horror hotel (1960)

aka City of the Dead.
College student Nan (Venetia Stephenson) is studying witch burnings in the 17th Century. She decides she needs to visit the site of one such burning, to soak up the atmosphere. Her professor (Christopher Lee) suggests she visit Whitewood, where such events occurred. When Nan subsequently doesn't return, her brother and her boyfriend decide to find her. Once in New England, they stumble into a coven of witches based in Whitewood and uncover a tale of curses, sacrifices and revenge.
A surprisingly good chiller, for an obviously low budget and studio-bound film. Based on a story by Milton Subotsky, slowly builds the suspense, using intelligent scripting, and moody, atmosphere drenched sets, to unsettle and gradually bring on the claustrophobia and tension. The whole thing is more reminiscent of a Val Lewton 40's horror, rather than the more overt 60's horrors.