William Castle is one of the most memorable horror movie directors of all time. Not necessarily for the quality of the movies he made, although he did produce Rosemary's Baby, one of the all time great satanic shockers. What made William Castle special in the world of horror cinema was his use of unique and memorable gimmicks that got people talking about his movies, which in turn translated into ticket sales and profits.

These memorable surprises ranged from movie-themed items given to moviegoers, to theaters rigged with actors and hidden gadgets designed to shock and scare audiences, to special surprises within the films themselves. While not all of his films contained gimmicks, Castle employed them prodigiously, to the point that his name became synonymous with going to almost any lengths to get people to go to the theater to see one of his scary movies.

What follows is a list of William Castle films and some of the most well-known gimmicks he used to promote them.

Only on Have They Stopped Screaming?

The Gimmicks of William Castle

Have They Stopped Screaming?By Scott Stick ProductionsFeb 28, 2023