I have been a fan of horror movies since the late 1950s when the SHOCK package of Universal’s classic 1930s horror films first appeared on TV. The first ones I ever saw in a theater were the Roger Corman-Vincent Price adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe in the early 1960s. By 1966 I was a hardcore enthusiast not only of horror films but also of horror short stories that dated from the Victorian Era through the end of World War II. My preference was for those that came out of the English Gothic tradition, especially the supernatural ghost story as written by Sheridan Le Fanu and M.R. James.
Only a very small percentage of films have been devoted to that particular genre. Most ghost movies either took the SCOOBY-DOO approach by having a live human responsible for the spooky goings on or played them for comedy such as THE CANTERVILLE GHOST (1944) or THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (1946) . One excellent example that played it straight was THE UNINVITED (1944) followed by THE INNOCENTS (1961) an adaptation of Henry James’ THE TURN OF THE SCREW. These led to the haunted house sagas THE HAUNTING (1963) and THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973).
The end of the Production Code in 1968 led to the virtual extinction of the classic ghost story film. Movies were now expected to be more explicit and horrify you rather than make you uneasy. Which is why THE CHANGELING (1980) is such a refreshing one-off. It was made in Canada by a Hungarian born director and featured a high profile cast headed up by George C. Scott and Melvyn Douglas. I call it a one-off because, even though it was very successful at the box office and won a number of awards, there was no follow-up. Not until THE WOMAN IN BLACK (1989) would there be another one like it
Scott plays a modern day classical music composer whose wife and young daughter are killed in a car accident. He relocates from New York City to Seattle to try and start over. He rents an old Victorian House and, because of his loss, immediately begins to experience strange phenomena such as running water. loud rhythmic noises and a ghostly appearance. Scott holds a seance and discovers the ghost of a child with a terrible secret that is connected with the house and with a well respected senator (Douglas) whose family owned the house.
THE CHANGELING has a number of virtues that a film of any genre would love to have. In addition to a strong and well-known cast, the movie is beautifully photographed with stunning interior sets for the house and location shots of 1980 Seattle before its tremendous growth into what it is today. The music score sets the tone of the film perfectly with a haunting music box tune composed by British composer Howard Blake. Finally director Peter Medak handles the film with skill and taste making it a movie not just for ghost story lovers, but for everyone.
