Creepy scene from "The Haunting"(the original 1963 one) 

Probably one of the best pieces of horror cinematography ever. The imagination runs riot here. Even now this piece always leaves me speechless.

I can’t believe I never realized this fact until now. In the scene prior to this, Eleanor went to sleep in the bed right next to Theo. However, when she wakes up to the voices, she’s on the other side of the room on that couch, suggesting something had separated her from Theo while she was sleeping. Neither her nor the audience realizes this until she turns the lights on. This explains her disorientation in addition to her terror afterwards and also why she still whispers to “Theo” during the supernatural activity as if she was still in the bed right next to her, telling “Theo” to hold her hand. Boy, that makes this scene even more disturbing than I originally thought.

What’s creepier is that Eleanor wasn’t alarmed by the touch of the ghost until she found out it was a ghost. That means this ghost’s hand was warm enough to be human. Most people who have felt ghosts often describe them as cold. This ghost must have had a lot of power to feel human.

"Whose hand was I holding?" I wouldn`t want to know if I were her. Great scene that captures the essence of horror so beautifully.

This is one of those scenes where you think nothing of it, and then the next night you remember it and think 'wow, that is pretty scary.'

so creepy because you never actually saw anything. you only heard it.

I have always considered this a perfectly rendered scene: the sound design here is absolutely perfect. The mumbling, giggling voice and the crying child is straight out of the book.

If they re-released this in theaters I'd gladly go see it.

Truly a moment of cinematic platinum and a masterful scene in the horror genre. Kudos to Robert Wise! Normally I am not frightened by horror films, but this is one of the very few scenes in a horror film that has legitimately given me the chills and made me feel extremely unsettled. It is just so brilliantly done, sounds very realistic, and the black-and-white cinematography and the fact you never see anything makes it all the more terrifying. And to think, this is by the same director who made "The Sound of Music." So the same director who made my ultimate favorite "cutsey" film also made the one horror film that genuinely terrified me with this scene alone.

No bloodshed . . . No scary monsters . . . No beheadings . . . Just a masterpiece of "mental" horror! A brilliant black and white movie that scares me every time I think about it, not just when I see it.

A wise man once said that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. This movie proves him right. At one point I started seeing faces everywhere, even on her pillow (apart from her own, of course). Masterpiece and true horror movie.

I too see the creepy face in the wall between the stone leaves. This film is so well done that it's a shame that a big screen screen adaptation of Shirley Jackson's other creepy and overlooked novel entitled THE SUNDIAL wasn't made.

Also, this remains the one of the only films that I ever had to keep repeating "it's only a movie" in my mind over and over because of this particular scene.

The moment the light goes on and we see her separated from Theo, her hand stretched out into the void, gave me goosebumps all over my body. Incredibly disturbing.

I'm 56 years old, and can only recently sleep with my hands outside of the covers because of this scene! Saw the movie for the first time on TV as a kid, hiding behind my mom on the couch. I have it on VHS and DVD. Still my favorite scary movie.

Yes, this is absolutely the scariest part! I remember freaking out on this- seeing the wallpaper and hearing the voice. Really, really creepy. Classic movie. Thank you for posting this.

I saw this in 1963 and it reminded me of the old story about a man walking down a country lane who take refuge in an old ruined cottage on a dark stormy night. All he has on him is a candle and a box of matches. He settles himself down and places the candle and matches by the side of him should he need them. At about 1.30 am he wakes and realises that he is not alone and a feeling of utter dread comes over him. He slowly reaches for the matches and something places the box in the palm of his hand. This film magnificently captures the same sort of supernatural fear which has been passed down through the ages since human beings sat round the fire on dark winter nights and told tales to frighten their audience.

You see this here folks, this is REAL horror, REAL suspense, and REAL atmosphere! Not one of those cheap, gimmicky, jump scare laden cheese-fests that pass as horror nowadays!

I was about 14 when I first saw this film on tv. The only movie that ever really scared me and it still does despite repeated viewings. Try watching it on your own at night...or maybe not..That muttering muffled mad preacher voice gives me goosebumps. A brilliant film with one of the best musical scores ever - directed by the man who later made "The sound of music"(!).

This gave me nightmares for years as a kid...

