Is the House in ‘Black Christmas’ the Best Character in the Movie?

The Black Christmas house in Toronto was the perfect setting for the first true slasher movie.

Horror Reel Estate takes a look at the famous locations found in some of your favorite horror movies, old and new. It serves as a helpful real estate guide, a crash course in architecture, and a one-stop reference for interesting facts about these famous landmarks. Even if you’re not quite ready to put on a show, these places will always take up precious space within our cherished movie memories..

Looks like Bob Clark black christmas From 1974 is more popular than usual in December. One thing that isn’t talked about much is the actual house where the vast majority of the movie was shot.

Now that the house is so well known, it’s hard to picture director Bob Clark and art director Karen Bromley seeing the interior for the first time. In the 2005 TV series Made for on the screenClark reflects,

“I saw this little driveway and a little private house. I guess I didn’t have the right to do what I did, but I just stopped there. That was it. This was the house I should have had. The people were very nice, and they were amazed at the idea. And at The inside, as a matter of fact, was a studio far from itself, off the street.”

Knowing that they had found a rough diamond, Bromley also started seeing Clarke’s vision from the start. “It has the geography of the film the story needs. But most importantly, it has the character,” she said. “I just stood on that little cul-de-sac and looked at that house and knew there was probably something very scary in there.”

Also Read: The MKE Sisters of ‘Black Christmas’ (2019) Fight Again [Matriarchy Rising]

the black christmas The house is located on a somewhat hidden winding street off the historic intersection of Saint Clair and Avenue in Toronto. Originally built in 1906, the official address is 6 Clarendon Crescent. The Tudor Revival House was designed by architect Charles P. Band, whose name should ring a bell for horror fans. Sadly, there is no connection between Charles P. Band and director Charles Band, the B-movie horror legend who founded Full Moon Features and brought us classics like doll master And ghouls.

Originally, Ontario Vice Governor Sir John Strathairn Hendry purchased the house in 1914 and lived there until 1921. Although Bell Canada Telephone Service was established in 1880, it is unclear whether Hendry received any obscene calls during his stay.

Read also: Barb From ‘Black Christmas (1974) is a bisexual icon

In a 2015 interview with Canada’s Daily Construction News focused on black christmas The property, architect Robert Hill was surprised that the house had been used as the setting for a horror movie. “It doesn’t have any of the qualities you see in a classic horror movie role.” (What?!) Hill acknowledged the home’s ornate characteristics, calling it “a fine example of Rossdale home life with exquisite detailing.” The Rosedale area he refers to has many homes that display elements of the Tudor Revival and Queen Anne Revival styles. For architecture buffs, the Tudor revival came from England and settled in Canada around 1920.

Speaking specifically about 6 Clarendon Crescent, Hill noted some features of the house that became memorable locations in the film. “If you look at the impeccable detail of some of the shapes and forms on the exterior of the house, it has a strong British influence, from the half-timbered frame on the third floor, the large bay windows, as well as the asymmetrical shape of the house I care about.”

Assuming you just watched black christmas This week (we know you did!), the third floor is where Billy, the real killer, hid, torturing and killing a number of sisters at a sorority. Apparently, the original screenwriter A. Moore told the story on the urban legend “The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs”. As the legend goes, the scam caller pleads with the sitter to “check in on the kids.” When she does, she learns tragically that the children have either been killed, she has been killed, or both. It all depends on the campfire story that Moore heard first.

Read also: All the characters from 1974’s “Black Christmas” were rated from worst to best

Reportedly, Moore also based the plot on a large number of murders in Montreal by serial killer Wayne Bowden. Going by the ridiculous name of the vampire rapist, Boden allegedly killed five women between 1969 and 1971. Based on police reports leaked to the press, he bit his victims. It is also assumed that Bob Clark was inspired by a series of murders in the 1940s, but I found only one source who claimed so.

Moving from the third floor to the basement, the actual house only has a dedicated half basement. Typical of the style, half of the basement is visible only on the side of the front door, below the correct balustrade for the period. If you’re looking for a virtual tour, in 2012 a fan became friends with the owner and was allowed in to photograph the house. However, in the YouTube comments section of this video, there was another enthusiastic fan positive that the actual basement of the house was not used. The original basement is a maze of abandoned rooms lined with wood paneling. Additionally, the actual attic was in a house that was also near the University of Toronto on McCall Street. The back staircase leading to the third floor of the upper floor was original, according to first-hand accounts.

about this house

Homeowner Edith Beauty interviewed for on the screen A 2012 documentary that, fortunately, has nothing but nice things to say about the random fans who visited the residence during her time there.

The property has nine rooms with high ceilings. It features a ballroom, a large room, eight restored fireplaces, and a gym with a spa. In a recent listing, the home is described as having “a wonderful inflow of interior, bathed in natural light bolstered by the generous use of halogen utensils.”

Listed by Harvey Kalles Real Estate, the home was last sold for $2,840,000 on May 25, 2006.

closing costs

Director Bob Clark shows how important the house is by making it the first and last shots of the movie.

Slow-motion pans that highlight Killer Billy’s viewpoint finish to show off virtually every corner of the house. When the killer explores the house, we explore it with him.

The term ‘primary cleavage’ gets thrown up a lot when discussing black christmas. I’d argue it was the first slasher movie in North America that heavily inspired John Carpenter’s movie Halloween1978’s first American slasher movie. Peeping Tom, released in the same year as sociological patient In 1960, it’s the quintessential primary slasher that actually guarantees the term. black christmas Combine all the elements together to form the first true slasher movie. We’ll certainly keep revisiting Clarke’s classics now, although it wouldn’t have been the same movie without The Home on Clarendon Street.

Find out any other facts about black christmas? Any additional information or corrections you would like to add? I love researching the history of these historical places and will always welcome new facts that shed light on the past. Let me know on Twitter via Drostenen. You can also let your voice be heard in the comments below or on Facebook, TwitterOr Instagram! Dread Central is now available on Google News!

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