When " The Headless Ghost " was originally released in the United Kingdom it played the lower half of a double feature programme. The main feature was Roger Corman's " A Bucket of Blood ". I saw these two at the Biograph Cinema on Wilton Road, Victoria,in west London, at that time ( 1960 ), the oldest cinema in the capital. Although " The Headless Ghost " was rather tedious fare, it had an innocent charm, and I do recall the odd chuckle. The British Board of Film Censors passed the film for exhibition with a " U " certificate ( for viewing by all ages ). " A Bucket of Blood " was passed with an " X " certificate, for viewing only by those over 16 years of age. As a consequence, no young children were able to enjoy the ghostly delights in this particular double-bill, which, at a little over two hours, must rank as one of the shortest programmes ever. Give " The Headless Ghost " a chance. Play it with the Corman film and try to imagine what it must have been like sitting in a smelly flea-pit, located in a run down part of London, way back half a century ago.
19 Reviews
Ghostly tale...not exactly thrilling.
michaelRokeefe28 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This ghost tale is a horror flick that is mostly mediocre comedy. Director Peter Graham Scott doesn't really seem too have much to work with. Three exchange students and beginner ghost hunters visit an old English castle that the Earl of Ambrose(Jack Ellen)has turned into a tourist trap by purporting that the castle is haunted. Before closing time the three decide to hide and stay the night to see for themselves if the castle is really haunted. They are shocked when a spirit from one of the many portraits gives the scared trio a personal guided tour. He than asks if they would aid him in helping another ghost locate his missing head.
The list of players include: Richard Lyon, Liliane Scottane, David Rose, Clive Revill and Mary Barday.
The list of players include: Richard Lyon, Liliane Scottane, David Rose, Clive Revill and Mary Barday.
Lifeless
bensonmum211 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I suppose that The Headless Ghost is harmless enough, but honestly, movies don't get much more bland than this. It's a bit like eating a mayonnaise sandwich on white bread - not very exciting with nothing to look forward to. The plot is laid out in the first 10 minutes and everything that follows fits nicely in place with nary a surprise in sight. While touring a supposed haunted castle, three college students hide out so they can spend the night and write about their experiences. They soon meet a whole gang of ghosts - one of which is missing his head. To get out of the castle, the intrepid trio will have to help the ghost find his head. Unfortunately, that's about all there is to it. What a big bland way to spend an hour or so of your life! The college students are as dull as dishwater, their comedy bits are too lame to be funny, there's not a thrill or fright to be had, and the dialogue is stilted and uninteresting. In fact there's really not an exciting moment to be had in all of The Headless Ghost. A 3/10 from me.
Not Good
Michael_Elliott30 October 2008
Headless Ghost, The (1959)
* 1/2 (out of 4)
Three teenagers, looking for ghosts, spend the night in a haunted house and meet a headless ghost who needs to locate his head before passing to the "other side". This horror/comedy from AIP has somewhat of a small, cult following behind it but I'm really not sure what they see in it. Yes, every film has at least a small group of fans but I must admit that this movie just didn't do it for me. The movie has a lot more comedy than anything else or perhaps I should say this film tries to go for comedy more than anything else. I honestly can't remember laughing a single time, which is pretty bad considering the movie tries to get a laugh every few seconds. I also wasn't overly thrilled with any of the horror elements, which are pretty much held to the castle and the main ghost needing the help. The cast, including Richard Lyon, are all pretty standard but they're no better or worse than countless films like this from the decade. The film runs 62-minutes and goes by rather fast so if one finds the comedy working then I'm sure they'll enjoy it.
* 1/2 (out of 4)
Three teenagers, looking for ghosts, spend the night in a haunted house and meet a headless ghost who needs to locate his head before passing to the "other side". This horror/comedy from AIP has somewhat of a small, cult following behind it but I'm really not sure what they see in it. Yes, every film has at least a small group of fans but I must admit that this movie just didn't do it for me. The movie has a lot more comedy than anything else or perhaps I should say this film tries to go for comedy more than anything else. I honestly can't remember laughing a single time, which is pretty bad considering the movie tries to get a laugh every few seconds. I also wasn't overly thrilled with any of the horror elements, which are pretty much held to the castle and the main ghost needing the help. The cast, including Richard Lyon, are all pretty standard but they're no better or worse than countless films like this from the decade. The film runs 62-minutes and goes by rather fast so if one finds the comedy working then I'm sure they'll enjoy it.
It's a half decent watch.
