Introduction

History

Screenplay

Casting

Shooting

Post Production

Gallery

Downloads

Links

To allay further misinformation:

The title: Both the screenplay and the film were called The Dark until a few weeks before the film’s UK release in 1969 when Tony Tenser suddenly changed it to The Haunted House Of Horror. In the US it was titled Horror House.

Screenplay facts: The original screenplay was written in 1960 when Armstrong was fifteen years old.

It was re-written in 1967, further developing its darker psycho-sexual themes and sharpening characters and dialogue to reflect the current cynical underbelly beneath the superficial Sixties culture. Additionally, the character of Richard was specifically re-written for David Bowie, including a cabaret scene in which he would have performed a couple of his own songs. It was this 2nd Draft of the screenplay which was bought by Tigon and subsequently read and approved by Sam Arkoff and James Nicholson of AIP (American International Pictures) for co-production.

Louis M (“Deke”) Hayward was the AIP executive responsible for the company’s British-based productions and it was he who instigated Armstrong into writing a 3rd Draft to add sex scenes and Americanise the characters of Chris and Sheila for American stars already under contract to AIP. Similarly, he demanded a role to be written for 3 days shooting of an infirm Boris Karloff. To this end, Armstrong merely extended a small police scene where Nigel’s disappearance was being investigated and added Karloff into a couple of night club scenes questioning Chris and his friends about drug abuse. Hayward had also insisted that the name “Nigel” was too British and had to be changed to “Gary”.

Twenty-four hours after receiving this 3rd Draft, Hayward returned it to Armstrong. The entire screenplay had been savaged beyond recognition. Hayward had cut out almost all the early expository scenes and hand-scribbled onto the backs of the excised pages, rambling scenes of a crazed Police Inspector, to be played by Karloff, in a wheelchair rampaging about the derelict house and other locations, apparently out for bloody vengeance and finally turning out to be a red herring.

It was this that precipitated the war between Armstrong and Hayward. In an attempt to placate all parties, Tony Tenser stated they would make two versions: one for AIP, the other for Tigon. However, as the budget was insufficient to shoot two completely different films, it meant Armstrong was forced to accept Hayward’s cuts and to cobble together, as best he could, the remaining fragments of his screenplay into a 4th Draft. This resulted in the first two visits to the house being merged into one and inevitable alterations in character and relationships, including Dorothy already being a part of the group, and Nigel, now called Gary, involved in an opening sex sequence with Sylvia.

It was this 4th Draft that became the final shooting script.

History - Casting

Copyright © 2004-2005 Michael Armstrong