I find it amusing that the summary says this film is, "A tale of witchcraft, black magic and a haunted house in the Amish country." What movie was the person who wrote that watching, as they most assuredly were not watching this one! I got this film in a collection with 20 other horror films. There are horror films such as Hellraiser III, The Prophecy II, Halloween 6 and a host of other direct to DVD horror films. I was quite surprised when I started playing this film and it looked really old. Then I saw it was from 1970 and it had the look of a made for television film. That did make me think this film would be bad, I remember a couple of made for television films from this era that were pretty decent like, "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" and one where this girl marries a rock singer and they move into a house that literally wants the girl to stay there forever. This one was not in their caliber. If I can compare this film to another horror film of this era, I would compare it to "A Name for Evil" in that both were light on scares and simply bored me to near death.The story has an aunt and niece coming to a nice house out in the country that is never described as Amish country like that summary states. They immediately fall for the house, but something strange happens when a neighbor, who immediately has a thing for the aunt, meets the niece. Something is up in this house, and it becomes abundantly clear when a séance is held at the house. The niece seems possessed, but something seems to be happening to the neighbor as well. Will they solve the mystery before tragedy ensues?The film's main problem is pacing. It feels like it is going on forever, but the run time of the film is a mere 74 minutes. I kept checking my player to see how close I was to finishing the film as it just seemed to go on and on. I cannot fathom how this one has a score of 5.9 here as I was close to simply turning off the film. However, I forced myself to endure as I kept telling myself "It's only 74 minutes!" The plot is dull, as I stated, when it first came on I am thinking it is going to be like, "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" as I hear ghostly whispers and maybe a combination as it would also be like that "Burnt Offerings". Those two films, though neither perfect, were enjoyable enough. This one though is more like, "A Name for Evil" as there is just a lot of nothing going on and a lot of wind machines being used!This is the first film of the collection I have seen; hopefully, the other films will be a bit more interesting to watch than this one was. There may be one or two more television films on the collection, but as I've stated, there have been good horror films that have been made for television. This one just did not work for me...at all. My favorite part of the film was the credits as it finally meant I had endured the longest 74 minutes of my life!

Ruth Bennett (a fine performance by Barbara Stanwyck) and her niece Sara Dunning (a spunky and appealing portrayal by the pretty Kitty Winn) move into an old house that's haunted by the ghosts of the original owners. Director John Llewellyn Moxey, working from a tidy script by Henry Farrell, relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, does a solid job of creating and sustaining a spooky atmosphere, and maintains an intriguing air of mystery throughout. Moreover, there's a strong central theme about the need for closure. The sound acting by the sturdy cast holds the movie together: Stanwyck and Winn display a pleasing chemistry in the lead roles, Richard Egan has a few stand-out creepy scenes in which his character Pat McDougal gets possessed by a malevolent spirit, Michael Anderson Jr. does well as the amiable and helpful Stan Whitman, and Doreen Lang contributes a nice turn as sensitive medium Sylvia Wall. Laurence Rosenthal's shivery score hits the spine-tingling spot. Worth a watch.

I've had the chance to view many of the movies I saw as a youth and have found that many of them have not withstood the test of time. This is not the case with "The House That Would Not Die" I saw this movie of the week when I was ten years old and can remember enjoying it. The next time I saw it was when I was 17 and again I enjoyed it. Twenty-two years later, in 1992 I was able to record it when it was shown on TBS. I found the movie very enjoyable. Especially considering the fact that it was made for TV. The only visual effects applied was that of character overlay. If only I could see and compare this with another movie of my youth - The Norliss Tapes (1973).

For those of us who love intelligent horror films (a very rare genre indeed), this is very high up on my list of 10 best ghost stories [cannot decide between this and 13 Ghosts, The Innocents, the Uninvited, the Haunting (the orginal not the recent remake), A Matter of Life and Death, and the House Where Evil Dwells]. Intelligent ghost movies hardly ever happen on US TV or cinema (only the British really understand ghosts!) but to have a really well-thought out script, great characters and a writer who actually understands the occultism of ghosts coupled with a small cast of superb actors - well, what more can anyone ask??Stanwyck was at her acting peak in the 60s having developed her characterisation of the ideal mature woman - strong, intelligent, well-spoken, charming and able to rise to any occasion. She is always enchanting to watch being one of those master craftsmen (like Katie Hepburn) able to create a scene and simply hand it to the other actors, not unlike the dignity and grace in the lost art of serving tea. Ruth becomes increasingly disturbed by strange sounds in the house until one night she is attacked by her normally gentle niece who appears to be sleepwalking. Despite the gentle mocking of her neighbor Pat, Ruth is determined to get to the bottom of this.The suspicion that the house is haunted leads to a seance by a local psychic whose initial enthusiasm for the old house turns to overpowering fear. The much underrated Kitty Win plays her niece Sara who becomes very convincingly possessed as a result of the seance and the psychic manifestations in the house increase (both of which is a little known danger of genuine seances). But Ruth will not be outdone and in uncovering the history of the occupants of the house begins to piece together the awful truth of a callous murder that took place. But written records only give a version of truth - the real truth can only be told by the participants.What makes this movie so intelligent is that instead of refusing to acknowledge the possession as real and treat Sara as a nut case, Ruth and Stan try to find out what troubles the ghost by letting her speak through Sara. This leads to a unique story development - Sara's ghost is guarding the house from another more malevolent ghost.Finally they piece together where the heart of the house is and that to free Sara's ghost there must be a confrontation with this second ghost to reveal the terrible secret which binds them both to the house. This climax is beautifully done and should go done in the annals of movie history for its insight into the occult dynamics behind many hauntings as well as its sheer dramatic power.If you've ever wondered if there is any power in love or hate, this film will demonstrate it. If you think Bruce Willis' The sixth sense is a great film (it certainly is!), you'll adore this film!