William Castle (1914-1977)

biography

Colorful director William Castle is best known for his prolific horror film output but toiled in programmers, routine dramas, and westerns for years before finding his niche. The native New Yorker was born William Schloss on April 24, 1914. Breaking into Broadway productions in the 1930s, Castle made his way to Hollywood later in the decade and soon found himself working in various facets of film production at Columbia. Coming up through the ranks, eventually the studio let him direct many of its programmers, such as The Whistler (1944; with Richard Dix) and Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (1946; with Warner Baxter). By the mid 1950s, Castle was working in television, where he discovered his talent for science fiction and horror. In 1955, he directed some episodes of the sci-fi anthology series Science Fiction Theater along with another famed horror director, Jack Arnold.



Castle's first real foray into horror films came in Macabre (1958; with Jim Backus). In order to promote the film, Castle employed the first of a series of gimmicks designed to hype his films. For Macabre, theatergoers were issued a life insurance policy which was payable if any audience member died of fright while watching the film. Castle's gimmicks were nothing short of brilliant, using wired plastic skeletons to frighten theatergoers watching The House on Haunted Hill (1959; with Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart) and 3-D for 13 Ghosts (1960; with Martin Milner). He found his greatest gimmick in Joan Crawford, whose career revival in 1960s horror flicks packed audiences in theaters to see Strait-Jacket (1964; with Diane Baker and Leif Erickson) and I Saw What You Did (1965; with John Ireland and Patricia Breslin).

the films of william castle

The House on Haunted Hill (1959)

The Tingler (1959)

Homicidal (1961)

Zotz! (1962)

The Old Dark House (1963)

Strait-Jacket (1964)

The Night Walker (1965)

I Saw What You Did (1965)

Let's Kill Uncle (1966)

The Spirit Is Willing (1967)

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Project X (1968)

Circle of Fear (1972-1973 NBC TV Series)

Bug (1975)

Shampoo (1975)

later years

Castle's directorial output slowed in the late 1960s. Since he owned the film rights to Ira Levin's 1967 novel Rosemary's Baby, he produced the film version the following year, but Roman Polanski served as director. In the early 1970s, Castle produced the NBC TV series Circle of Fear. And on occasion, he acted in several films, including Day of the Locust (1975; with William Atherton and Karen Black) and Shampoo (1975; with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie). The latter film was a reunion of sorts for Castle and Joan Marshall, the star of Castle's 1961 psycho thriller Homicidal. Marshall's husband, Hal Ashby, directed Shampoo, in which Marshall also makes an appearance. Just one year after the publication of his autobiography Step Right Up!: I'm Gonna Scare the Pants Off America, William Castle passed away from a heart attack on May 31, 1977, at the age of 63. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