Sleepin_Dragon5 January 2020
A trio of students aren't convinced that Ambrose Castle is haunted, so they contrive a way to stay overnight, and discover one or two surprises.
It's a little unfair to judge this film in 2020, because to my eyes it is unsophisticated and silly, but at the time I imagine this would have been somewhat imaginative and definitely a little different. For 1959 it looks pretty good, with nice sets and costumes, and a few decent effects. The banquet scene looks very good.
On the downside it is silly, perhaps one to watch with youngsters that enjoy a ghost story, as it does have the feeling of a children's ghost story. Not to be taken seriously, but mildly entertaining. 5/10
It's a little unfair to judge this film in 2020, because to my eyes it is unsophisticated and silly, but at the time I imagine this would have been somewhat imaginative and definitely a little different. For 1959 it looks pretty good, with nice sets and costumes, and a few decent effects. The banquet scene looks very good.
On the downside it is silly, perhaps one to watch with youngsters that enjoy a ghost story, as it does have the feeling of a children's ghost story. Not to be taken seriously, but mildly entertaining. 5/10
Harmless but also pretty dumb...
planktonrules26 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Three college students go on a visit to Ambrose Castle in England. However, the ghosts want their help and lock them in the place at closing. One of the ghosts appears to them and begs them to help them find a decapitated ghost's head and mutter some incantation to restore it to his body. And, not surprisingly, they do complete the mission...but I was left not caring in the least.
Technically speaking, the film wasn't horrible. The acting wasn't particularly good but the project didn't have the Ed Wood quality that would have given it a score of 1 or 2. One question I did have was who was this actress Liliane Sottane? She was supposed to be playing a Swede but sure sounded French or Belgian. IMDb and the rest of the internet had almost nothing about her.
I watched this film because I thought it was a horror movie--and I love horror films. However, it turned out to be a 'horrible' movie instead. And, it turned out to be the sort of horror film you might expect from an episode of "The Brady Bunch" or "Gilligan's Island" or perhaps a Dean Jones film for Disney. I thoroughly hated it, as the film was dumb...and completely underestimated the intelligence of the audience (unless their intended audience was 10 and under). But, for a VERY undemanding viewer, it's all harmless entertainment (provided, of course, you find any of it entertaining--I sure didn't).
Technically speaking, the film wasn't horrible. The acting wasn't particularly good but the project didn't have the Ed Wood quality that would have given it a score of 1 or 2. One question I did have was who was this actress Liliane Sottane? She was supposed to be playing a Swede but sure sounded French or Belgian. IMDb and the rest of the internet had almost nothing about her.
I watched this film because I thought it was a horror movie--and I love horror films. However, it turned out to be a 'horrible' movie instead. And, it turned out to be the sort of horror film you might expect from an episode of "The Brady Bunch" or "Gilligan's Island" or perhaps a Dean Jones film for Disney. I thoroughly hated it, as the film was dumb...and completely underestimated the intelligence of the audience (unless their intended audience was 10 and under). But, for a VERY undemanding viewer, it's all harmless entertainment (provided, of course, you find any of it entertaining--I sure didn't).
Even worse than Scooby Doo
dsewizzrd-1090611 August 2019
Mercifully short ghost story with two American leads to ensure a release in USA.
Three students, two Americans and a well upholstered Danish girl, visit a castle outside London which is reputed to be inhabited by a headless ghost. Staying there after visiting hours they encounter a ghost and there follows a Macguffin.
The only real actor winces as a woman belts out her lines at him in a moronic monotone, although the lines are so poor it would be difficult for any actor.
Three students, two Americans and a well upholstered Danish girl, visit a castle outside London which is reputed to be inhabited by a headless ghost. Staying there after visiting hours they encounter a ghost and there follows a Macguffin.
The only real actor winces as a woman belts out her lines at him in a moronic monotone, although the lines are so poor it would be difficult for any actor.
Stupid
preppy-32 June 2005
I saw this many times on a local TV station back in the late 1970s. Every Saturday afternoon they showed two old horror films back to back. With a few exceptions they were BAD horror films. This is one of the worst.
Stupid ghost story of three annoying teenagers (two American guys, one Danish woman) visiting a haunted castle in England. There they meet a ghost who has (literally) lost his head. They help him find it.
Honestly...that's the entire plot! There's nothing else. The sets are real cheap looking (looks like they were made of cardboard), the special effects are atrocious (the headless ghost especially), the dialogue and plot are lame and the acting is really BAD! There isn't one remotely scary (or interesting or intelligent) moment in the entire film--it just drags on and on. The only reason I watched it was to avoid doing homework! Not even bad enough to be funny--just bad enough to be bad! A real must miss. I give it the lowest rating--1.
