William Castle
Producer

William Castle Net Worth

William Castle was an American producer, director, and actor born in New York City on April 24, 1914. He was best known for his work on Homicidal (1961), Rosemary's Baby (1968), and Bug (1975). He was married to Ellen and passed away on May 31, 1977 in Los Angeles, California.
William Castle is a member of Producer

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Producer, Director, Actor
Birth Day April 24, 1914
Birth Place  New York City, New York, United States
Age 106 YEARS OLD
Died On May 31, 1977(1977-05-31) (aged 63)\nLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Birth Sign Taurus
Cause of death Heart attack
Occupation Director, producer, screenwriter, actor
Spouse(s) Ellen Falck (1948–1977; his death)
Children 2

💰 Net worth: $100K - $1M

Famous Quotes:

William Castle simply went nuts. He came up with "Coward's Corner," a yellow cardboard booth, manned by a bewildered theater employee in the lobby. When the Fright Break was announced, and you found that you couldn't take it anymore, you had to leave your seat and, in front of the entire audience, follow yellow footsteps up the aisle, bathed in a yellow light. Before you reached Coward's Corner, you crossed yellow lines with the stenciled message: "Cowards Keep Walking." You passed a nurse (in a yellow uniform?...I wonder), who would offer a blood-pressure test. All the while a recording was blaring, "Watch the chicken! Watch him shiver in Coward's Corner!" As the audience howled, you had to go through one final indignity – at Coward's Corner you were forced to sign a yellow card stating, "I am a bona fide coward."

Biography/Timeline

1950

Alfred Hitchcock decided to make Psycho after noting the financial success of 1950s B-movies by Castle and Roger Corman.

1955

Ambitions unsatisfied, Castle began to make films independently. The inspiration of the 1955 French psychological thriller Les Diaboliques set the genre he would choose. He financed his first movie, Macabre (1958), by mortgaging his house. He came up with the idea to give every customer a certificate for a $1,000 life insurance policy from Lloyd's of London in case they should die of fright during the film. He stationed Nurses in the lobbies with hearses parked outside the theaters. Macabre was a hit.

1964

John Waters portrays Castle in the episode "Hagsploitation" in the first season (subtitled Bette and Joan) of the FX television anthology series Feud, depicting the notorious rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford through the production and aftermath of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. Waters as Castle appears onstage at an Oklahoma theater in 1964, exuberantly introducing a screening of Strait-Jacket while Jessica Lange as Crawford in a blood-red evening gown proceeds down the aisle, wincing and wielding an axe past hooting teenagers before pursuing Castle behind a backlit scrim to "decapitate" him in silhouette.

1977

Castle died on May 31, 1977, in Los Angeles, California, of a heart attack. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

1993

The protagonist in the 1993 film Matinee, played by John Goodman, is based on Castle.

1999

Two of his films were remade by his daughter Terry Ann Castle, who co-produced House on Haunted Hill in 1999 and Thirteen Ghosts in 2001 (the latter retitled Thir13en Ghosts).

2007

A documentary focusing on Castle's life, Spine Tingler! The william Castle Story, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz, premiered at AFI Fest 2007 in Los Angeles on November 8, 2007. It won the Audience Award for Best Documentary.

2014

Castle was unable to build on the film's success. He suffered kidney failure soon after its release. By the time he recovered, all momentum was lost, and he went back to making B-movies. His most significant acting role was also his last—as the Director of the doomed "Waterloo" epic in The Day of the Locust in 1975.

Some William Castle images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.