House of Horrors
Encyclopedia
House of Horrors was a low-budget horror film
released by Universal Pictures
, starring Rondo Hatton
as a madman, named "The Creeper." It was also known as Murder Mansion and in the United Kingdom
as Joan Medford is Missing.
) from drowning. Shortly afterward, he takes the disfigured man into his care. Marcel also makes the Creeper the subject of his next sculpture and calls it his best creation. But as the reviews begin to break Marcel's last nerve, he has the Creeper start killing the critics.
, and is based on the bust of The Creeper, portrayed by Hatton in the House of Horrors.
being the second. However, the sudden death of the main star, Rondo Hatton, prevented any future movies from being made. It is not known how many films there would have been.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
released by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
, starring Rondo Hatton
Rondo Hatton
Rondo Hatton was an American actor who had a brief, but prolific career playing thuggish bit parts in many Hollywood B-movies. He was known for his brutish facial features which were the result of acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland.-Biography:Hatton was born Rondo K...
as a madman, named "The Creeper." It was also known as Murder Mansion and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as Joan Medford is Missing.
Plot
Struggling sculptor, Marcel DeLange (Martin Kosleck) is depressed about the events going on in his life, and decides to commit suicide. But just as he's about to kill himself, he spot and saves a madman, named "The Creeper" (Rondo HattonRondo Hatton
Rondo Hatton was an American actor who had a brief, but prolific career playing thuggish bit parts in many Hollywood B-movies. He was known for his brutish facial features which were the result of acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland.-Biography:Hatton was born Rondo K...
) from drowning. Shortly afterward, he takes the disfigured man into his care. Marcel also makes the Creeper the subject of his next sculpture and calls it his best creation. But as the reviews begin to break Marcel's last nerve, he has the Creeper start killing the critics.
Cast
- Rondo HattonRondo HattonRondo Hatton was an American actor who had a brief, but prolific career playing thuggish bit parts in many Hollywood B-movies. He was known for his brutish facial features which were the result of acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland.-Biography:Hatton was born Rondo K...
as The Creeper - Robert LoweryRobert LoweryRobert Lowery may refer to:*Robert G. Lowery, American politician from Florissant, Missouri*Robert Newton Lowery, Canadian politician from Manitoba*Robert Lowery *Robert Lowery , British canoer who competed in the Summer Olympics...
- Virginia GreyVirginia GreyVirginia Grey was an American actress.She was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of director Ray Grey. One of her early babysitters was movie star Gloria Swanson. Grey debuted at the age of ten in the silent film Uncle Tom's Cabin as Little Eva...
- Bill GoodwinBill GoodwinBill Goodwin was for many years the announcer and regular character of the Burns and Allen radio program, and subsequently The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on television from 1950-51...
- Martin KosleckMartin KosleckMartin Kosleck was a German film actor. Like many other German actors, he fled when the Nazis came to power. Inspired by his deep hatred of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, Kosleck would make a career in Hollywood playing villainous Nazis in films. While in the United States, he would appear in more...
- Alan NapierAlan NapierAlan William Napier-Clavering was an English actor, best known for portraying Alfred Pennyworth in the 1960s live-action Batman television series.-Early life and career:...
- Howard FreemanHoward FreemanHoward Freeman was an American stage actor of the early 20th century, and film and television actor of the 1940s through the 1960s....
- Virginia ChristineVirginia ChristineVirginia Christine was an American film and television actress and voice artist. Christine had a long career as a character actress in film and television. She played "Mrs...
- Joan ShawleeJoan ShawleeJoan Shawlee , also credited as Joan Fulton, was an American film and television actress.Her most notable roles were small roles in Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder films. Her most famous role was as Sweet Sue in the 1959 comedy classic, Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack...
In popular culture
The The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards represent Hatton in both name as well as his likeness. The physical award is a representation of character actor Rondo HattonRondo Hatton
Rondo Hatton was an American actor who had a brief, but prolific career playing thuggish bit parts in many Hollywood B-movies. He was known for his brutish facial features which were the result of acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland.-Biography:Hatton was born Rondo K...
, and is based on the bust of The Creeper, portrayed by Hatton in the House of Horrors.
Lost Legacy
An entire series of Creeper movies had been planned, with this being the first, and The Brute ManThe Brute Man
The Brute Man is a 1946 American horror thriller film starring Rondo Hatton as the Creeper, a murderer seeking revenge against the people he holds responsible for the disfigurement of his face. Directed by Jean Yarbrough, the film features Tom Neal and Jan Wiley as a married pair of friends the...
being the second. However, the sudden death of the main star, Rondo Hatton, prevented any future movies from being made. It is not known how many films there would have been.