Stupid ghost story of three annoying teenagers (two American guys, one Danish woman) visiting a haunted castle in England. There they meet a ghost who has (literally) lost his head. They help him find it.
Honestly...that's the entire plot! There's nothing else. The sets are real cheap looking (looks like they were made of cardboard), the special effects are atrocious (the headless ghost especially), the dialogue and plot are lame and the acting is really BAD! There isn't one remotely scary (or interesting or intelligent) moment in the entire film--it just drags on and on. The only reason I watched it was to avoid doing homework! Not even bad enough to be funny--just bad enough to be bad! A real must miss. I give it the lowest rating--1.
Cheap and harmless spooker
mountaingoat10028 August 2012
This is a very low budget and mercifully short B from England. Three exchange students visit a stately home and stay after closing to meet the historical ghosts. The two guys are innocent Americans (one of them is Richard Lyon, son of Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels, and ,at that time, a TV favourite) and the girl is a pneumatic Dane, who should have gone on to better things. The ghosts are not portrayed as scary, and prominent among them is Clive Revill who would have a decent run in the business in later years. Like a lot of British pictures of the time,it feels like it was made with an eye an giving cast and technicians work, rather than with any desire on producing a quality movie. Overall, easy to watch, easy to forget
Silly, Harmless Fun
R Becker24 January 2006
If you remember seeing this film on local TV -- as I do -- then you know it's a short, cheap, shot-in-England black-and-white comedy with a few random ghosts thrown in. But it's still fun! Not only does the film feature the first credited film appearances of Josephine Blake (who would later be a British musical star) and Clive Revill (a great British character actor), but it's got a guy named David Rose who is about as close to a 1950s teen comedy Regis Philbin as you'll ever find. I don't know where they dug up guys like this one (and Bobby Van, and all the other horror/SF/fantasy "comedy relief" guys), but they're a cliché -- uh, staple of the time that you just have to look back and chuckle about. If you find the pacing slow (it is) and the plot thin (it is) and the comedy weak (it is), at least you know it's not very long...
Tame supernatural comedy, not my thing really.
poolandrews7 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The Headless Ghost is set in London in England where the centuries old Ambrose Castle is a popular tourist attraction, three students Bill (Richard Lyon), Ingrid (Liliane Sottane) & Ronnie (David Rose) are taking a guided tour when talk of ghost's pique their interest. The current Earl of Ambrose (Jack Allen) claims the Castle is haunted so Bill, Ingrid & Ronnie decide to hide until everyone else has left & spend the entire night there to either prove or disprove the existence of ghost's which might make for good school work, or something like that. Once the three friends are alone in Ambrose Castle at night they quickly discover that ghost's do exist & are greeted by the ghost of the Fourth Earl of Ambrose (Clive Revill) who explains that another Earl of Ambros named Malcolm is cured to walk the Castle for eternity after being beheaded & that only the return of his skull will let the Ambrose family finally rest in peace but the evil Sir Randolph (Alexander Archdale) likes eternal 'life' & doesn't want the curse lifted at all...
This English production was directed by Peter Graham Scott & is a fairly childish supernatural comedy that I felt might have been more effective had it concentrated on scares rather than laughs, the friendly ghost concept just doesn't do it for really & the three bumbling students are trapped between being painted as heroic & bumbling. Amazingly at only a brief sixty two minute duration The Headless Ghost still feels padded & I know that I was hoping for it to finish long before it actually did, there's a fair amount of padding like the totally random dance scene & the Earl of Ambrose's wife turning up to lecture him for a couple of minutes before completely disappearing & Sir Randolph the evil ghost also only appears in one scene & really doesn't get to do much at all & he makes little attempt to stop the curse being lifted despite a lot of emphasis being place on the fact that he would (the whole plot & drama of the story is supposed to revolve around it). The Headless Ghost is all rather predictable too, you just know one way or another the three teens will life the curse & everyone will live (or die) happily ever after. No surprises, nothing that I could really describe as being funny & nothing outright scary either The Headless Ghost has little to recommend it & instantly forgettable.
The production values are perhaps better than the final film deserves with some good location work & sets, it's just a shame the atmospheric dimly lit Castle corridor sets weren't put to more effective use. The entire scare factor of The Headless Ghost revolves around Ingrid being scared by a Cat, a Rat & a Snake which Bill then chops up with an axe (I hope it was a false Snake but it did look quite real to me) & not much else. The special effects are quite good considering the vintage of the film, lets just say they certainly could have been worse.
