- Born
- Died
- Birth nameWilliam Schloss
- Nickname
- Bill
- Height5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
- William Castle was born on April 24, 1914 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Homicidal (1961), House on Haunted Hill (1959) and The Lady from Shanghai (1947). He was married to Ellen. He died on May 31, 1977 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- SpouseEllen(March 21, 1948 - May 31, 1977) (his death, 2 children)
- Children
- RelativesKyle Newell(Grandchild)Marcia Scully Little(Niece or Nephew)
- Directed low-budget B-movies, with over-the-top gimmicks in both production and promotion.
- Famous (infamous?) for gimmick-laden films, often with over-hyped effects, such as in The Tingler (1959) (a vibrating device attached to theater seats).
- Almost always seen smoking a cigar
- He purchased the film rights to Ira Levin's novel "Rosemary's Baby", but Paramount Pictures would give him the green light for the project only if he didn't direct--the studio feared that his reputation as a director of low-budget gimmick horror films would harm the project. Roman Polanski was finally selected to direct while Castle, as producer, was allowed to make a significant cameo appearance.
- He emulated Alfred Hitchcock. This included the practice of appearing in the trailers, and even making cameo appearances in his films. He went so far as to create a trademark silhouette that showed him in a director's chair and in profile with a cigar. Hitchcock noticed the big grosses for Castle's low-budget House on Haunted Hill (1959), which led him to return the "favor" by taking a page from Castle and creating his own low-budget thriller--Psycho (1960).
- He began his career as an actor on Broadway at the age of 15. He reportedly got his first role by passing himself off as the nephew of Samuel Goldwyn.
- He began his directing career at the age of 18 with a stage production of "Dracula."
- John Goodman's character in Matinee (1993) was based on Castle.
- We all have a common interest: bigger and more horrible monsters--and I'm just the monster to bring them to you.
- [diary entry during the filming of Orson Welles's "The Lady From Shanghai"]: Orson took me aside and told me he had finished filming in Acapulco and wanted to get the cast and crew back to Hollywood, where he would resume shooting. I was delighted - until he informed me I was to remain and shoot additional footage. "Close shots of insects, snakes, iguanas, any reptiles you can find in the jungles." I am now a reptile director, teaching snakes and iguanas to act.
- The Whistler (1944) - $100 /week
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