Our pal Jon Putnam brought this latest installment of “Mystery Movies” to our attention a couple of months ago. A Newport/Hallmark release that made the rounds during the 1977/1978 release year, THE HOUSE BY THE HILL borrows the tag line and title design from THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE (1976), but doesn’t appear to be a re-titling of that movie; the ad below is from the Boston opening on September 28, 1977, just a few months after THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE passed through the area. We know that it isn’t a re-titling of HORROR HOSPITAL, THE SCHOOL THAT COULDN’T SCREAM (WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE?) or LAST HOUSE – PART II (BAY OF BLOOD/ TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE), since we’ve found those listed in different cities as co-features. We’re also pretty sure that it isn’t THE NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS/LAST STOP ON THE NIGHT TRAIN/NEW HOUSE ON THE LEFT, since Newport had that in circulation in late ‘77 under the title THE X-MAS MASSACRE. Two possibilities are THE HOUSE ON STRAW HILL and THE HORRIBLE HOUSE ON THE HILL, but those were already making the rounds under alternate titles and from different distributors – TRAUMA (Entertainment International) and DEVIL TIMES FIVE (Seymour Borde), respectively – right around the same time.
The most likely suspect is THE CULT (1971), which Allied Artists was playing on the drive-in circuit as THE MANSON MASSACRE from 1976 to ’78, co-billed with everything from FRIGHT and ALICE, SWEET ALICE to LAST SUMMER and TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING -- and because THE HOUSE BY THE HILL’s co-feature throughout New England (Newport’s sub-distribution territory) was another Allied Artist release, TEENAGE GRAFFITI, we’re just about ready to put money down on this one. Besides, THE CULT is still our favorite guy in
this unsolved case, and no one has come forward to dispute our assertion that the film’s mystery director, “Kentucky Jones,” is actually Albert Zugsmith. We’re sure this will all get cleared up someday, but until then, we’re hoping someone will come forward with more information on THE HOUSE BY THE HILL and the whole Hallmark/Newport/Central Park/Parker National connection.
8 comments:
Cool mystery! I love these guessing games, and I'm sure you're on the mark with this one.
Still, I have a small guess #2 with a film that was originally with American Films Ltd. back in 73/4 called Hollywood 90028. The reason is that it wound up with the Boston based company Parker International who had a Hallmark release in Horror Hospital and Hollywood... which was given it's Hollywood Hillside Strangler re-issue title (Both are featured in full pagers in the 5-28-78 Boxoffice). This may be a far off guess, though, but I think that (if research is correct) Hallmark and Parker International had the same address of 46 Church Street in Boston so there is a small chance that this might be the film.
About the X-Mas Murders, in '76/7 according to some Boxoffice Vault research, connecting to the 3-7-77 and 12-19-77 issues, it was with a company called Central Park Films. In '76 it was in a list as The Christmas Massacre (that also included "Andy Warhol's Young Dracula"!) and in 1977, it was under The New Last House on the Left title. Respected release/announcement dates are 8/76 and 11/77. Any connection to Hallmark?
Thanks, I hadn't considered HOLLYWOOD HILLSIDE STRANGLER as a possibility, but it definitely is one. Central Park was based in Boston and had some connection to Hallmark, Newport and Parker National. Another company that seems to be related: Scorpio International, which submitted the German kiddie flick SUPERBUG to the MPAA (the poster is a cheap b&w affair similar to Hallmark's), while the three sequels were released by Central Park.
Also, my local drive-in ran a dusk-to-dawn show on 4th of July 1980 that consisted of BLOODEATERS, NIGHT OF THE DEMON (A TOUCH OF SATAN), HORROR HOSPITAL, MARK OF THE DEVIL and TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD -- a mix of Parker National and Hallmark titles that may have all been with Parker Natl. at that point.
I saw THE MANSON MASSACRE as the co-feature to TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE.
Parker National and Judd Parker Films were the same company, and apparently both were owned by Phil Scuderi, who also ran Hallmark Releasing and later - as the force behind Georgetown Productions - bankrolled the first few FRIDAY THE 13TH movies.
There was also a Regal Films located at 46 Church Street in Boston, and they were handling sub-distribution as of 1977.
I don't recognize the poster stills at all. Interesting mystery.
How about Larraz's SCREAM AND DIE which Hallmark put out as THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED (with a replacement title card that used the same background as the one they used on DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT)?
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