Exploring the original ‘Halloween’ house
Just as David Lynch brought a sense of unease to picture-perfect American suburbia with 1986s Blue Velvet, John Carpenter’s seminal slasher flick Halloween did something very similar almost a decade prior, fostering fear in small-town normality. Even 44 after its release, Carpenter’s film remains a horror classic, proving to have a pertinent grasp on the genre thanks to its distinctive focus on time and place.
Whilst the film is set in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, production on the 1978 horror actually took place in the quiet neighbourhood of South Pasadena, California. Within the area sits the unassuming Century House, better known as the Myers Halloween House, which stands alongside the L metro line, remaining one of the most iconic real-life movie sites in America, even though it so often goes unnoticed.
Appearing during the opening scene of Carpenter’s film, in which a young Michael Myers kills his sister in the upstairs bedroom, the Greek-inspired home dates back to 1888 and is thought to be one of the first of its kind in the city.
Though, when the cast and crew of the film showed up to shoot at the location, the house wasn’t exactly in great shape, having been abandoned for a number of years. Thanks to broken floorboards and general disregard for the property, the crew had to do some basic DIY to make the house look presentable, as, even though it was supposed to be a scary house, it also had to be an authentic lived-in home.
Almost inevitably, once Carpenter and his crew left the property shortly after filming, the house remained vacant and became increasingly neglected over the years until 1987, when it was due to be demolished. Saved at the last moment, it is thought that David Margrave, a South Pasadena council member, bought up the house for a low amount of money. With the dilapidated property now in his possession, Margrave made the decision to move it, shifting it to the old San Gabriel Valley Railroad, where it remains to this day.
The house was eventually awarded landmark status and was named South Pasadena Cultural Heritage Landmark No. 34, with the site now housing Westland Financial Service. This doesn’t stop horror fans from across the world from visiting the house, however, hoping to get a picture next to one of the most iconic buildings in the genre’s history.
Fans of Carpenter’s classic will want to linger in South Pasadena, too, with several other local spots also showing up in the movie, including Nichol’s Hardware Store, where the villain steals his grisly murder weapons, which can be found just across the road from Century House. Just five blocks away, you’ll also be able to find 1103 Fairview Avenue, an unassuming house that played host to the final girl Laurie Strode, in the movie.
Introducing one of cinema’s first-ever slasher killers, Halloween is perhaps the genre’s most influential release, leading a whole sub-genre into the late 20th century kicking and screaming in fear.
