50-522: The Amityville Horror is a book by American author Jay Anson , published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released from 1979 onward. The book is based on the claims of paranormal experiences by the Lutz family, but has led to controversy and lawsuits over its truthfulness. On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family at 112 Ocean Avenue,
100-522: A crew from the television station Channel 5 New York and reporter Michael Linder of WNEW-FM. During the course of the investigation Gene Campbell took a series of infrared time-lapse photographs. One of the images allegedly showed a "demonic boy" with glowing eyes who was standing at the foot of a staircase. The photograph did not emerge into the public domain until 1979, when George and Kathy Lutz and Rod Steiger appeared on The Merv Griffin Show to promote
150-481: A distinctive gambrel roof. It also had a swimming pool and a boathouse , as it was located on a canal. George and Kathy married in July 1975, and each had their own homes, but they wanted to start fresh with a new property. Kathy had three children from a previous marriage: Daniel, 9, Christopher, 7, and Melissa (Missy), 5. They also owned a crossbreed Malamute / Labrador dog named Harry. During their first inspection of
200-403: A high fever and blisters on his hands similar to stigmata . At first George and Kathy experienced nothing unusual in the house. Talking about their experiences subsequently, they reported that it was as if they "were each living in a different house". By mid-January 1976, after another attempt at a house blessing by George and Kathy, they experienced what would turn out to be their final night in
250-610: A large Dutch Colonial house situated in a suburban neighborhood in Amityville , on the south shore of Long Island , New York . After a trial lasting seven weeks, DeFeo was convicted of second-degree murder in November 1975 and sentenced to six terms of 25 years to life in prison. DeFeo died in prison in March 2021. In December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house with their three children and dog, Harry. After 28 days,
300-584: A remote house similar to the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King 's The Shining . In reality, 112 Ocean Avenue is a suburban house within 50 feet (15 m) of other houses in the neighborhood. The house used in the 2005 version was in Silver Lake , Wisconsin, while other location work was shot in nearby Antioch , Illinois. The child character Jodie DeFeo, appearing in the film, is fictional and
350-489: A trade book publisher, was moved to Simon & Schuster Trade and Prentice Hall's reference & travel was moved to Simon & Schuster's mass market unit. Publication of trade books ended in 1991. In 1994, Gulf+Western successor Paramount was sold to Viacom . Prentice Hall Legal & Financial Services was sold to CSC Networks and CDB Infotek. Wolters Kluwer acquired Prentice Hall Law & Business. Simon & Schuster's educational division, including Prentice Hall,
400-455: Is little evidence that polygraph tests can accurately detect lies." In October 2000, The History Channel broadcast Amityville: The Haunting and Amityville: Horror or Hoax? , a two-part documentary made by horror screenwriter/producer Daniel Farrands . The debate continues concerning the accuracy of The Amityville Horror . The various owners of the house since 1976 have publicly reported no problems while living there. James Cromarty bought
450-477: Is the best known in the series. James Brolin and Margot Kidder portray the couple George and Kathy Lutz. The part of the priest who blesses the house (renamed Father Delaney in the film) was played by Academy Award –winning actor Rod Steiger . The first three Amityville films received a theatrical release, while the fourth film was made for television by NBC . The sequels from the 1990s were released direct to video and contain virtually no material relating to
500-662: The History Channel made its documentary about The Amityville Horror in 2000, no member of the Historical Society would discuss the matter on camera. The episode of CSI: NY first broadcast on October 31, 2007, was a Halloween edition based on The Amityville Horror . Entitled " Boo ", it features a house in Amityville where a family has died in circumstances similar to the DeFeo murders. In May 2010,
550-532: The Lutz family or the DeFeo murders. Instead, they concentrate on paranormal phenomena caused by cursed items supposedly linked to the house. One of the better known features of the Amityville Horror films is the distinctive jack-o'-lantern -like appearance of the house, which was created by two quarter round windows on the third floor attic level. The windows are often illuminated in the films, giving
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#1732786985492600-518: The Lutzes fled the house, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena while living there. The book describes the house at 112 Ocean Avenue as remaining empty for 13 months after the DeFeo murders . In December 1975, George and Kathleen Lutz bought the house for what was considered to be a bargain price of $ 80,000. The five-bedroom house was built in Dutch Colonial style, and had
650-424: The Lutzes' claims. In the September 17, 1979 issue of People magazine, William Weber wrote: "I know this book is a hoax. We created this horror story over many bottles of wine." This refers to a meeting that Weber had with George and Kathy Lutz, during which they discussed what became the outline of Anson's book. Judge Weinstein also expressed concern about the conduct of William Weber and Bernard Burton relating to