If I woke in the middle of the night and saw what looked like a face in the wall pattern, I’d probably start to imagine ghosts or other creepy things even if there were none. This is by far my favorite haunted house movie. Nothing made today can touch the beautiful black and white cinematography with all the wonderful angles and shadows. CG has nothing on that kind of artwork.

It is impressive how the mere suggestion of horror stimulates the imagination. With just lighting and sound the director creates a truly disturbing atmosphere. Great stuff.

the face is very clear, mouth and two eyes. Saw this when it came out at a drive in with my mom and sister. The whole movie scared the hell out of me, still does. Best made scary movie of all time. this scene is one of the best in the whole movie! I've got to buy this.

No matter how often i watch this scene, it gives me the chills, This film and The Innocents would make a good double bill.

No Jean Morel, I'm an adult with good taste. The Haunting (1963) is one of the best ghost story adaptations ever made. Right up there with The Innocents and The Shining.

This film is so effective on so many levels. It's incredible believability is what makes it so much more successful than so many "over the top" CGI films of today. The 1999 re-make is appealing to look at, but that is as far as it goes.

One of the scariest films I saw when I was a kid. The bulging door is another creepy part.

What a masterpiece, even after 60 years this movie makes me afraid without showing nothing.... some true art !

this has to be my favorite horror movie of all time..a classic among classic's without all that CGI gore...never forget first seeing years after it came out..scared the hell out of me.

I see the eyes and the mouth partially covered by the 'feathers. It is a 3:22 toward the center of the scene on the wall. ''Carved ', into the artwork. The left eye is most pronounced. It isn't camera trick, but amazingly done with the overlay of the creepy voices. I found the full movie,(free), you can really appreciate the profound terror and suspence. An honest horror/paranormal film!! A ROBERT WISE MASTERPIECE!! Larry,Naples,FL.

One of the scariest scenes ever on film. Frightened me 50 years ago and I occasionally still think of it when something goes bump in the night.

this film is over 50 years old and holds up well even today with its scares

This scene has made me look for faces in fabric, wallpaper and linoleum my whole life. The lighting and subtlety of this movie is what makes it so great. The remake had some amazing effects, but ruined the story on the whole...

I think it's one of the best scenes ever in a horror film. Fantastic acting and also the fact that they're not showing anything, beautiful!

I'm a jaded,hardcore,horror buff & have been since childhood(60's-early70's) I have seen every kind of 'horror' film,& can say unequivocally that this is definitely one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) horror film I have ever seen.No swearing,no sex,only minimal use of mostly mild violence,& yet this is one of the creepiest films out there (it still sends shivers down my spine,which is NOT easy to do with me) Avoid the 1999 version!!! it is an insult to the original(hollywood has no ideas)

*somewhat spoilers* i think the scariest part about this movie is tht they literally dont tell us a god damned thing. its entirely for our own speculation. we hav no clue wat exactly was running around the house, banging on and shutting the doors, who any of the voices belonged to, who was holding her hand, wat was in the car with her, y they wanted her or anything like tht. we dnt kno a single thing!

I read the book before seeing this film. The part with the hand is actually in it. And when I read that part I had to put the book down. My whole body became cold and I became full of chills I was sitting at a table and I remember backing away from it. Will never forget that for the rest of my life. There is another part in the book that made me feel that way too that’s not in the movie. I won’t spoil it though. Read The Haunting of Hill House you won’t regret it. Like anything it is much better!!

I watched this recently for the first time. At night. Alone. Oh my god. The hokey beginning really lulled me into a false sense of security and I let my guard down. Oops. Because by the 40 minute mark I was involuntarily screaming out loud, and again in another scene. I've NEVER screamed out loud in a horror film before without it being a cheap jump scare. This film builds the tension and fear inside you so slowly and so much that you just have to scream. I couldn't stop myself. The main character Nell puts it best when she says, "Now I know why people scream. I never knew before. And I believe I shall scream."

I remember watching this on my own in the dark. Never again. Man I shit my pants. And yet you never see a ghost or monster. A true horror film, that relies on atmosphere/sound.

God damn why did I choose to watch this in the middle of the night when I live alone?

The scene from the book that the movie was utterly unable to capture is the walk in the nighttime garden, with the white path and the black grass, and the picnic and DON'T LOOK BACK! But this is almost as terrifying.

