_**George C. Scott grapples with a haunted house**_

A grieving composer (Scott) rents a mansion in Seattle that’s been unoccupied for a dozen years and starts a relationship with the Historical Society agent who offered it to him (Trish Van Devere). Unfortunately, the manor has a shameful history and weird things start happening.

"The Changeling" (1980) is haunted house horror in the tradition of "The Legend of Hell House" (1973), "The Evil" (1978) and "The Amityville Horror" (1979). While it's not as good as "Amityville Horror," it's pretty much on par with "Legend of Hell House" and “The Evil” and would influence future ghostly flicks, like "The Ring" (2002).

The writer of the book and co-scripter, Russell Hunter, claimed the story is based on his experiences while living in the Henry Treat Rogers mansion in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver in the late ’60s.

For me, the apparition is accorded too much power by the scriptwriters in the second half and this provokes a “Yeah, right” response rather than scares or awes. A good example is setting a house on fire at will. Why Sure!

Trish, by the way, was Scott’s wife from 1972 until his passing in 1999.

The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes, and was shot in the Vancouver area, Seattle, and New York City (Lincoln Center), with one scene done in Toronto.

GRADE: B-/C+