700-541: The affair, stating: "There is a very serious ethical question when lawyers become literary agents." Weber himself "filed a two-million-dollar lawsuit against the couple, charging them with reneging on their book deal", while the Cromartys launched a suit "against the Lutz parents, author Anson, and his publisher. [...] During the trials, the Lutzes admitted that virtually everything in The Amityville Horror
750-471: The appearance of menacing eyes. The first three films were filmed at a house in Toms River , New Jersey which had been converted to look like 112 Ocean Avenue after the authorities in Amityville denied permission for location filming. Although not all of the films in The Amityville Horror series are set at the former Lutz home on Ocean Avenue, the distinctive Dutch Colonial house is traditionally used as
800-410: The book to Anson, who had added to and adapted some of the Lutz's original claims. A film was later made of the book in 1979, which exemplified these additions. Anson died a year later. Prentice Hall Prentice Hall was a major American educational publisher . It published print and digital content for the 6–12 and higher-education market. It was an independent company throughout the bulk of
850-422: The film producers embellished or fabricated events portrayed in the 1979 version and the 2005 remake. He also claimed that the producers of the 2005 film did not involve his family and that they used his name without permission. The house known as 112 Ocean Avenue still exists, but it has been renovated and the address changed to discourage sightseers from visiting it. The quarter round windows have been removed and
900-410: The final scene of Anson's book describing "greenish-black slime" coming up the staircase towards them. On January 14, 1976, George and Kathy Lutz, with their three children and their dog Harry, left 112 Ocean Avenue, leaving all of their possessions behind. The next day, a mover arrived to remove the possessions to send to the Lutzes. He reported no paranormal phenomena while inside the house. The book
950-418: The hood flies up against the windshield while he is driving it. In later editions, the car is described as a Chevrolet Vega , before reverting to a Ford. In May 1977, George and Kathy Lutz filed a lawsuit against William Weber (the defense lawyer for Ronald DeFeo, Jr.), Paul Hoffman (a writer working on an account of the hauntings), Bernard Burton and Frederick Mars (both alleged clairvoyants who had examined
1000-485: The house and insisted on having it blessed. At the time, George was a non-practicing Methodist and had no experience of what this would entail. Kathy was a non-practicing Catholic and explained the process. George knew a Catholic priest named Father Ray who agreed to carry out the house blessing (in Anson's book, real-life priest Father Ralph J. Pecoraro is referred to as Father Mancuso for privacy reasons). Father Mancuso
1050-460: The house but experienced nothing unusual there. In 1979, he described his experience while blessing the Amityville house during an interview for the television series In Search of... . In the interview, he makes it clear that he did in fact enter the home and that he was slapped by an invisible force and told to "get out" by a disembodied voice. Jim and Barbara Cromarty rejected the claims of physical damage to doors, locks, and windows. They bought
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#17327869854921100-407: The house for $ 55,000 (equivalent to $ 277,000 in 2023) in March 1977. Barbara Cromarty argued that they appeared to be the original items and had not been repaired. The couple also revealed that the "Red Room" was a small closet in the basement and would have been known to the Lutzes because it was not concealed in any way. Local Shinnecock Indians rejected the claim made in chapter 11 of the book that
1150-407: The house in 1977 and lived there with his wife Barbara for ten years; he commented: "Nothing weird ever happened, except for people coming by because of the book and the movie." The people and events fictionalized in The Amityville Horror have been the subject of a number of films (many of which share no connection other than the reference to Amityville): The 1979 film, based on Jay Anson's novel,
1200-420: The house in the book and 1979 film, but records showed that the Lutzes did not call the police. There was no bar in Amityville called The Witches' Brew at the time. Stephen Kaplan and other critics have pointed out that changes were made to the book as it was reprinted in different editions. In the original hardcover edition, Father Pecoraro's car is "an old tan Ford ", and he experiences an incident in which
1250-404: The house today looks considerably different from its depiction in the films. The house in Toms River used as the location for the first three films has also been modified for the same reason. For the 2005 film version, the house address was changed to 412 Ocean Avenue. The 2005 film remake says that the basement of the Lutz home was built in 1692, but 112 Ocean Avenue – also known as High Hopes –
1300-414: The house was built on a site where the tribe had once abandoned the mentally ill and the dying. Researchers Rick Moran and Peter Jordan rejected the claim of cloven hoof prints in the snow on January 1, 1976. Their investigation revealed that there had been no snowfall at that time. No neighbor reported anything unusual during the time that the Lutzes were living there. Police officers are depicted visiting