This is probably the scariest sequence of the movie. I'm 25, I saw this movie when I was a kid... still a killer scene. Think about how MANY movies are not as scary as this. Amazing.

"Whose hand was I holding?" is also in 'The Haunting of Hill House'. Nice hommage

I saw this movie when I was very young and it, specifically THIS scene scared the ever living shit out of me, I firmly believe that this movie is why I have high standards for horror movies today (I love bad/cheesy horror movies too but I can identify the truly good ones) ☝️

I've always thought this was one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. Loved it as a kid, and still love it. I think it is so much better then the 1999 remake could ever be.

This really was a SCARY movie, and they managed to do it without one graphic scene in the entire film! It was all done on a psychological level that left the audience feeling creeped out to the max. Anyone who can watch this film alone, at night, in an empty house, and claim they weren't scared even once, is either lying, or already dead! Yeah it's in black and white, yeah it was made in 1963, and yeah... It's vastly superior to most of the trash they call horror these days!

Robert Wise is a genius, he made me dread wallpapers...

The "face" in the scrolls on the wall. Brilliant.

This is literally one of the scariest horror movie scenes of all time, and you never once see the monster or ghost. Such a brilliant way of tapping into that paranoia and fear of things that go bump in the dark. 😥

The lighting is so incredible. At first, you see the face, but it's like "hmm it's just a pattern, do I really see anything?" Or "am I seeing what I'm supposed to be seeing" and then the way the light shifts and adjusts by the end of the scene it's made 100% clear. And it's somehow so terrifying how it messes with your head.

I never can't get enough, from this movie!!! Best Horror-Movie ever! But the scariest scene in the movie is the doorscene, when the door bends! ☝🏼🤯😰😱👁

where she thought she was holding her friends hand is still one of the best scenes ever in horror

Agree, one of the best haunted house movies (and novels).

A genuinely creepy scene from a genuinely creepy movie! This film does it for me every time I see it. You can forget nearly all the other horror films, especially the dreadful 1999 remake. The 1963 Robert Wise production of The Haunting gives me goose bumps every time. It is SCARY!!!

This is disturbing and terrifying, but so brilliant. The more you stare at that wall, I swear I can see a grimacing evil face presented in a very subtle way

I still cannot make my mind up if she is descending into madness or the house is truly haunted. Either way this is still the best film to send the chills and shivers right up & down the spine. A true classic in every sense.

The first time I saw this was more than 50 years ago. I was about 9 and crazy even then for horror movies ( I think I cut teeth on the original "Dracula"🐲, starring Bela Lugosi ). Needless to say, it scared me no end 😱. I've seen it again several times since and don't mind confessing that, although I know this film beginning to end, I STILL can't watch it alone, in the dark... 😨So many brilliant scares, endless suspense, such a thrilling sense of foreboding throughout. And the caretakers, especially the Mrs. ("No one will come closer than that..."), YIKES!!! The performances were all wonderful! 👍👍👍👍👍I've always been a Julie Harris fan (she's gone now, of course) and this is one of her most powerful performances. Dear, sad, sweet Nell. Her loneliness has haunted me for years since... 😑 But I digress. This one was made during a time before CGI overwhelmed performances, becoming the true stars of any film, sad to say. The minimalism of such only contributes to the overall horror and suspense of this classic.👏👏👏👏 Today's generation 📹 of horror writers could truly learn from these masters of the genre 🎥🎬🎭. Definitely one of those NOT to watch alone, in the dark... 😐

I cannot overstate how happy I am to have finally found this movie. As a thirteen year old, I remember this particular scene, and in parts, mis-remembered. It has driven me to try and find it and found it I have. After forty plus years of trying to find out its name, it ends up it was made in the year of my birth. Thank you *+MrDeliriafame*

Scariest movie ever. But no blood, no murders, no killer on the loose. Just awesome directing and acting and atmosphere. Nothing like it.

I remember my dad showing this to my sister and I when we were little. I made it up to the part where Eleanor was walking up the spiral staircase. This movie still gives me the chills, but it's one of my favorite films. I always recommend it during Halloween.

Totally creeps me out (hides under the blanket)

I used to feel this way when I was a kid. You're so paralyzed by fear then you finally build the strength to do something.

One of my favorites. I saw this with friends last year and there were many times when this film made me jump from the buildup of tension over the course of several scenes.