Written & produced by producer Herman Cohen I doubt The Headless Ghost had any money spent on it besides the sets, it looks alright for what it is I suppose. The acting is pretty bad, everyone seems embarrassed to be here & give flat wooden performances.
The Headless Ghost is an OK time waster I suppose, it's not amazingly bad or anything but the uninspired natured of both the comedy & scares leaves it unsatisfying. It's predictable, it's padded & overall pretty forgettable as well. There are much better ways to spend an hour I'm afraid.
This English production was directed by Peter Graham Scott & is a fairly childish supernatural comedy that I felt might have been more effective had it concentrated on scares rather than laughs, the friendly ghost concept just doesn't do it for really & the three bumbling students are trapped between being painted as heroic & bumbling. Amazingly at only a brief sixty two minute duration The Headless Ghost still feels padded & I know that I was hoping for it to finish long before it actually did, there's a fair amount of padding like the totally random dance scene & the Earl of Ambrose's wife turning up to lecture him for a couple of minutes before completely disappearing & Sir Randolph the evil ghost also only appears in one scene & really doesn't get to do much at all & he makes little attempt to stop the curse being lifted despite a lot of emphasis being place on the fact that he would (the whole plot & drama of the story is supposed to revolve around it). The Headless Ghost is all rather predictable too, you just know one way or another the three teens will life the curse & everyone will live (or die) happily ever after. No surprises, nothing that I could really describe as being funny & nothing outright scary either The Headless Ghost has little to recommend it & instantly forgettable.
The production values are perhaps better than the final film deserves with some good location work & sets, it's just a shame the atmospheric dimly lit Castle corridor sets weren't put to more effective use. The entire scare factor of The Headless Ghost revolves around Ingrid being scared by a Cat, a Rat & a Snake which Bill then chops up with an axe (I hope it was a false Snake but it did look quite real to me) & not much else. The special effects are quite good considering the vintage of the film, lets just say they certainly could have been worse.
Written & produced by producer Herman Cohen I doubt The Headless Ghost had any money spent on it besides the sets, it looks alright for what it is I suppose. The acting is pretty bad, everyone seems embarrassed to be here & give flat wooden performances.
The Headless Ghost is an OK time waster I suppose, it's not amazingly bad or anything but the uninspired natured of both the comedy & scares leaves it unsatisfying. It's predictable, it's padded & overall pretty forgettable as well. There are much better ways to spend an hour I'm afraid.
A slight, but enjoyable horror comedy quickie
Woodyanders24 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Three foreign exchange students -- excitable Americans Bill (likable Richard Lymon) and Ronnie (the equally engaging David Rose) and smart Danish gal Ingrid (a charming performance by lovely buxom blonde Liliane Sottane) -- go on a day trip to the allegedly haunted Ambrose Castle in England. They spend the night and discover that the place is haunted for real by various ghosts that include one particular hapless headless fellow who the trio have to help regain his severed noggin. Director Peter Graham Scott, working from a lightweight script by Herman Cohen and Aben Kandel, relates the frothy story at a steady pace and maintains a perfectly amiable tongue-in-cheek tone throughout. The silly and inoffensive humor doesn't get many big laughs, but it does provide a sizable number of smiles. The ghosts are a colorful and entertaining bunch, with stand-out work by Clive Revill as the friendly, helpful Fourth Earl of Ambrose and Alexander Archdale as the jolly, mischievous Sir Randolph. Josephine Blake has a memorably sexy bit as a gorgeous slave girl who performs a sultry dance. John Wiles' crisp black and white cinematography boasts plenty of nifty fades and dissolves. Gerard Schurmann's dynamic score does the trick. A pleasant 62 minute diversion.
Welcome to the creepy Ambrose Castle
chris_gaskin12315 August 2005
I've just watched The Headless Ghost for the first time and quite liked it, even though I'm not a huge fan of comedy. This had a little drama with it two.
A coach load of tourists arrive at the haunted Ambrose Castle and three of these, two Americans and a young Dainish woman decide to stay behind for the night to see if it really is haunted. It isn't long before strange things start to happen and one of the ghosts appears from a painting and later, they confront the Headless Ghost of the title and end up helping him to get reattach his head to his body and achieve this at the end.
Despite it being a comedy, The Headless Ghost is rather creepy and atmospheric at times.
