The House on Skull Mountain
| The House on Skull Mountain | |
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Theatrical release poster.
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| Directed by | Ron Honthaner |
| Produced by | Ray Storey |
| Written by | Mildred Pares |
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| Music by | Jerrold Immel |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
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Release date
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Running time
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89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The House on Skull Mountain is a 1974 horror film directed by Ron Honthaner. After Pauline Christophe (Mary J. Todd McKenzie), the sole heir for the mansion on Skull Mountain dies, four of her family members are called to hear her will. Upon arrival, each of the guests is stalked by a skeleton in a robe.
In her home on Skull Mountain, elderly Pauline Christophe receives last rites as her butler, Thomas and his wife Louette, stand by. Pauline gives the priest four letters, instructing him to send them without allowing anyone to read them. She then pulls out a box filled with voodoo dolls and dies.
Two days later, Lorena, one of Pauline's great-grandchildren, is driving up the hill to Skull Mountain. Phillipe, another great-grandchild, speeds by and nearly forces her off the road. As Phillipe continues on, a skull appears and disappears in front of his car, nearly causing him to crash off the cliff. Arriving at the house after the funeral, Lorena meets with the priest while Louette stands by the gravediggers readying to bury Pauline. Louette sees a raven drop a string of beads tied at the end with feathers, the voodoo symbol for death, onto the coffin in the ground. The beads start to bleed and then burst into flame, burning through the coffin and causing thick smoke to fill the air. Louette hurriedly tells the gravediggers to bury the coffin. When she fearfully tells Thomas what happened, he dismisses it as imagination.
Lorena finds out that Pauline has died and entitled her as part of the will. Upon entering the house, Lorena sees Phillipe and confronts him about almost running her off the road, but when she realizes he is her cousin, she befriends him. While being taken to their rooms, Phillipe discovers Pauline's old elevator, finding that it doesn't work.
While flying to the estate, Harriet Johnson, another relative, sees a hooded, robed figure on the plane staring at her. She screams only to have it disappear while the other passengers give her odd looks. She arrives at the house at night during a storm and is introduced to the others. The reader of the will arrives, but cannot proceed as a fourth relative has still not arrived. He leaves, saying that he cannot return for another week. The three relatives ask Thomas why they're the only ones of the family invited. He explains that Pauline wanted them to come as she had never met any of the four. He then begins to explain the reason for voodoo-related material around the house. They are interrupted by the arrival of a white, drenched man: the fourth relative, Dr. Andrew Cunningham. They introduce themselves, and Phillipe begins to call him out for being the only white relative. After dinner, Philippe explores the house and is startled by Thomas. Philippe scoffs at Thomas' belief in voodoo and picks up a feathered bead, throwing it in Thomas' face, then leaves to get drunk.
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