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The William Castle Film Collection [DVD] DVD
Gimmick king William Castle added a "Fear Break" before the climax of "Homicidal" (1961), a gender-bending horror tale about a woman who pays a hotel bellhop to marry her, then murders the justice of the peace before fleeing to a sinister mansion where she plots to gain a family inheritance. Jean Arless (aka actress Joan Marshall), Glenn Corbett star. Next, "Mr. Sardonicus" (1961) tells of a greedy 19th-century count whose face froze in a grotesque grimace after he defiled his father's grave to retrieve a winning lottery ticket. Guy Rolfe, Audrey Dalton, Ronald Lewis star. A mild-mannered college professor finds an ancient amulet that can make people move in slow motion, and when enemy spies learn about it, a hilarious chase ensues, in "Zotz!" (1962). Tom Poston, Julia Meade, Jim Backus, Margaret Dumont star. And, "The Old Dark House" (1963), Castle's spin on the J.B. Priestley novel, follows an American car salesman to a spooky old Welsh estate where the members of an eccentric family begin to get picked off one by one. Poston, Robert Morley, Janette Scott star. Five-disc set also includes "The Tingler," "13 Ghosts" (1960), "13 Frightened Girls!," and "Strait-Jacket" (1964).
Betrayed [DVD](1944) DVD
Directed by William Castle, this noirish thriller that was filmed in 10 days stars Kim Hunter as a woman whose whirlwind romance with a mysterious stranger brings her to New York City. After marrying her enigmatic new beau, she suspects that he might be a killer. With the help of her ex-lover, she attempts to uncover the truth. With Robert Mitchum, Dean Jagger. AKA: "When Strangers Marry." 67 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Texas, Brooklyn And Heaven [DVD](1948) DVD
Before he turned out such suspense gems as "The Tingler" and "House on Haunted Hill," William Castle directed this screwball comedy about a Texas couple who come to New York in search of fame and fortune and find it when they buy a riding academy. Guy Madison, Diana Lynn, Lionel Stander and Margaret Hamilton star. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
It's A Small World [DVD](1950) DVD
Co-written and directed by famed horror master William Castle, this exploitation drama concerns Harry, a little person struggling to fit into the world around him. Unable to find his place, he turns to crime. But with the love of a small woman who works at a big circus, Harry gets a shot at redemption and true happiness. Paul Dale, Anne Sholter, Todd Karns star. 69 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Conquest Of Cochise [DVD](1953) DVD
Future shockmeister William Castle directed this western adventure starring Robert Stack as the cavalry major who tries to halt the growing war between Apache and Comanche tribes and a group of Mexicans. With the odds against him, he struggles to complete his mission. John Hodiak, Rico Alaniz, Edward Colmans co-star. 71 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Battle Of Rogue River [DVD](1954) DVD
Set against the backdrop of Oregon's struggle to gain statehood in 1850, this western classic concerns a no-nonsense cavalry man who is assigned to protect settlers in the area around Rogue River. As some black hats attempt to rile local Indians as a means to distract attention from their true plans of claiming mineral-rich lands, our hero sets out to stop them. George Montgomery, Richard Denning, Charles Evans star; directed by William Castle. 70 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Charge Of The Lancers [DVD](1954) DVD
Set during the Crimean War, director William Castle's thrilling adventure saga follows a beautiful Gypsy woman (Paulette Goddard) who aids a British military officer (Jean-Pierre Aumont) on a dangerous mission to capture a Russian naval base. Allowing themselves to be taken prisoner, Goddard and Aumont execute a daring plan to provide the Allies with valuable intelligence. With Richard Wyler, Karin Booth, Charles Irwin. 74 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
New Orleans Uncensored [DVD](1955) DVD
Shot documentary style, this gritty drama from director William Castle is set on the dark and dangerous docks of the New Orleans waterfront. Following the murder of his friend, an upstanding Navy vet agrees to go undercover to help the cops take down the ruthless crime boss who controls the local dockworker's union. Arthur Franz, Beverly Garland, Michael Ansara star. 75 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
The Gun That Won The West [DVD](1955) DVD
Directed by William Castle, this western adventure follows a frontier scout as he leads the army through Sioux territory in the late 1880s. Determined to stop the Indians from attacking railroad workers in the area, our hero and his associate keep the peace with the assistance of the newly developed Springfield Rifle. Dennis Morgan, Paula Raymond, Richard Denning star. 69 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Macabre (Remastered Edition) [DVD](1958) DVD
