Barbara Stanwyck stars in this curious ghost story, produced for television by Aaron Spelling. She plays a secretary who, along with her college-age niece, moves into an old country estate she inherited from her hermit cousin...but an eerie, malevolent force presides in the house, and a spirit is unleashed (perhaps by a séance) that overtakes the girl. Henry Farrell adapted this teleplay from Barbara Michaels' novel, "Ammie, Come Home", which is rather top-heavy with wind-machine effects and centuries-old discoveries in dark rooms. The plot is laid out in a connect-the-dots fashion which mitigates against real suspense, although Richard Egan is scarily intense whenever his professor becomes possessed by a murderer. The young woman is played by a debuting Katherine Winn who, three years later (as Kitty Winn), dealt with possession and exorcism again as a cast member of "The Exorcist". Stanwyck is disappointing--she pretty much walks through this one--but Egan is a good romantic match for her and the finale is tied-up well.
Review of The House That Would Not Die
The House That Would Not Die
(1970 TV Movie)
Tidy TV-made ghost story, matter-of-factly presented
10 March 2013