The Haunting

For those only familiar with the 2018 TV series The Haunting of Hill House, this ground-breaking 1963 adaptation of the Shirley Jackson novel is a fascinating case study in how queerness was occasionally, though rarely, depicted. The Haunting is an unsettling tale about a group of people tasked with determining whether a creepy old house is, in fact, haunted. One of the investigators, Theodora (Claire Bloom in dazzling Mary Quant outfits) isn’t predatory or deranged like many queer characters of the genre. Instead, she’s a well-rounded, sympathetic protagonist, paving the way for Kate Siegel’s recent portrayal in the popular Netflix reimagining.

‘The picture originally opened with a scene featuring Theo yelling angrily from the window of her Greenwich Village apartment as her female companion speeds away. Theo then uses a lipstick to write a message on a mirror: “I hate you.” Wise says that ‘when we viewed the first cut, we realised that this scene labelled [the film’s lesbian angle] too heavily, so we dropped it.’ […] Notably, Theo is not depicted as villainous. Although sometimes confrontational, she proves to be a strong and courageous ally.’

George E. Turner, American Cinematographer magazine.