William Castle first demonstrated his penchant for promotional gimmicks (a $1,000 insurance certificate from Lloyd's of London to protect audience members against "death by fright") in this chilling shockfest. When he learns his daughter has been buried alive by a vengeful psychopath, a small-town doctor frantically digs up grave after grave in a desperate attempt to find her before it's too late. William Prince, Jim Backus, Christine White star. 73 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
House On Haunted Hill (B&W/Color Versions) [DVD](1959) DVD
A sinister host offers a group of people $10,000 each if they'll spend the night in his macabre mansion, then does his best (or worst) to see that no one collects! Spook-filled shocker from the legendary William Castle stars Vincent Price, Richard Long, Carol Ohmart, and Elisha Cook, Jr.; not in "Emergo." Includes both the original black-and-white and the newly colorized versions. 75 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary; theatrical trailer.
RiffTrax Live!: House On Haunted Hill [DVD](2010) DVD
Madcap movie mockers Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett are joined by special guest Paul F. Tompkins and a live Nashville audience for a screening of (and non-stop riffing on) the 1959 William Castle/Vincent Price scarefest "House on Haunted Hill." The guys also get to goof on a pair of vintage short films, "Paper and I" and "Magical Disappearing Money." 116 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.
RiffTrax: House On Haunted Hill [DVD](1959) DVD
75 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; audio commentary.
The Tingler [DVD](1959) DVD
Famous as the film in which producer/director William Castle wired theatre seats to give customers mild electric jolts at key points, this offbeat chiller stars Vincent Price as a doctor who discovers that intense fear causes an insect-like creature to grow inside a person's spine, and only screaming can kill it. His theory, however, really gets put to the test when a "tingler" runs amok in a movie theater! With Darryl Hickman, Philip Coolidge, Judith Evelyn. 81 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai; featurette; drive-in sequence; biographies; production notes; color-tinted scene.
13 Ghosts [DVD](1960) DVD
William Castle's campy horror gem follows a family that inherits a mansion complete with a spooky housekeeper, a missing treasure and a baker's dozen of baleful banshees. Originally filmed in "Illusion-O," no glasses are needed to see the ghosts here! Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp, Charles Herbert, Margaret Hamilton star. 84 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai; featurettes; theatrical trailer.
The Spirit Is Willing [Blu-ray](1967)
Husband Sid Caesar, wife Vera Miles, and teenage son Barry Gordon rent a New England seaside house for the summer, unaware that it's already occupied by a trio of ghosts who died there a century earlier and don't like having their "slumber" interrupted. Horror auteur William Castle mixes scares with laughs in this spooky comedy. Mary Wickes, John McGiver, Cass Daley, John Astin also star; based on a novel by Nathaniel Benchley. 100 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
The Spirit Is Willing [DVD](1967) DVD
Husband Sid Caesar, wife Vera Miles, and teenage son Barry Gordon rent a New England seaside house for the summer, unaware that it's already occupied by a trio of ghosts who died there a century earlier and don't like having their "slumber" interrupted. Horror auteur William Castle mixes scares with laughs in this spooky comedy. Mary Wickes, John McGiver, Cass Daley, John Astin also star; based on a novel by Nathaniel Benchley. 100 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
The Busy Body [DVD](1967) DVD
Based on the novel by Donald E. Westlake, this rare comedic outing from horror auteur William Castle stars Sid Caesar as the bumbling right-hand man of a mob boss. Assigned to find a corpse that has been buried in a suit lined with money stolen from his employer and learn who killed his bookkeeper, he encounters a string of shady--and hilarious--characters. With Robert Ryan, Anne Baxter, Bill Dana, Dom DeLuise, and, in his film debut, Richard Pryor. 102 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.
Project X [Blu-ray](1968)
Shock master William Castle helms this sci-fi opus set in the 22nd century--the story of a spy (Christopher George) whose missing memories are sought by scientists trying to rescue them by way of an elaborate, risky stunt. Convincing the once-comatose man that he is actually a person living in the 20th century, the research team attempts to lead him on a journey that will allow high-tech equipment to access his mind. Greta Baldwin, Monte Markham co-star. 97 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
Project X [DVD](1968) DVD
Shock master William Castle helms this sci-fi opus set in the 22nd century--the story of a spy (Christopher George) whose missing memories are sought by scientists trying to rescue them by way of an elaborate, risky stunt. Convincing the once-comatose man that he is actually a person living in the 20th century, the research team attempts to lead him on a journey that will allow high-tech equipment to access his mind. Greta Baldwin, Monte Markham co-star. 97 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English.

