"The Haunting" is a beautiful Black & White film based on a haunted house and one particularly haunted woman. I really like the atmosphere and the way Robert Wise builds tension and the dread of the unknown to generate frights. I wouldn't say "The Haunting" is a scary movie but it is effective in generating tension and mood. The direction is wonderful and features many memorable shots such as the suicide of the woman who inherited the house and the bulging door. Memorable scenes include the first bedroom scene where Nell and Theo are chilled by noises coming from the hallway and my favorite the second bedroom haunting where shadows and decorative wallpaper had me seeing faces in the walls. I'm not rating this one higher because I didn't take much of a liking to the main character Nell played by Julie Harris. My impression was that Nell was going through a nervous breakdown and I think the movie is as much about her decent as it is an evil house. That said I really enjoyed the character Dr. John Markway played by Richard Johnson. His educated curiosity was infectious and really drove the film. His explanations of the supernatural and how one should deal with them were fascinating. Claire Bloom (is it me or does Kate Beckinsdale look like her) plays Theo an absolutely gorgeous woman whose blessed with a gift of ESP. I've heard it mentioned that Theo is a lesbian who is attracted to Nell but I'm just as inclined to believe that her behavior toward Nell is because she can read Nell's troubled mind and Theo might be messing with her at times. Perhaps she's just not a very nice person or is truly jealous of the attention that Nell receives which is actually mentioned in the film on a number of occasions. And how can I not mention the real star the awesome Hill House. The perfect place to shoot a haunted house movie.