1350-432: The house was placed on the market with an asking price of $ 1.15 million. In August 2010, the house was sold to a local resident for $ 950,000. On August 21, 2010, the departing owner held a moving sale at the house and hundreds of people turned up for the event. They were allowed to go inside the house, but not to visit the upstairs rooms or the basement. Jay Anson Jay Anson (November 4, 1921 – March 12, 1980)
1400-557: The house), along with Good Housekeeping magazine, the New York Sunday News , and the Hearst Corporation . The Lutzes alleged misappropriation of names for trade purposes, invasion of privacy, and mental distress. The claims against the news corporations were dropped and the remainder of the lawsuit was heard by Brooklyn District Court judge Jack B. Weinstein . In September 1979, Judge Weinstein dismissed
1450-434: The house, Father Mancuso did not mention this incident to either George or Kathy. On December 24, 1975, Father Mancuso called George Lutz and advised him to stay out of the second floor room where he had heard the mysterious voice, the former bedroom of Marc and John Matthew DeFeo, that Kathy planned to use as a sewing room, but the call was cut short by static. Following his visit to the house, Father Mancuso allegedly developed
1500-402: The house, the real estate broker told them about the DeFeo murders and asked if this would affect their decision. After discussing the matter, they decided that it was not a problem. The Lutz family moved in on December 18, 1975. Much of the DeFeo family's furniture was still in the house, because it was included for $ 400 as part of the deal. A friend of George Lutz learned about the history of
1550-409: The house. The Lutzes declined to give a full account of the events that took place on this occasion, describing them as "too frightening". After getting in touch with Father Mancuso, the Lutzes decided to take some belongings and stay at Kathy's mother's house in nearby Deer Park , New York, until they had sorted out the problems with the house. They claimed that the phenomena followed them there, with
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1600-550: The main image in promotional material. In 2005, a remake of the original Amityville Horror film was released, with the tagline Katch em and kill em , referring to the claimed link between the house in Ocean Avenue and John Ketcham , whose name has been linked to witchcraft in Salem , Massachusetts but remains a controversial and elusive figure. This version exaggerates the isolation of 112 Ocean Avenue by depicting it as
1650-419: The occult may have initiated the demonic events. Kathleen Theresa Lutz (October 13, 1946 – August 17, 2004) died of emphysema and George Lee Lutz (January 1, 1947 – May 8, 2006) died of heart disease. The couple had divorced in the late 1980s, but remained on good terms. During the period in which the Lutz family was living at 112 Ocean Avenue, Stephen Kaplan , a self-styled vampirologist and ghost hunter,
1700-478: The release of the first film. 112 Ocean Avenue was also investigated by the parapsychologist Hans Holzer . The Warrens and Holzer have suggested that the house is occupied by malevolent spirits due to its history. The Warrens' visit to the house was depicted in the 2016 film The Conjuring 2 . George Lutz registered the phrase The Amityville Horror as a trademark in 2002 and it is referred to as The Amityville Horror™ on his official website. Lutz claimed that
1750-468: The time the name was usually styled as Prentice-Hall (as seen for example on many title pages ), per an orthographic norm for coordinate elements within such compounds (compare also McGraw-Hill with later styling as McGraw Hill ). Prentice-Hall became known as a publisher of trade books by authors such as Norman Vincent Peale ; elementary, secondary, and college textbooks; loose-leaf information services; and professional books. Prentice-Hall acquired
1800-420: The title of The Amityville Horror on " The Dunwich Horror " by H. P. Lovecraft , which was published in 1929. The role of Father Pecoraro ("Father Mancuso" in the book) has been given considerable attention. Father Pecoraro stated in an affidavit during a lawsuit in the late 1970s that his only contact with the Lutzes concerning the matter had been by telephone. Other accounts say that Father Pecoraro did visit
1850-459: The trademarks for Prentice Hall were transferred to Savvas Learning Company. Prentice Hall is the publisher of Magruder's American Government as well as Biology by Ken Miller and Joe Levine, and Sociology and Society: The Basics by John Macionis. Their artificial intelligence series includes Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Stuart J. Russell and Peter Norvig and ANSI Common Lisp by Paul Graham . They also published
1900-430: The training provider Deltak in 1979. Prentice-Hall was acquired by Gulf+Western in 1984, and became part of that company's publishing division Simon & Schuster . S&S sold several Prentice-Hall subsidiaries: Deltak and Resource Systems were sold to National Education Center . Reston Publishing was closed. In 1989, Prentice Hall Information Services was sold to Macmillan Inc. In 1990, Prentice Hall Press,
1950-571: The twentieth century. In its last few years it was owned by, then absorbed into, Savvas Learning Company. In the Web era, it distributed its technical titles through the Safari Books Online e-reference service for some years. On October 13, 1913, law professor Charles Gerstenberg and his student Richard Ettinger founded Prentice Hall. Gerstenberg and Ettinger took their mothers' maiden names, Prentice and Hall, to name their new company. At