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filmography

This listing includes only those films for which William Castle is credited as director and/or producer:
FILM
Bug (1975) with Bradford Dillman, Joanna Miles, Patricia McCormack, and Richard Gilliland
Shanks (1974) with Marcel Marceau
Ghost Story (1972) with David Birney, Barbara Parkins, Sam Jaffe, Jeanette Nolan, and Sebastian Cabot
Riot (1969) with Jim Brown and Gene Hackman
Rosemary's Baby (1968) with Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy, Patsy Kelly, Elisha Cook Jr., and Emmaline Henry
Project X (1968) with Christopher George, Henry Jones, and Keye Luke
The Spirit Is Willing (1967) with Sid Caesar, Vera Miles, Mary Wickes, Jesse White, Robert Donner, Nestor Paiva, John Astin, and Harvey Lembeck
The Busy Body (1967) with Sid Caesar, Robert Ryan, Anne Baxter, Jan Murray, Richard Pryor, Charles McGraw, Bill Dana, and Godfrey Cambridge
Let's Kill Uncle (1966) with Nigel Green and Nestor Paiva
I Saw What You Did (1965) with Joan Crawford, John Ireland, Leif Erickson, Patricia Breslin, and John Archer
The Night Walker (1965) with Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Judi Meredith, Hayden Rorke, Rochelle Hudson, Marjorie Bennett, and Lloyd Bochner
Strait-Jacket (1964) with Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Leif Erickson, Rochelle Hudson, George Kennedy, and Lee Majors
The Old Dark House (1963) with Tom Poston, Robert Morley, and Janette Scott
13 Frightened Girls (1963) with Kathy Dunn, Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor, and Hugh Marlowe
Zotz! (1962) with Tom Poston, Julia Meade, Jim Backus, Fred Clark, Cecil Kellaway, Margaret Dumont, and Mike Mazurki
Mr. Sardonicus (1961) with Guy Rolfe, Oskar Homolka, Ronald Lewis, and Audrey Dalton
Homicidal (1961) with Glenn Corbett, Joan Marshall (billed as Jean Arless), Patricia Breslin, and Richard Rust
13 Ghosts (1960) with Rosemary DeCamp, Martin Milner, Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton, and John Van Dreelen
The Tingler (1959) with Vincent Price, Judith Evelyn, Darryl Hickman, and Patricia Cutts
House on Haunted Hill (1959) with Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, and Elisha Cook Jr.
Macabre (1958) with William Prince, Jim Backus, Jacqueline Scott, and Susan Morrow
Uranium Boom (1956) with Dennis Morgan, Patricia Medina, and William Talman
The Houston Story (1956) with Gene Barry, Barbara Hale, Edward Arnold, Paul Richards, and Jeanne Cooper
Duel on the Mississippi (1955) with Lex Barker, Patricia Medina, Warren Stevens, and Craig Stevens
The Gun That Won the West (1955) with Dennis Morgan, Richard Denning, and Paula Raymond
New Orleans Uncensored (1955) with Arthur Franz, Beverly Garland, and Michael Ansara
The Americano (1955) with Glenn Ford, Frank Lovejoy, Cesar Romero, and Abbe Lane
Masterson of Kansas (1954) with George Montgomery and Nancy Gates
The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954) with Scott Brady, Betta St. John, and Alan Hale Jr.
The Saracen Blade (1954) with Ricardo Montalban, Betta St. John, Carolyn Jones, and Michael Ansara
The Iron Glove (1954) with Robert Stack, Ursula Thiess, and Alan Hale Jr.
Drums of Tahiti (1954) with Dennis O'Keefe and Patricia Medina
Jesse James vs. the Daltons (1954) with Brett King, Barbara Lawrence, James Griffith, and Richard Garland
The Battle of Rogue River (1954) with George Montgomery, Richard Denning, and Martha Hyer
Charge of the Lancers (1954) with Paulette Goddard, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Richard Wyler, and Karin Booth
Slaves of Babylon (1953) with Richard Conte, Michael Ansara, Leslie Bradley, Terry Kilburn, Linda Christian, and Julie Newmar
Conquest of Cochise (1953) with John Hodiak and Robert Stack
Serpent of the Nile (1953) with Rhonda Fleming, William Lundigan, Raymond Burr, Jean Byron, Michael Ansara, and Julie Newmar
Fort Ti (1953) with George Montgomery
Cave of Outlaws (1951) with Macdonald Carey, Alexis Smith, Edgar Buchanan, Victor Jory, and Hugh O'Brian
Hollywood Story (1951) with Richard Conte, Julie Adams, Richard Egan, Henry Hull, Fred Clark, Jim Backus, and Francis X. Bushman
The Fat Man (1951) with J. Scott Smart, Julie London, Rock Hudson, Jayne Meadows, John Russell, and Jerome Cowan
It's a Small World (1950) with Steve Brodie, Will Geer, and Margaret Field
Undertow (1949) with Scott Brady, Peggy Dow, Bruce Bennett, John Russell, and Rock Hudson
Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949) with Howard Duff, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Tony Curtis, John McIntire, and Leif Erickson
The Gentleman from Nowhere (1948) with Warner Baxter
Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven (1948) with Guy Madison, Diana Lynn, Lionel Stander, Margaret Hamilton, Irene Ryan, and William Frawley
Crime Doctor's Gamble (1947) with Warner Baxter and Steven Geray
Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (1946) with Warner Baxter, Ellen Drew, William Frawley, and Myron Healey
The Return of Rusty (1946)
Mysterious Intruder (1946) with Richard Dix, Regis Toomey, and Mike Mazurki
Just Before Dawn (1946) with Warner Baxter, Adele Roberts, Craig Reynolds, and Peggy Converse
Voice of the Whistler (1945) with Richard Dix, Lynn Merrick, Donald Woods, and Gigi Perreau
Crime Doctor's Warning (1945) with Warner Baxter
The Mark of the Whistler (1944) with Richard Dix
When Strangers Marry (1944) with Robert Mitchum, Kim Hunter, Dean Jagger, Neil Hamilton, and Rhonda Fleming
She's a Soldier Too (1944) with Beulah Bondi, Nina Foch, Percy Kilbride, and Lloyd Bridges
The Whistler (1944) with Richard Dix, Gloria Stuart, J. Carrol Naish, and Joan Woodbury
Klondike Kate (1943) with Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Glenda Farrell, Constance Worth, and Sheldon Leonard
The Chance of a Lifetime (1943) with Chester Morris

TELEVISION SERIES
Circle of Fear, 1972-1973 NBC TV series, also known as Ghost Story. Castle served as executive producer
Men of Annapolis, 1957-1958 syndicated TV series. The show's star was John Ashley
The Man Called X, 1956-1957 syndicated TV series. Barry Sullivan was the star of this half-hour show
Science Fiction Theater, 1955-1957 syndicated TV series. Castle served as an occasional director of the anthologies in this half-hour series

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