The Innocents or Rules for Surviving a Haunted House.

1) Re the housekeeper who says she knows nothing: believe her.
2) Re the owner who stays away: demand more money.
3) Staunchly avoid any and all knowledge of the place.
4) Absolutely no children.
5) If there must be children, they must not sing.
6) If they must sing, they must know more than one song.
7) On no account may they slap jellies.
8) Elec-bleedin-tricity please, throughout the house.
9) Close the bloody windows.
10)Fix the bloody floorboards.
11)Get that junk out of the attic.
12)And all the other rooms too.
13)Sweep up those damn flowers.
14)Stay away from that damn tower.
15)Stay away from that damn lake.
16)Put pinnies on those statues.
17)Get out.

I had forgotten how strange and upsetting this film was. For all the aspects of it that seem like tropes now, it remains powerful.

With thanks to Mallory's_ Camera for pointing me back towards it!