2000-710: The well-known computer programming book The C Programming Language by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie and Operating Systems: Design and Implementation by Andrew S. Tanenbaum . Winthrop Publishers, a Cambridge, Massachusetts–based subsidiary of Prentice Hall, published a series of books on programming beginning in the mid-1970s that was edited by Richard W. Conway . Other titles include Dennis Nolan's Big Pig (1976), Monster Bubbles: A Counting Book (1976), Alphabrutes (1977), Wizard McBean and his Flying Machine (1977), Witch Bazooza (1979), Llama Beans (1979, with author Charles Keller), and The Joy of Chickens (1981). A Prentice Hall subsidiary, Reston Publishing,
2050-477: Was a lawyer, judge of the Catholic Court and psychotherapist who lived at the local Sacred Heart Rectory . He arrived to perform the blessing while George and Kathy were unpacking their belongings on the afternoon of December 18, 1975, and went into the building to carry out the rites. When he flicked the first holy water and began to pray, he heard a masculine voice demand that he "get out". When leaving
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2100-464: Was an American author whose most famous work was The Amityville Horror . After the runaway success of that novel, he wrote 666 , which also dealt with a haunted house. He died in 1980. His work, The Amityville Horror , was sold as "a true story", and it was based on the reported experiences of George Lutz and Kathleen Lutz at 112 Ocean Avenue in December 1975. The Lutzes had sold the rights to
2150-515: Was built around 1924 for John and Catherine Moynahan. The local residents and authorities in Amityville , New York, are unhappy with the attention that The Amityville Horror brings to the town, and tend to decline requests to discuss it publicly. The website of the Amityville Historical Society makes no mention of the murders by Ronald DeFeo, Jr. in 1974 or the period that the Lutz family lived at 112 Ocean Avenue. When
2200-456: Was called in to investigate the house. Kaplan and the Lutzes had a falling out after Kaplan said that he would expose any fraud that was found. Kaplan went on to write a critical book titled The Amityville Horror Conspiracy with his wife Roxanne Salch Kaplan. The book was published in 1995. On the night of March 6, 1976, the house was investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren , a husband and wife team self-described as demonologists , together with
2250-612: Was dismissed by a Los Angeles court in November 2005, while other issues related to the lawsuit remained unresolved at the time of George Lutz's death. The documentary My Amityville Horror was released in March 2013. It featured interviews with Daniel Lutz, one of the children who lived in the house during the period on which the book and films are based. Lutz echos the original story as told by his mother and step-father. He also makes additional claims that both he and George Lutz were possessed and that George Lutz demonstrated telekinetic abilities, and strongly suggests that George's dabbling in
2300-422: Was in the foreground of technical-book publishing when microcomputers were first becoming available. It was still unclear who would be buying and using "personal computers", and the scarcity of useful software and instruction created a publishing market niche whose target audience yet had to be defined. In the spirit of the pioneers who made PCs possible, Reston Publishing's editors addressed non-technical users with
2350-548: Was not one of the victims of the shootings by Ronald DeFeo, Jr. in November 1974. George Lutz described the 2005 remake as "drivel" and sued the makers for breach of contract , defamation and libel . He objected particularly to the scene in the film where the male lead – named George Lutz and played by Ryan Reynolds – is shown killing the family dog with an axe. The film also shows the George Lutz character building coffins for members of his own family. The defamation claim
2400-716: Was pure fiction", according to an article in the Skeptical Inquirer . George Lutz maintained that events in the book were "mostly true". In June 1979, George and Kathy Lutz took a polygraph test relating to their experiences at the house. The polygraph tests were performed by Chris Gugas and Michael Rice, who were reportedly among the top five polygraph experts in America. The results, in Rice's opinion, did not indicate lying. However, skeptics have pointed out that polygraph tests "are notoriously unreliable", and that "there
2450-522: Was sold to Pearson plc by G+W successor Viacom in 1998. Subsequently, Pearson absorbed Prentice Hall's higher education and technical reference titles into Pearson Education . Pearson sold its K-12 educational publishing in the United States in 2019; the division was renamed Savvas Learning. K-12 and school titles of Prentice Hall were absorbed into Savvas Learning along with Prentice Hall web domains which redirected to Savvas Learning homepage and
2500-404: Was written after Tam Mossman, an editor at the publishing house Prentice Hall , introduced George and Kathy Lutz to Jay Anson. The Lutzes did not work directly with Anson, but submitted around 45 hours of tape-recorded recollections to him, which were used as the basis of the book. Estimates of the sales of the book are around 10 million copies from its numerous editions. Anson is said to have based
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