderer played by none other than Joan Crawford, with Diane Baker as her daughter.
One of Castle’s biggest projects was producing "Rosemary’s Baby" at Paramount. With Roman Polanski directing, the film allowed Castle to move into the big leagues, becoming an A-list producer. But the "Rosemary’s Baby" curse – death and illness met many involved with the project – took its toll on him. And so began his downhill slide.
Toward the end of his life, Castle enjoyed a career as a bit actor in big films such as "Shampoo" and "Day of the Locust." He died in 1977. The DVD of "Spine Tingler!" includes more than five hours of bonus material.
