''Henry Aldrich Haunts a House'' is a 1943 American

comedy horror film Comedy horror (also called horror comedy) is a literary, television and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as having three types: "black comedy, parody and spoof." Comedy horror can a ...

, directed by Hugh Bennett and written by Muriel Roy Bolton and Val Burton. The film stars

Jimmy Lydon James Joseph Lydon (May 30, 1923 – March 9, 2022) was an American actor and television producer whose career in the entertainment industry began as a teenager during the 1930s. Early life Lydon was born in Harrington Park, New Jersey on May 3 ...

, Charles Smith,

John Litel John Beach Litel (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor. Early life Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin. During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. B ...

, Olive Blakeney, Joan Mortimer and Vaughan Glaser. The film was released on November 10, 1943, by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. The film primarily uses the concept of the

haunted house A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the property ...

. The film was part of the ''

Henry Aldrich Henry Aldrich (15 January 1648 – 14 December 1710) was an English theologian, philosopher, architect, and composer. Life Aldrich was educated at Westminster School under Dr Richard Busby. In 1662, he entered Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1 ...

film series A film series or movie series is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. It is a type of series fiction. This article explains what film series are and gives brief examples ...

(1939-1944). Jimmy Lydon portrayed the title character in 9 films of the series. He had been cast as a replacement to the film series' original star,

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor and director. He began his career performing in film as a child, and successfully transitioned to adult roles and directing in both film and television. At age nine, h ...

Plot

Henry Aldrich swallows a serum by accident and ends up in a "haunted" house.

Cast

as Henry Aldrich * Charles Smith as Basil 'Dizzy' Stevens *

as Sam Aldrich * Olive Blakeney as Alice Aldrich *Joan Mortimer as Elise Towers *

Vaughan Glaser Vaughan Glaser (November 17, 1872 – November 23, 1958) was an American stage and film actor. His stage career started a long time before the First World War; he often appeared opposite Fay Courteney in the 1910s. He appeared in numerous Broad ...

as Thomas Bradley *

Jackie Moran John E. Moran (January 26, 1923 – September 20, 1990) was an American movie actor who, from 1936 to 1946, appeared in over 30 films, primarily in teenage roles. Early life and Hollywood career A native of Mattoon, Illinois, Moran firs ...

as Whit Bidecker *

Lucien Littlefield Lucien Littlefield (August 16, 1895 – June 4, 1960) was an American actor who achieved a long career from silent films to the television era. He was noted for his versatility, playing a wide range of roles and already portraying old men befor ...

as Mr. Quid * Ray Walker as Detective Beamish

Production

Gail Russell Gail Russell (born Betty Gale Russell; September 21, 1924 – August 26, 1961) was an American film and television actress. Early years Gail Russell was born to George and Gladys (Barnet) Russell in Chicago and then moved to the Los Angeles ...

was meant to play Elise. When she was cast in ''The Uninvited'' Paramount pulled her out of the role, and cast Joan Mortimer instead.'Virginian' Femme Lead Goes to Gail Russell: Columbia Slates 'Men of the Deep; Bruce Bennett Mentioned as Star Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 15 Apr 1944: 5.

References

External links

* 1940s American films 1943 comedy horror films 1940s English-language films 1943 films American black-and-white films American comedy horror films American haunted house films Films directed by Hugh Bennett Films scored by Gerard Carbonara Paramount Pictures films The Aldrich Family films English-language comedy horror films {{1940s-US-comedy-film-stub