“Whose hand was I holding?” Now this is an absolutely terrifying line.

In this scene ,(one of the scariest,in my opinion), the 'face' or the implied 'face', can be seen through the 'feathers' and design on the wall. I see the 2 eyes and the mouth, with the feathers partially blocking it. Like when you put your hand up to your mouth on either side,like hiding or when in shock. Absolutely creeps me out!! The 2009 and 20014 versions, just don't compare to the mastery of this one!! Even watching it during the day!! Brilliant and beleivable acting!! Gives me chills. Naples,FL.

One of the best horror movies ever made. The "remake" is a joke.

Ever since seeing this scene as a child, I haven’t slept with my hand hanging outside of the bed.

50 years later i still remember this scene when i first saw it

Goosebumps every time. When I saw this in a movie theater years after it was released, everyone was scared to death and screamed throughout (guys too) even though nothing was really shown. Such a good movie.

Holy shit, I need to see this movie. That was damn unsettling!

The scariest scene from the scariest movie ever. Amazing....as Wise said "I did it all with just mood"! Still the only movie I will not watch alone.

Masterpiece of horror movie, this scene is a perfect example of "what you don't see is scarier than you do".

I saw this it freaked me out this is a great movie.I saw it with my mom and grandma and now my daughter loves,it to.

I have never seen a more terrifying film in my 70+ years. As Hitchcock knew, the imagination will create far more terrifying images than any filmmaker can ever produce. Watch it alone this Halloween. Alone. In the night.

This sort of slow, trudging buildup of terror, with no sort of relief in sight to break the tension, makes one just beg to be subjected to jump scares.

Yep - this is one very sinister and highly intelligent spook fest that culminates in a door-banging scene guaranteed to give you bad dreams. And not a particle of CGI to be seen...You're right about the remake too - it's utter tosh.

I watched this film and The Innocents (1961) as a young teenager and both films frightened the shit out of me. Still get goosebumps watching this now.

I read this book back in the 80’s. The book was just as terrifying , especially the hand-holding part!

Awesome movie perfect scene choice. Thanks for posting.

Thank you for reminding me about that excellent story by Gilman. Not really a ghost story, but the telling of one woman's descent into madness. I had completely forgotten about it. Wikipedia has a fine article about Gilman and the writing of "The Yellow Wallpaper".

What I remember is the door being pressed inward...stretching, creaking...was I wrong? Maybe another scene?

The most scariest movies I've ever seen. It still has that power today fter all those years.

In 1965 i saw this on tv, I was 8 yrs old. It was 40 years before I could sleep with my hand over the covers. this is what taught me to be afraid of the dark. I fell in love with horror right then and there. Love at first fright

I wish you could upload the whole movie-this one is so more faithful to the book

I get chills every time

movie still holds up to this day. much scarier without CGI effects and gimmick scares

Unlike the ridiculous remake of the movie, the original did not rely on outlandish special effects, but on stellar video, acting, and a solid script.

This is master-level cinematography and directing. So sad that they can't do it now.

The greatest supernatural film (note, not movie) ever made. Robert Wise producing, great cast and cinematography. The music by Humphrey Searle is f....g genius. You DON'T need jump scares, blood, gore or CGI. This film works on a psychological level which is the reason for its enduring popularity. It gets into your head like a worm.

This gave me nightmares as a kid when I watched it on VHS with my parents in the 80s

This has to be one of the greatest movies

Brrrrrr :) Julie Harris was an AMAZING actress :)

I grew up in a haunted house. This movie is my favorite ghost story, and there are evil houses.

This movie is 60years old , and still scare's to this day , now this real horror

I've just had lunch at this house today. It looks every bit as imposing as it does in the film.

I remember watching this for the first time as a little kid and during this part I was so scared, I almost started crying.

Amazing film for its time.

An interesting side note to this movie is that back when Walt Disney was planning The Haunted Mansion he had his imagineers go watch horror movies to get ideas for the attraction. This movie gave them several ideas for the iconic ride. This scene with the face in the wall led to the idea of the iconic Haunted Mansion wallpaper that has the faces in it.

I watched this as a kid and it scared the crap out of me. Just bought it on dvd from eBay. Can’t wait til it gets here.

my sister and I watched this movie in the 60's, here we are in 2013 and I still have dream's of it, Robert Wise you were good....