The Haunting

Liam Neeson

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Owen Wilson

Lili Taylor

Bruce Dern

Marian Seldes

Alix Koromzay

Todd Field

Virginia Madsen

Michael Cavanaugh

Tom Irwin

Charles Gunning

Saul Priever

M.C. Gainey

Hadley Eure

Kadina de Elejalde

Alessandra Benjamin

Karen S. Gregan

Brandon Jarrett

Mary McNeal

William Minkin

Debi Derryberry

Jessica Evans

Sherry Lynn

Miles Marsico

Courtland Mead

Kelsey Mulrooney

Kyle McDougle

Hannah Swanson

Travis Tedford

What is the true history of Hill House and Hugh Crane?

Hugh Crane took children from his mills by the dozens (possibly hundreds) and murdered them, burning their bodies and hiding the remains underneath his great fireplace. Some time later, he re-married to Caroline (Nell's ancestor) who became pregnant and had a child. She discovered what Hugh Crane had done, and managed to escape from Hill House. However, death did not stop Hugh Crane. His malevolent spirit continued to haunt Hill House, stalking the ghosts of the children he had slain every night. He was finally defeated when Nell called him before the doors carved in imitation of Rodan's "Gates of Hell", whereupon the engraved demons reached out and dragged him into hell at last.

How close is this to the novel?

Not at all; it bears very little resemblance to the original Shirley Jackson novel. The entire background of Hugh Crain as a child murderer, and Nell's family connection to him, was made up for the movie, and the bizarre and flamboyant supernatural events in the movie are nothing like the more subtle events in the novel. This movie had a bad reputation among fans of Shirley Jackson's work, as they view it as a cheap and bastardized adaptation.