When John Bellairs released The House with a Clock in Its Walls in 1973, he pulled from his childhood in nearby Marshall, Michigan, specifically the Cronin House. Tours are available for fans who want to make the day trip. That inspiration became text and, in turn, inspired illustrator Edward Gorey's drawings. Together, the two created one of its era's most compelling children's mystery novels. Two generations on, the book was adapted for film with faithfulness to the tale that follows the story many know well: The young orphan Lewis (Owen Vacarro) goes to live with his uncle (Jack Black) and soon realizes he and his neighbor (Cate Blanchett) have magical powers, which come in handy when Lewis mistakenly resurrects the dead.