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The Tingler (1959)

Not Rated   |    |  Horror

The Tingler (1959) Poster

An obsessed pathologist discovers and captures a parasitic creature that grows when fear grips its host.

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  • Vincent Price in The Tingler (1959)
  • Dal McKennon in The Tingler (1959)
  • Vincent Price and Patricia Cutts in The Tingler (1959)
  • Vincent Price in The Tingler (1959)
  • Vincent Price in The Tingler (1959)
  • Vincent Price in The Tingler (1959)

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Cast & Crew

Top Billed Cast

Director:

William Castle

Writer:

Robb White
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Awards

1 nomination.

Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
1 March 2002 | pendrill
At one showing in 1959 The Tingler provided extra shocks!
Here is a true story that classifies as "Tingler Trivia." At a major studio-named Cinema palace in San Mateo, California, I saw an original exhibition of "The Tingler" back in 1959 with the theatre-Manager's nephew, a high school chum. His uncle related the distribution set-up for the film: army surplus vibration motors were electrically wired under every third seat in the first seven rows of this large theatre in the "orchestra" level, at considerable expense. At key points in the film the motors were clicked on, providing a "tingling" sensation to a viewer's rear end, at which point several plain-clothed ushers would scream out horribly! The implied intention was to cause a stampede in the auditorium, front to rear, toward the main lobby candy counters beyond the thrust-open theatre doors. While we were listening to the story, behind the Manager's back a curious-looking workman, looking very worried and clutching a small hat, was gesturing for the manager to turn around, which we mentioned. "Who's that?" we asked. "Oh, he's the retired electrician I found" was the reply. "Excuse me for a moment, boys." When the Manager returned, he seemed quite bemused, explaining "This idiot I hired to do the work just informed me, minutes before the film rolls, that he forgot to ground his connections. It seems the patrons in those seven rows are due for a REAL shock." Needless to say, my friend and I sat in row 11 and yes, seeing the film that way, in a packed theatre, was a real hoot! About 100 people, jolted and non, stormed the lobby at the given moments, several screaming or wondering out loud in pandemonium. When the film went "black screen" for a moment and the jolts shocked the audience, the scene was not to be believed and has, to this very day, never been forgotten. It was almost as humorous as a showing of "House on Haunted Hill" in the same theatre earlier in the year, but that is a story for another day.

Critic Reviews

Did You Know?

Trivia

You may recognize Judith Evelyn, who plays the mute, terrified silent movie theatre owner here - five years earlier, she had played James Stewart's romantically frustrated neighbor "Miss Lonelyhearts" in the Hitchcock classic Rear Window.

Quotes

Dr. Warren Chapin: I came because I was a bit worried about your wife, a shock like that can have bad after effects you know.
Oliver 'Ollie' Higgins: You know I've been worried about her too, she hasn't eaten hardly a thing and she can't sleep. Ever since she saw that blood, she just roams ...

Goofs

In almost every scene in which the Tingler appears, the wires maneuvering it are visible.

Alternate Versions

Originally had a short sequence filmed partially in color. It was the scene when the deaf-mute Mrs. Higgins (Judith Evelyn), terrified by unknown forces, runs into a bathroom to hide and sees blood coming from the faucets of her sink and her bathtub filled with blood. Everything else in the scene is black and white except for the blood, which appears in garish red color - a typical William Castle gimmick. The USA home video release and the Turner Classic Movies print shown on Oct. 31, 2008 include the restored partial-color sequence. The short sequence is grainy and appears to have been inserted from an old deteriorated copy, or possibly a 16 mm print, as the rest of the movie's quality is crisp and sharp. Or possibly the image quality jump is due to an optical process or however the color was achieved, adding a generation of grain.

Storyline

Plot Summary

Synopsis (WARNING: Spoilers)

Genres

Horror

Details

Release Date:

29 July 1959

Language

English, American Sign Language

Country of Origin

USA

Filming Locations

Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$250,000 (estimated)

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