Watch it if you get the chance. Great fun.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
A coach load of tourists arrive at the haunted Ambrose Castle and three of these, two Americans and a young Dainish woman decide to stay behind for the night to see if it really is haunted. It isn't long before strange things start to happen and one of the ghosts appears from a painting and later, they confront the Headless Ghost of the title and end up helping him to get reattach his head to his body and achieve this at the end.
Despite it being a comedy, The Headless Ghost is rather creepy and atmospheric at times.
Watch it if you get the chance. Great fun.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
A British Scooby Doo?
mark.waltz7 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Three college age kids decide to spend the night in a gloomy old country British castle and end up in a comic mystery where they help the other worldly residents in their desire to move onto the next world. It's an amusing but inconsequential little B movie bought by American International for release in the United States, but has a charm that cannot be denied. The three intruders (Richard Lyon, Liliane Sottane, David Rose) act with tongue in cheek, making it obvious that they were having a ball making this, and each of the ghosts gets their own personality. In a sense, it reminded me of "The Canterville Ghost" and brought back ghostly memories of the opening sequence of a Betty Grable musical, "That Lady in Ermine", where a bundle of undead nobility sing about the desire to protect the castle they've been haunting from a foreign invader.
If I had been one of the college age kids acting in this film, it would be a difficult task in keeping myself from laughing at the antics of the hilarious character actors playing the castle phantoms. The headless ghost itself isn't credited, even for their voice, but they get a delicious sense of humor of the fate, while the first phantom seen (Clive Revill) is a noble soul throughout. Even the worst of the lot, a ghost whose desire to stay put where he is, isn't all scary, so this is a film that kids can enjoy, that is if they can get past some British cultural references and the black and white photography. In a sense, this could be compared to a Laurel and Hardy film or the Abbott and Costello film, "Hold That Ghost", where everybody is having fun, and the screenwriter's tongue distinctly inserted in cheek. There's even a "kooch dancer" ghost, giving a performance that must have even had the headless ghost's head spinning.
If I had been one of the college age kids acting in this film, it would be a difficult task in keeping myself from laughing at the antics of the hilarious character actors playing the castle phantoms. The headless ghost itself isn't credited, even for their voice, but they get a delicious sense of humor of the fate, while the first phantom seen (Clive Revill) is a noble soul throughout. Even the worst of the lot, a ghost whose desire to stay put where he is, isn't all scary, so this is a film that kids can enjoy, that is if they can get past some British cultural references and the black and white photography. In a sense, this could be compared to a Laurel and Hardy film or the Abbott and Costello film, "Hold That Ghost", where everybody is having fun, and the screenwriter's tongue distinctly inserted in cheek. There's even a "kooch dancer" ghost, giving a performance that must have even had the headless ghost's head spinning.
Harmless fun
martinepstein21 June 2019
The Ambrose nose.
morrison-dylan-fan12 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Coming down with a nasty cold,I started looking round for an easy- going film to view.With having originally watched the movie for IMDbs Classic Film boards beast of 1959 poll,I decide that it was the perfect time to go ahead and meet the headless ghost again.
The plot:
Planning to write a paper based on a haunted castle,Ronnie and his friends Ingrid and Bill decide to take a tour of the castle.Reaching the end of the tour,the trio are told that the ghosts come out at night.Hiding in the castle until all the tourists have gone,Bill,Roonie and Ingrid soon uncover a curse that has been touring the castle for centuries.
View on the film:
Before getting to the movie,I have to mention that Network have given the title an excellent transfer,with the soundtrack allowing the viewer to hear every ghostly scream,and the clear picture allowing the viewer to see a headless ghost dart across the screen.
Running at a trim 60 minutes,the screenplay by Herman Cohen & Aben Kandel offers a delightful mix of light comedy and horror,as the ghostly events of the castle are joined by the "Aww shucks" of the trio.Locking the ghosts in the castle,the writers give each of them unique,funny features which go from the unlucky 4th Earl to the playful Sir Randolph.Uncovering the secrets hidden in director Peter Graham Scott's shadow-filled castle,the alluring Liliane Sottane gives a terrific performance as Ingrid,with Sottane giving Ingrid a real sense of excitement over solving the curse,the gang start to get a head of the headless ghost.
The plot:
Planning to write a paper based on a haunted castle,Ronnie and his friends Ingrid and Bill decide to take a tour of the castle.Reaching the end of the tour,the trio are told that the ghosts come out at night.Hiding in the castle until all the tourists have gone,Bill,Roonie and Ingrid soon uncover a curse that has been touring the castle for centuries.
