William Castle

Filmmakers

William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attention of Columbia Pictures for his talent for promotion and was hired. He learned the trade of filmmaking and became a director, acquiring a reputation for the ability to churn out competent B-movies quickly and on budget.

He eventually struck out on his own, producing and directing thrillers, which, despite their low budgets, were effectively promoted with gimmicks, a trademark for which he is best known. The first of his movies to use a gimmick was Macabre (1958), in which every customer received a certificate for a $1,000 life insurance policy from Lloyd’s of London in case they should die of fright during the film. He stationed nurses in the lobbies with hearses parked outside the theaters. Among his most famous films were House on Haunted Hill and The Tingler, both released in 1959 and both starring Vincent Price. He was also a producer for Orson Welles‘s The Lady from Shanghai (1947) and Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (1968). He also directed Barbara Stanwyck in her last theatrical film, The Night Walker (1964).

Each review will be linked to the title below.

(*seen originally in theaters)

(**seen rereleased in theaters)

  • Coney Island (1939) – documentary short
  • Black Marketing (1943) – documentary short
  • The Chance of a Lifetime (1943)
  • Klondike Kate (1943)
  • The Whistler (1944)
  • She’s a Soldier Too (1944)
  • When Strangers Marry (1944)
  • The Mark of the Whistler (1944)
  • Crime Doctor’s Warning (1945)
  • Voice of the Whistler (1945)
  • Just Before Dawn (Exposed By The Crime Doctor) (1946)
  • Mysterious Intruder (1946)
  • The Return of Rusty (1946)
  • Crime Doctor’s Man Hunt (1946)
  • Crime Doctor’s Gamble (1947)
  • Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven (1948)
  • The Gentleman from Nowhere (1948
  • Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949)
  • Undertow (1949)
  • It’s a Small World (1950)
  • The Fat Man (1951)
  • Hollywood Story (1951)
  • Cave of Outlaws (1951)
  • Fort Ti (3-D) (1953)
  • Serpent of the Nile (1953)
  • Conquest of Cochise (1953)
  • Slaves of Babylon (1953)
  • Masterson of Kansas (1954)
  • Charge of the Lancers (1954)
  • The Battle of Rogue River (1954)
  • The Iron Glove (1954)
  • Jesse James vs. the Daltons (1954)
  • Drums of Tahiti (1954)
  • The Saracen Blade (1954)
  • The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954)
  • The Americano (1955)
  • New Orleans Uncensored (1955)
  • The Gun That Won the West (1955)
  • Duel on the Mississippi (1955)
  • The Houston Story (1956)
  • Uranium Boom (1956)
  • Macabre (1958)
  • House on Haunted Hill (1959)
  • The Tingler (1959)
  • 13 Ghosts (1960)
  • Homicidal (1961)
  • Mr. Sardonicus (1961)
  • Zotz! (1962)
  • 13 Frightened Girls (1963)
  • The Old Dark House (1963)
  • Strait-Jacket (1964)
  • The Night Walker (1964)
  • Saw What You Did (1965)
  • Let’s Kill Uncle (1966)
  • The Busy Body (1967)
  • The Spirit Is Willing (1967)
  • Project X (1968)
  • Shanks (1974)