View on the film:
Before getting to the movie,I have to mention that Network have given the title an excellent transfer,with the soundtrack allowing the viewer to hear every ghostly scream,and the clear picture allowing the viewer to see a headless ghost dart across the screen.
Running at a trim 60 minutes,the screenplay by Herman Cohen & Aben Kandel offers a delightful mix of light comedy and horror,as the ghostly events of the castle are joined by the "Aww shucks" of the trio.Locking the ghosts in the castle,the writers give each of them unique,funny features which go from the unlucky 4th Earl to the playful Sir Randolph.Uncovering the secrets hidden in director Peter Graham Scott's shadow-filled castle,the alluring Liliane Sottane gives a terrific performance as Ingrid,with Sottane giving Ingrid a real sense of excitement over solving the curse,the gang start to get a head of the headless ghost.
Mildly amusing.
Hey_Sweden19 December 2012
"The Headless Ghost" is a harmless, very minor but fairly likable little comedy filmed on the cheap in Britian. Three foreign exchange students - Americans Bill (Richard Lyon) and Ronnie (David Rose) and Danish gal Ingrid (Liliane Sottane) - take in the locations of the Ambrose Estate. Ronnie wants to investigate the stories of the place being haunted for his college newspaper and the three certainly do find plenty to write about. The ghosts are real, starting with amiable, helpful Fourth Earl of Ambrose (the great character actor Clive Revill, in his first credited screen role). One of the ghosts, Malcolm, needs his body and his severed head to be reunited so he can properly rest in peace. Bill, Ingrid, and Ronnie are reluctant at first but are eventually persuaded to see this "mission" through to its end. As written by Aben Kandel and producer Herman Cohen, and directed by Peter Graham Scott, there are no real comedy fireworks here. At best, the movie does elicit some modest chuckles, but at least it's all easy enough to take. The trio of protagonists have the potential to annoy some viewers, especially Bill, but the enthusiasm of the actors' performances is effective, and that accent of Sottanes' is hard to resist. Revill scores as the easygoing ghost, and Alexander Archdale is a hoot as the fun loving spirit of Sir Randolph. One debit is that even at a mere one hour and three minutes, this definitely feels padded: better pacing and this could have run even shorter. Still, one can't completely dislike the padding, as it features some incredible dance moves by a sexy performer named Josephine Blake. The special effects aren't bad, the music by Gerard Schurmann is good, and the movie isn't totally without decent black & white atmosphere. Originally released as the second movie in a double feature with Roger Cormans' "A Bucket of Blood", this is indeed lightweight stuff, and pretty damn silly, but it's also impossible to hate. After all, it's not as if we don't know what we're in for judging by the opening credits. Six out of 10.
Strange Goings on Inside the Castle
richardchatten17 September 2019
I was impressed at the good grace with which the Earl of Ambrose (Jack Allen) took the impertinence shown by a brash young American visitor in suggesting that claims of the castle being haunted were just 'mularkey' cooked up to draw in the punters; especially as the little oaf doesn't even inquire if he's ever actually seen any ghosts himself.
Despite the whimsical title sequence, the racy exotic dance by Josephine Blake that accompanies the ghostly banquet and a fairly gruesome moment involving a snake (plus the fact that on its original release Anglo-Amalgamated paired this film with the incredibly nasty 'Horrors of the Black Museum', also scored by Gerard Schurmann) belied my initial expectation that this would be a children's film.
The rather grand castle set looks as if it was left over from an earlier production, and the torches in wall mounts left burning overnight would probably even in 1959 have been in breach of fire regulations.
Despite the whimsical title sequence, the racy exotic dance by Josephine Blake that accompanies the ghostly banquet and a fairly gruesome moment involving a snake (plus the fact that on its original release Anglo-Amalgamated paired this film with the incredibly nasty 'Horrors of the Black Museum', also scored by Gerard Schurmann) belied my initial expectation that this would be a children's film.
The rather grand castle set looks as if it was left over from an earlier production, and the torches in wall mounts left burning overnight would probably even in 1959 have been in breach of fire regulations.
Lightweight and safe
jameselliot-113 February 2020
Danish actress Liliane Sottane with only 4 movie credits I know of, sadly enough, steals the movie as she tries to resolve the ghostly issues of a headless royal. Visually, lovely Lillian livens things up even more when she takes her coat off, wearing a tight top over a bullet bra.
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